Don

Canadian born, living is Australia since 1988. Married with two adult daughters; I retired from a lifetime of business leadership four years ago.

Prior to doing so, I revisited an old interest of mine – woodworking, which has since become one of my passions. Although I have made some furniture, I find myself returning to small wooden boxes, and now consider myself a box maker.

At first, I called my boxes Jewelery Boxes feeling compelled to define a purpose for them. With time, I have moved to the position where I believe making small boxes for their own sake, like other forms of artistic creation, stands on its own merit.

Although I have been asked many times to do so, I do not sell my work. Rather, I give it away as gifts. Of all the boxes I’ve made over the past five years, I have kept only two. I could never put a price on my creations that would repay my material costs, overheads, time and creative energy – so I don’t even try.

I am fortunate to live in a country with some spectacular timber species. Australian hardwoods are mostly of the Eucalyptus variety and some of the densest and hardest anywhere. They place great demands on your tools, and force the craftsman to learn to keep them extremely sharp. The vast majority of my work is with these hardwoods.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Welcome to Lumberjocks, I think this forum is the ”Top of the Heap” of the woodworking forums.
I enjoyed viewing your beautifully crafted boxes. They’re well done.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks, Dick. As I’m new to the forum, I have yet to learn the protocol. I have many more boxes I could show, but don’t want to hog the forum.

What is the normal approach? Do I put all of my work up at once, or drip feed it over a few weeks?

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Welcome to the LJ, Don. Your work is excellent as well as your attitude. Feel free to add as many of your projects as you feel appropriate. And it’s great you’ve started blogging as well – you have lots to share.

Dick, I’m glad you think we’re the Top of the Heap ;)

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

I’d only say that if you saturate us with all your projects right away, you’ll have to work like a crazy person to keep up with the pace we’ve come to expect!... Just a kindly public service announcement. :) I’m really enjoying your work and commentary, can’t wait to see what’s next! Welcome to the club.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Hey Don, what about adding your workshop details and photos? We have no Australian workshops so far so you’d be the first.

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

Will do – need to take photo’s first.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Don:

I’ve been wondering what to do with all of the lumber. You might have an idea. I’m sure if my wife were to try to sell it at a garage sell it would go for a fraction of its worth.

I’ve been trying to consolidate the wood since I’ve moved here. The local help I had to use to unload my truch just kind of filed it in the closest compartment. The wood is all rough cut also so its random thickness, from 1” to 1 1/4”. So I’ve also been trying to skip plane it to be able to see the surface and to try to get it to a common thickness so I can get more layers in each compartment. In one maple one I went from 13 layers to 18 layers of wood so It is help to consolidate it. And I get the random ash, walnut and butternut boards out of the stack and get them grouped together.

I just picked up 200Bd ft of cherry and 6 boards made up 83 BD FT of that. 16 – 19 ” wide and 11 ft long Some of the rest was 2 1/4 thick X 10” wide. Some of it looks like its branch wood though, because it has wind shank splits.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Karson, you know what they say, “My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell my woodworking equipment for what I told her I paid for it.” Same holds true for lumber, I suspect.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Don:

I guess I need to make an inventory sheet and price list and attach it to my will. As a way of seeking forgiveness for the inconsistencies in my statements or lack of telling her what i’ve bought. I’ve had things delivered when she was on vacation, and they just happened to be in the shop when she happened to come out and visit me. A carbide spiral jointer and carbide 20” planer come to mind on that one.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Don: Where are you from in Canada. I was born in Omemee, Ontario about 100 miles north of Toronto. We moved to the USA when I was 13. Been here ever since.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Karson, I was born in Victoria, B.C., but lived in the Vancouver area until 1988.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Welcome to the forum Don.
Your boxes are tastefully done. They’re fine craftsmanship.
I saw your workshop comment; it’s funny, I’ve got space for larger work and
have made some bigger pieces, but I really enjoy boxes and pens.

Merry Christmas,
Gary

-- Gary, Florida. http://www.penturners.org/forum/f70/servicepens-2013-a-98908/

Don, comment editing is coming.. hopefully tomorrow ;)

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

Fantastic!

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/