Chechen Wood & Maple keepsake box


davewyo

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I thought I would put up some observations regarding working with Chechen:

My piece was flat sawn and colorful. By what I see out there, not all is quite as colorful.

It is hard wood; 2250 janka.

It works something like Wenge.

It is weighty. Whatever you make will be relatively heavy.

On the table saw a slow feed rate is necessary (with my contractor's saw) but you will likely experience some burning.

The "fragrance" is different than anything I have experienced, but not unpleasant. Sort of musty but not overpowering. Similar to some Elm I have cut.

I didn't notice an appreciable dulling of my blades.

Chisels cut it well with no crushing of fibers.

Be sure your pilot holes are correctly sized or you can twist the head off a #2 screw (such as those used for boxes).

Some cut edges can be smooth and sharp as glass. Others can be splintery, and while I wouldn't call it tear-out you can experience fleck-out on sharp edges such as mitered corners.

The usual precautions are advised to avoid tear-out (backer boards, blue tape, scribing lines, climb cutting for machine cut dovetails, and the like).

Dents are not a problem (unless you really drop it) but you can easily chip off a sharp corner if you bump it on your bench.

It glued up nicely with Titebond III. I didn't find it to be oily.

I tested some cut-offs with Arm R Seal (semi-gloss), Seal A Cell + ARS, BLO, BLO + ARS, and rattle can lacquer (satin).

To my eye the BLO brought out the saturation of the colors and the shimmery three dimensional quality (chatoyance) most.

 

I will likely put a topcoat of Arm R Seal or lacquer on to bring back the wet look of the freshly applied BLO and to give some protection.

 

Overall I enjoyed working with it.

It would make good knife scales or the like.

 

Edited for spelling. D

Edit again:

It sanded well. End grain was stubborn as can be expected. It was easy to achieve a very smooth surface going from 80 grit to 320.

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Thanks gang!

 

I've been trying to make a few boxes for a couple of weddings I have coming up this year.

The idea is to send a box before the "big day" so that the happy couple can use the box as a receptacle to collect gift cards on the gift table...or not, whatever they decide.

 

The first box (which-ever is selected) is due by the second week of June.

It's for my son-in-law and his lovely bride(to be).

 

[This may be out of line. Moderators go ahead and ding me with the warning and delete if necessary]

He went "over the berm" in Kuwait back in 02 and since then has taken advantage of the GI bill and is working as an engineer, designing body armor (and other unmentionable items) for our troops.

We couldn't be more proud.

This young man deserves the best that I (and our nation) can do.

 

I hope I can make a gift box that is suitable.

 

D

 

The box is absolutely beautiful...

 

Please give my personal thanks to your son-in-law for his service to our country.

 

Regards,

FtrPilot

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  • 2 months later...

I see that I never put up final photos with the top coat applied.

So...something like 10 coats of rattle can lacquer and voila!

http://IMG_4645_zpsuw4lasmr.jpg

 

http://IMG_4646_zpsdlt9fot0.jpg

 

http://IMG_4647_zpsw4gs5yzz.jpg

 

http://IMG_4648_zps1lsrqmfx.jpg

 

The box was very well received, but they didn't use it at the wedding.

They thought it was too nice and that somebody might spill malt beverage all over the place, and I can tell you they were probably right. Let's just say a few beers may have hit the dust that night...

 

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Thanks for the kind words.

It was one of those projects where I can't remember very many oops moments. Everything just seemed to go unusually well.

 

The finish went on really well too and ended up similar to the finish on a piano or a guitar body.

You really know you nailed the finish when people can't stop caressing it.

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