# How to level the bottom of a box



## NotHandyMan (Nov 27, 2011)

I'm building a jewelry box and managed to mess up joining the sides. After some careful planing, I have the top (the open part) perfectly flat, but the bottom wobbles. I've tried hand planing and sanding, but I can't flatten out the bottom. When I try planing, I chip off small pieces at the miter joints, so I don't want to continue that effort. If I had a drum sander, I'd pop it in top-down and I guess I'd get there. I'd appreciate advice! Thanks.


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## mrcanterbury (May 7, 2012)

If I understand correctly, put the flat part against the table saw fence and trim as little as needed on all 4 pieces rotating after each side.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

How uneven is it? How big is it? 
Got any pics of it? Easier to see and troubleshoot your dilemma.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Mrcanterbury is pointing in the right direction but the answer to Dominick's question could change my answer. Let us see what you are dealing with.


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

emsennett said:


> I'm building a jewelry box and managed to mess up joining the sides. After some careful planing, I have the top (the open part) perfectly flat, but the bottom wobbles. I've tried hand planing and sanding, but I can't flatten out the bottom. When I try planing, I chip off small pieces at the miter joints, so I don't want to continue that effort. If I had a drum sander, I'd pop it in top-down and I guess I'd get there. I'd appreciate advice! Thanks.


i make lot's of box's and sometime's the base just off just a little , so i use my table saw and just skim off just enough all the way aroung and that take's care of it , of course put the top against the fence, than cut my 2 cent's i belive a post saying the same thing also


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If the box is small enough, lay a full sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface, and move the box around on it.











 







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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I like to use a 12" sanding disc, for that work, if it isn't too big.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Next time you glue up a box, clamp it down to a flat surface so it doesn't get twisted. If you have the top flat, place that on a flat surface. Then cut a block of wood or use dividers that you use to scribe around the box. This will mark the bottom parallel with the top. Depending on how much it's out, you can cut or plane to that scribed mark. I'd use a low angle block plane for minor adjustments.


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## Willie T (Feb 1, 2009)

If it's really bad, how about gluing on little, short legs? If they wobble, they are easily, and quickly sanded for level.


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## Greg in Maryland (Jan 6, 2011)

+1 on C'mn's suggestion. I use contact cement to glue 100 grit sandpaper to MDF and sand away. I would imagine you could do a fair bit of leveling in only a few minutes. However, if things of really out of kilter, flattening the bottom will only get rid of the rocking -- it will still look out of kilter. Of course, you could state that it was a "design element."

Greg


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## davehafelein (Feb 17, 2013)

cabinetman said:


> If the box is small enough, lay a full sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface, and move the box around on it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This has worked for me on lots of boxes. Or I glue a couple of pieces of sandpaper down for bigger boxes.


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## mrcanterbury (May 7, 2012)

But to get them co-planar you'd need to use the table/bandsaw method. Depending how off it is. If you sand the bottom flush, but the top leans forward to one side, I guess you can call it a design element.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I guess we'll never know, until the OP comes back to his thread.


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## NotHandyMan (Nov 27, 2011)

Wow - thanks to all of you for the great feedback! You're better than a woodworking class!

It's tough to get a good photo showing the skew - maybe it's 1/32" inch. I'm going to try the table saw method first because it sounds easy. Before I posted, I tried using a sandpaper sheet but I couldn't make it adhere without tearing. I could try contact cement, but then wouldn't I have to throw out the MDF after a single use? The other thing about the sandpaper method is that I might end up using uneven pressure, resulting in a flat, but sloped bottom. That's why I was thinking of a drum sander.

Meanwhile, here are 4 pics before I try the saw tip. Pic 1 is a complete view of the bottom. Pics 2-3 show the gap in opposing corners, with a piece of 1/4 plywood resting on top of the box. Pic 4 shows on of the other two corners - flat. (I have another pic of the other corner, but I guess you can only include 4 in a post, and it's basically the same as pic 4 here.) The dimensions of the box are about 14-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 3-1/4.

I'll follow-up after running it through the saw. Again, thanks!


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