Incidental Boxes


Eric.

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The cherry boxes are about 10x7, and the maple box is about 12x8...approximately.  It doesn't matter the size, just use the Golden Ratio to get close and whoever receives it will be happy...or they get slapped across the face and box taken away.  All three are in the 4 or 4.5" range in height.

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On 9/4/2016 at 9:28 PM, K Cooper said:

It just hit me, that's not a ply bottom!

The cherry boxes have 1/4" walnut ply but the birdseye box is solid.  If you look closely you can see the raised panel.

On 9/4/2016 at 10:25 PM, estesbubba said:

Getting caught up on here after vacation and those are some awesome boxes - great job as usual!

Thanks man!

On 9/3/2016 at 11:16 PM, prov163 said:

Beautiful work Eric. I agree leaving the marks shows that it's hand made. You're "rusty" dovetails are better than some people's best. Nice work. 

There aren't many gaps but the angles were off on a few of them.  Not a huge deal and most people don't get in a twist over it.  It bothers me though. :)

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3 hours ago, Eric. said:

There aren't many gaps but the angles were off on a few of them.  Not a huge deal and most people don't get in a twist over it.  It bothers me though. :)

Yeah, I have a tendency to obsess over the flaws. I remember a few years ago hearing Jim Heavey say, "When you give someone a gift you've made and they say, 'It's beautiful,' don't start pointing out the flaws. Just say thank you. They probably won't see the flaws and it diminishes your gift if you point them out. Just say thanks and get back in the shop."

I didn't see any gaps ?

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On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 5:03 PM, Eric. said:

The cherry boxes have 1/4" walnut ply but the birdseye box is solid.  If you look closely you can see the raised panel.

Is the bottom panel free floating? Space balls? Silicon? I "accidentally" created a 3/8" solid panel trying to flatten a piece with grain that was never going to lie flat. I eventually gave up. It would have made a fantastic drawer bottom but I was concerned with wood movement and blowing out the drawer sides, so I chucked it. Perhaps I made the wrong decision?

-E

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On 9/12/2016 at 8:15 AM, vinnyjojo said:

Cool boxes Eric. The liner makes for a nice stop for the lid. Haven't seen that before.....

Was the liner a friction fit after the box was glued up?....

Also, from an aesthetic standpoint do you like the cocobolo on cocobolo dovetails? They kind of get lost in the grain.

Thanks VJ.  The liners are glued in.

I don't need my dovetails to punch people in the face.  I use the joint because it's traditional, classy and strong.  Aesthetics are a nice bonus but they are secondary.  When people look closely enough at the box, they'll see the joinery, and either they'll appreciate it or they won't.  But I'm happy to know it's there.

2 hours ago, Elroy Skimms said:

Is the bottom panel free floating? Space balls? Silicon? I "accidentally" created a 3/8" solid panel trying to flatten a piece with grain that was never going to lie flat. I eventually gave up. It would have made a fantastic drawer bottom but I was concerned with wood movement and blowing out the drawer sides, so I chucked it. Perhaps I made the wrong decision?

-E

The bottoms of the cherry boxes are ply and are glued in.

The bottom of the maple box is a floating raised panel with maybe 1/16" gap on either side to allow for movement.  I use a dab of glue at the center of the long grain on each side to keep it from shifting.  I use business cards as shims to get it perfectly centered during glue-up, then leave it alone until it's dry.

I've tried spaceballs with limited success...they have to be exactly the perfect size for the situation or they don't really work.  I've had better luck with my own shop-made spaceballs...which is nothing more than turd-shaped silicone squirts that I squeezed out of a tube and let dry on a non-stick something.  Infinitely variable size possibilities make them more versatile.

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  • 2 weeks later...
15 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

Thanks E for the inspiration. The liner and the lift out lid are cool ideas. I would have much rather used dt's but I'm not there yet.

Freakin' awesome Coop!

Inspiration is what this site's all about for me...

Is that background in the photos you kitchen tile? Looks like alligator skin...

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Thanks guys. Eric built those with the liner that supports the lid and I had never seen that done before and wanted to try it. Sil is having a bizarre at her church this weekend and built her several, but this is the only one of this style.

12 minutes ago, davewyo said:

Freakin' awesome Coop!

Inspiration is what this site's all about for me...

Is that background in the photos you kitchen tile? Looks like alligator skin...

It's just a pattern on the stools around the island;)

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Well count me in on the Eric boxes bandwagon. After my last two projects being the Roubo and King-sized platform bed with headboard and footboard, I need some smaller projects and these are perfect. 

@Eric. Did you use the Tried and True on the insides also? I didn't know if it out-gasses like other oil finishes do? Rockler has free shipping so I just ordered a quart to try out. 

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Nice job Coop!

8 minutes ago, estesbubba said:

Did you use the Tried and True on the insides also? I didn't know if it out-gasses like other oil finishes do? Rockler has free shipping so I just ordered a quart to try out. 

Yeah it needs to off-gas just like any other oil-based finish does.  But it's not very volatile stuff, in fact I believe they claim that it's VOC-free entirely.  But it does have an odor and it does need time to de-stink.  Takes a week or two.

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8 hours ago, Aj3 said:

Looking good Cooper, watch out box making is very addictive.

I keep telling myself I can quit anytime I want.;)

 

Aj

I know the feeling AJ. I went from making structure stuff from syp 2's to not so fine woodworkng, by transitioning to boxes, with the help of Mr. Doug Stowe. So now, every time I get between projects, I look up my first love. They are very satisfying! And inexpensive! Show us your stuff dude, relatively speaking:)!

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