Desktop Organizer - Part 8

[EDIT: My apologies for the shaky video towards most of the 2nd part. It is just that I realized this very late. This is supposed to be a very interesting part of the project and the recording wasn't the ideal. Even it wasn't comfortable to my eyes and I definitely would be considerate towards my audience. I will ensure I record and post the same steps in the cherry box hopefully with some additional tips.]

We continue to work on precise hinge layout, clean hinge mortises, and silky hand-planed roundovers on a hardwood box. In this step-by-step build, I locate and mark 1" brass hinges, knife-wall the mortises, pare cleanly with chisels, and install the hinges without splitting or overtightening. I also shape roundovers by hand plane, refine with light passes and 220–320 grit, and preview the finish for that glassy edge. If you’re into traditional box making, brass hardware installation, and clean, repeatable joinery, this video covers the exact marking, cutting, and fitting workflow I use.

Highlights (keywords)

How to install brass hinges by hand: layout, knife walls, mortising, screw prep
Accurate hinge placement using combination square, marking gauge, and reference faces
Paring to a knife wall safely; avoiding blowout at the ends
Roundover by hand plane: heavy-to-light set, facet refinement, end-grain sanding
Waxing and driving brass screws without stripping; keeping gaps uniform
Practical tips: mark left/right hinges, stay on the waste side
Planning next steps: base panel, half-blind dovetail drawer, handle fitting


Chapters

0:00 Update, plan for hinge work and roundovers
1:10 Hinging first vs. roundover first; front/back orientation
2:45 Checking hinge size consistency; choosing hinge position (eye-pleasing layout)
3:49 Marking hinge positions (nicks + Sharpie L/R identification)
6:10 Marking gauge and combination square setup; knife lines on the waste side
9:03 Chisel strategy: remove middle, stay shy of end fibers, level mortise bottom
12:06 First hinge fits snug; repeat process for second hinge
13:33 Confidence with hinging grows; fine-work mindset
14:06 Hand-planed roundovers: heavy set, then back off; refine with sanding
17:11 Finish preview (shellac) on edges; smoothing facets
19:17 Pre-drill, wax, and drive brass screws; avoid overtightening
20:59 Transferring hinge positions to lid; precise marking and knife walls
24:55 Paring to final depth; clean shoulders and corners
27:46 Test fit: smooth action, uniform gaps, intentional clearance
28:50 What’s next: base panel, half-blind dovetail drawer, handle


Tools and materials (keywords)

Hand planes: smoothing plane for roundovers; light/heavy set technique
Marking gauge, combination square, marking knife, sharp chisels
1" brass hinges, brass screws, wax, awl, drill/driver
Sandpaper 220–320 grit for edge and end-grain refinement

Hashtags
#Woodworking #HandToolWoodworking #BoxMaking #BrassHinges #HingeMortise #KnifeWall #Roundover #Chisels #MarkingGauge #CombinationSquare #EndGrainSanding #TraditionalWoodworking #Dovetails #Shellac #Joinery