If you have been following my channel for a while, you may have seen this build. Recently, I was asked to build another one, and I thought I would take this opportunity to try to do a better video showing the build process that goes along with the set of plans available on my website.
You can get the plans here: Whiskey Box Plans.
Specialty tools used (most are affiliate links) • Hinge from Brusso hardware (not an affiliate link)
• Shot Glasses https://amzn.to/2FeBHfI
• West Systems Epoxy https://amzn.to/340xKD4
• 3m Super 77 spray adhesive https://amzn.to/36BpsE9
• Titebond II https://amzn.to/2nejeTr
Building the Box
Step 1: Prepare Your Stock
Start by selecting a single wide board for the box sides. The goal is to have the grain flow continuously around the entire box for a cohesive look. Mill your lumber to the desired thickness and cut a narrower piece separately for the lid sides, matching the grain pattern as closely as possible.
Step 2: Sequence Your Pieces
Mark your milled boards in sequence: side, front, side, and back. This ensures the grain flows naturally around the assembled box. Set up a stop block at your table saw and cut the base pieces and their corresponding top pieces simultaneously so they match perfectly in length.
Step 3: Cut the Box Joints
Box joints create a strong, attractive corner. Set up your miter gauge with a stop and use a scrap piece milled to the same width as your joints for proper spacing. Make sure your spacer is long enough to touch both the front and back teeth of the blade simultaneously.
Cut test pieces first to check the fit. The joint should be snug but not so tight that it risks breaking. Use a marking gauge to score across where the joints will be cut to prevent tearout.
When cutting the actual joints, work slowly and deliberately. Pushing too fast can cause the blade to lift your workpiece, resulting in sloppy joints. For thin top pieces, attach scrap plywood behind them for better control and safety.
Pro tip: Leave your sides slightly wider than the final dimension when first ripping them. Small errors in your setup compound across multiple joints, so you can trim to exact width once all joints are cut.
Step 4: Create Clamping Cauls
While your dado blade is set up, cut scrap plywood with the same finger pattern to use as clamping cauls. This lets you apply pressure directly over the joints without damaging adjacent boards. Use a chisel to chamfer the edges of these cauls for adequate clearance.
Step 5: Prepare the Top and Bottom
For the top, arrange mahogany boards so the grain flows naturally from one to the next, disguising glue lines. While floating tenons aren’t strictly necessary for long-grain glue-ups, they help with alignment and prevent boards from sliding during clamping.
Resaw a piece for the bottom and glue it up. Since it’s too thin for floating tenons, use clamps across each end to keep everything flat and aligned.
Step 6: Cut the Dados
The sides need stopped dados to accept both the lid and bottom without breaking through the finger joints. Use your workpiece to mark start and stop lines on your router fence. Gently drop the piece onto the spinning bit at the start line, push through to the stop line, then shut off the router before lifting the piece.
Test your dado setup on scrap wood first, make any necessary adjustments, then cut the dados in all side pieces and the lid.
Step 7: Add Decorative Details
Cut a decorative chamfer on the lid top by setting up a sacrificial fence, tilting your blade to 45 degrees, and raising it into the fence. This creates a clean, quick chamfer on all edges.
Before glue-up, square up the rounded ends left by the router bit using a chisel so the top and bottom panels fit properly.
Assembly
Step 8: Glue Up the Case
Lay out all parts and attach your clamping cauls with double-stick tape so they stay in place during assembly. Since standard wood glue contains water that can swell the wood and make tight joints impossible to assemble, use epoxy instead. Freshly mixed epoxy acts almost like a lubricant, helping pieces slide together smoothly.
Apply the same careful process to the lid, ensuring all parts are perfectly square. If the lid isn’t square, it won’t align properly with the box when closed.
After the glue dries, use a hand plane to flush up any edges that aren’t perfectly aligned.
Step 9: Install the Hinges
Knife in the hinge locations and use a chisel to remove most of the waste. Clean up the bottom with a router plane. Test the fit multiple times, adjusting the shoulders as needed until you achieve a perfect fit.
Repeat this process on the lid, then use a self-centering drill bit to predrill screw holes. Drive screws by hand to avoid stripping or scratching. Test the fit before moving on to sanding and finishing.
Creating the Interior
Step 10: Build the Glass Holders
Resaw 8/4 stock so the grain on the left and right glass holders is book-matched for a refined look. Rip the boards to width, then tilt your blade to an attractive angle and cut a chamfer on the leading edge.
Switch to a dado blade to cut dados for the side and back supports. Run these support pieces through your thickness planer until they fit snugly without forcing.
Step 11: Position the Shot Glasses
Experiment with glass placement until you find an arrangement you like. A staggered pattern clustered toward the bottle end often looks appealing. Mark the center of each hole location.
Use calipers to measure across each glass at the point where you want the wood to hold it, then select a Forstner bit as close to that size as possible. Clamp your workpiece securely and drill out all holes.
Round over each hole using a quarter-inch roundover bit at the router table for a finished look.
Step 12: Assemble the Glass Holders
Pre-finish all parts before assembly. Rather than clamping, use a headless pin nailer to secure pieces while the glue dries. The pins are so small their marks virtually disappear in the wood grain.
Step 13: Create Spacer Blocks
Place a shot glass in a holder and measure the distance between the glass bottom and the box bottom. Mill spacer blocks to fill this gap, preventing glasses from being pushed too far down and potentially cracking the holder or getting stuck. Cover these blocks with felt for a soft landing, then install them.
Adding the Finishing Touches
Step 14: Install Felt Lining
Cut felt pieces to line the entire box interior. Tape off the box edges to protect them from spray adhesive overspray.
Apply spray adhesive to the box surfaces and carefully position the felt. Use a plastic putty knife to apply pressure, working out any creases or bubbles. Trim excess felt with a sharp razor blade along the edges.
Note on adhesives: 3M spray adhesive provides superior hold compared to other brands. The felt should stay firmly in place without peeling.
Step 15: Make the Bottle Holder
Chuck a piece of wood in your lathe and turn the diameter down to slightly larger than your whiskey bottle’s neck. Take it to the spindle sander and sand a notch for the bottle to rest in. Once you’re satisfied with the shape, cut it to length with a band saw.
Use the actual bottle to determine optimal placement. Cut away a portion of felt where the holder will attach, then screw and glue it in place using epoxy. The screw acts as a clamp while the epoxy cures, and the epoxy fills any gaps created by the surrounding felt.
Step 16: Final Assembly
Use blue tape to protect the felt edges while sliding in the glass holders. Secure them with a small amount of epoxy drizzled underneath.
Reattach the hinges and install clasps to keep the box closed when not in use.
Finishing Up
Load your box with your favorite whiskey and shot glasses. You now have a handsome display piece perfect for entertaining friends or as a memorable gift.
This project combines practical joinery with thoughtful details like continuous grain flow and book-matched panels. The result is a refined piece that showcases both your whiskey collection and your woodworking skills.
Plans for this project are available for download if you’d like detailed measurements and cutting diagrams.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.