4 posts tagged “boxes”
I keep finding myself returning to Box Making. It seems to satisfy
My work shop is small, so making small wooden boxes 'fits' is a practical utilization of the available space. Also, since I give most of my work away to friends and family members, the material cost is reasonable.
Box making involves most of the challenges of making larger pieces of fine furniture. But because the scale is small, there is the tendency to inspect the workmanship more closely. When is the last time you picked up a table and looked underneath? Likely never. But it seems that people just can't resist doing this with a small box. So it is incumbent upon a box make to make each box as close to perfect as possible.
These two aren't there yet, but I'm happy with them.
These three boxes are the first of about eight I am making for Christmas gifts. There is no specific use behind my designs; I've decided they stand on their own right as artistic creations intended to feature the beauty of the timber from which they are created.
The deep red wood is Australian River Red-gum from old fence posts. This timber used to be the wood-of-choice for this purpose as it is resistant to rot and insect decay. It's a very dense wood and a challenge unless one has very sharp tools.
The yellow wood is Huon Pine, perhaps my favorite Australian timber species. It's also a wood resistant to rot and was logged in the early part of the twentieth century for boat building. It has a beautiful aroma and mills easily. This particular piece of timber is rare in that it features "bird's-eye" speckling throughout. The large black knot-hole has created some spectacular grain making this truly a one-of-a-kind box.
One of the things I like about woodworking, is that there are always new challenges, techniques to master, and skills to learn. Now, although I like this, it doesn't mean that I find the process easy. In fact, sometimes it's plain frustration. But, I suppose it's the steep learning curve that makes is so rewarding once the new becomes familiar.
cut the timber from old recycled Red Gum fence posts. (This is a beautiful timber with a deep red colour, dense grain, and is resistant to rot and insects.) I recently acquired an Incra Ultra Lite router jig. It's about time that I started to push the boundaries and learned to make some of the special joints this device is designed for.
Well, to cut to the chase, after three hours, I had nothing to show for my hard work but mismatched pieces and lots of wood chips. But that's not quite true - I also learned in the process. I learned what not to do. Tomorrow, I will start again, but not from scratch, I now have experience that will prevent me from making the same mistakes. I have used the following as a tag line, and it certainly applies here.
Tony Lydgate has been an inspiration in my pursuit of artistic expression
through woodworking. (See my version of Tony's Box on Stilts) His excellently illustrated books are filled with beautiful creations in timber. Some of the work he has designed and made himself, others are collections of small boxes from the completely practical to the absolutely bazaar; works done by artistic woodworkers from around the world.
However, one of the most complete books on
box making is Taunton Press' Complete Illustrated Guide to Box making
by Doug Stowe.
Anyone interested in pursuing box making would not go wrong purchasing these fine books. And even if you only want to learn more about this wonderful hobby, they make good reading.
