Preparing the Base

Pick the best side of your blank for the base and clamp it securely in the vise. Take off any surface marks by working your way across the width with your plane set to a shallow setting. Next, centre your box on the base by eyeballing first and then check the overhang by measuring with a rule.

You can now mark the perimeter by tracing around the box onto the base with a light pencil mark. This will stop you from taking too much off when creating your roundovers.