Linda asked me to make a twelve inch tall riser block, and I happened on this sequence to turn some left over plywood into a twelve inch cube in just a few minutes.

With the table saw set to make a 45 degree cut, and the rip fence set for the long edge of the cut to be twelve inches, I ripped five squares of three-quarter inch birch plywood. Using the same setup, I mitered three sides on four of the squares, and all four sides of the remaining square.

Using painters tape to create “hinges” to align the sides of the box, I spread PVA glue on adjacent 45 degree faces and simply folded the box together. A last piece of painters tape held the last faces together. Spreading glue on the four end mitered faces, the fifth square dropped in perfectly.

A few pin nails secured each of the joints, and Linda’s twelve inch cube riser block was complete and ready for paint in about fifteen minutes.

This technique would work for smaller or larger boxes. To make a completed closed box, just cut six squares and miter all four sides of each of them. If a rectangular box is desired, two rip fence setups will be needed.