How to Build a Cigar Box

A nifty and permanent wooden cigar box can be made to store your cigars in so they will remain fresh. This box should be about the same size as the one that you tobacco retailer carries, and cedar wood is the recommended material for the box. To top off this project, add a small painted picture or nifty design to your completed box.

Things You'll Need

• Cedar wood Miter box saw Carpenter's glue Sandpaper Clear finish or acrylic paint Paintbrush Pair of small brass hinges Handle or knob Block plane Drill and drill bits

Instructions

1. Procure your wood, find a workspace and set up your miter saw. A power miter saw is a super tool, but hand saws work just as well and are cheaper to purchase. Sometimes cedar wood can be found at a craft supply house, or you can go to a small saw mill and perhaps find someone who will cut you some to size.

2. Choose the depth of your box and cut several feet of stock to that width. Make sure you rip each board going with the grain. A hand saw will work OK in this case, or you can use a table saw if you have one with a fine tooth blade. After the cutting is done, plane each board to the exact same width.

3. Choose the width and length of your box and cut two pieces each of equal length and also two more pieces for the width.

4. Assemble the four pieces with carpenter's glue to form a square box. Four-corner clamps will help with this step, or you can cut special corner pieces, which can be glued into each interior corner for added strength.
   A good height for your box is anywhere from 4 to 6 inches. If your wood stock is ¼ inches thick and 4 inches wide, then cut each corner piece at exactly 3½ inches in length. The width and thickness should be each be ¼ inch (the same as the overall thickness of your wood stock). Now your thin stick of wood can be glued in each corner, leaving a ¼-inch gap at both the top and bottom. This allows for a bottom piece, which is glued, and a top piece, which is not. When the bottom is cut and glued, your box will be much stronger.

5. Cut the bottom piece to fit perfectly inside the square frame that you just made. This piece should rest on the four corner pieces and get glued into place. If more than one piece is needed (likely scenario), cut two more strips that are ¼ by ¼ inches (like in Step 4) and glue them between the vertical pieces that you installed in Step 4. Make sure they sit back from the bottom edge by a ¼ inch. Now install as pieces, as you need to form the bottom of the cigar box.

6. Cut the top piece in the same manner, but of course it does not get glued. Instead, attach a wooden knob to the center (dead center) of the piece. You can buy one pre-made or make your own. Either way it will be held in by a wood screw that comes up from the bottom.
   If you have to use more than one piece of wood to construct the cover, then you will need to make two cleats and attach these pieces to the bottom side of the top piece. Glue should work just fine for this.

7. Decorate your cigar box with paint or clear finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, the top piece can be hinged with small brass hinges. This can be done from either the inside or outside. Use simple, small brass hinges, and you might need a backing (a small piece of wood behind the screws).

• Avoid using metal corners to help hold the box together.