Video # 15 – Nielsen Dean’s Box – 2025 BatchMoving right along…After the boxes are glued and removed from the clamps, the time has come to rout the mortises for the hinges.The video (at 2x speed) shows me routing the mortises with a little plunge router using a little jig as a guide. The jig makes sure that the mortises on both the lids and the boxes are aligned.The first item I rout is the lid, followed by the box.This process is repeated one hundred times.I am the “Router Queen of the Universe”! ❤️💪🏼😂#nielsenmagic#magicprops#ilovewoodworking#handcrafted#highquality#womeninwoodworking#deansbox#plungerouting… See MoreSee Less
Nielsen Dean’s Box – 2025 Batch – Video # 14This is the fourteenth video for this batch of boxes at 2x speed.After the interiors are completed – with finish and all the hardware is installed – the next step is to glue up the box.The process is straightforward. The one-minute video shows me doing a glue-up. This step took me about a week to complete. We are making 100 boxes, we have a limited number of clamps, and glue had to dry. Patience is the key.#nielsenmagic#magicprops#ilovewoodworking#handcrafted#highquality#womeninwoodworking#deansbox#glueupprocess… See MoreSee Less
Nielsen Dean’s Box – 2025 Batch – Video # 13As you have seen from the previous video, we have been installing the interior components of the boxes.Amongst the components, we have the curtains.The Dill-Nielsen Dean’s Boxes have a different attachment for the curtains. If you ever have to change them, it would be easier than hammering the nails that were used in the past.For brevity this video has been speeded up to 1.25x in order not to significantly distort my voice. It is still long by social media standards at almost four minutes long. However, my purpose is to document the process and show you what it takes to make these boxes, and not to satisfy the algorithm.Hope you good folks have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. I am grateful to have you as a following in my life. God bless you.#nielsenmagic#magicprops#ilovewoodworking#handcrafted#highquality#womeninwoodworking#deansbox#hardwareinstallation… See MoreSee Less
Nielsen Dean’s Box – 2025 Batch – Video # 12This is the twelfth little video in the sequence.In the last post, you saw me applying finish to the interior of the boxes.The next step is that of installing the interior hardware and components of the boxes.This video documents the installation of the stop plate on the top of the box.The gentleman helping me with the build this time is my friend Denny. Denny is a woodworker and magic aficionado who assists me with shop projects from time to time. He does crack me up with the wry glance as we start the video.I hope you folks don’t mind the process videos. This is my effort to educate everyone about what it takes to handcraft the items.As of today, November 16, 2025, we sold out of all the Dean’s Boxes we had in stock. Hopefully this new batch will be ready by mid-December.Thank you for your support.#nielsenmagic#magicprops#ilovewoodworking#handcrafted#highquality#womeninwoodworking#deansbox#hardwareinstallation… See MoreSee Less
Nielsen Dean’s Box – 2025 Batch – Video # 11The saga continues… And no, we are not even halfway done yet… In addition to this, I am working on a piece of furniture that has to be finished before the end of this month. Whew! Handcrafting a batch of one hundred boxes is no easy feat. It takes a lot of patience and attention to all the little details.After the components are stained, we have to apply the finish. My finish of choice for this project: Lacquer. I use a Mohawk paints lacquer finish that is used for kitchen cabinets. This box is touched a lot during performance, so the finish has to withstand the constant handling by the magician and spectators.All the components are first sealed with a sealer, after which they are sanded with a fine grit sandpaper, followed by two coats of the lacquer finish.The finish is durable and stunning.This video is tedious, because you are seeing me spraying over and over again. At 2x the speed, the minute and a half video summarizes one entire work week of my life.#nielsenmagic#magicprops#ilovewoodworking#finishing#handcrafted#highquality#womeninwoodworking#deansbox#mohawkpaints… See MoreSee Less