Finger-Jointed MDF Box

For this project, I learned how to use finger joints to hold together pieces of laser-cut MDF. I designed a small finger-jointed box in SolidWorks, then laid out the constituent pieces for laser-cutting. The final box was assembled with wood glue. Its lid features an inset geometric design with an interior layer held in place with dowel pins.

The design and color scheme of the box was inspired by Egyptian artifacts combining gold leaf and lapis lazuli inlays.

To finish the box, I used a technique known as "pour painting" in which I layered various colors of acrylic paint thinned with a flow agent (in this case, white school glue) with silicone oil in a cup, then poured the resulting mixture over the sections of the box. To promote the formation of interesting "cells" in the design, I passed a flame over the paint while it was still wet and flowing.

To achieve an interesting "crinkled" texture on the inset triangles in the lid, I heated the acrylic paint while it was still wet with a heat gun until it bubbled slightly.