Not Just Any Box #1: Preparing the Way

Very sweet slab of oak you’ve got there.
Am I correct in understanding this burl
will be for the top/lid only?

-- Still learning everything

Yes, that’s the plan, RPM

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Looking good. Nice to see that you are braving the cold.

I wish some of that bog oak were available here. Looks very interesting.

I’ve never heard the term Pippy. Is that the type of oak or it’s character?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Gary, I got quite warm out there today, working away with the scraper!

The term pippy seems to refer to the ‘lighter’ burl pattern. Also can be called cat’s paw when it’s even less of a feature. I don’t think it will be easy to find any similar to replace that board. I haven’t seen any for a long time. I’ve just found some bog oak on eBay however. A lot of it comes from Ireland originally.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Gary,
It takes a bit of work, but you can get bog oak here from overseas… if you know where to look and want to pay the price.

Cuff Links
Pen
Sgian Dubh Box #1
Sgian Dubh Box #2

The client for the second box first asked me to make the box completely out of bog oak. I told her it might be possible, but she should add a zero to the end of the price I bid her. She thought about it and agreed that a white oak box with bog oak accents was just fine.

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

Stewart, you amaze me with your projects. This one is no exception.

i shall refer to you in the future as sir stewart of yorkshire !

That’s a unique looking piece of burly wood.

It’s amazing what mother nature can create,

but I’ll bet we’ll be seeing some amazing improvements to it before long.

Nice project.

-- -** 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

By the way, I love the look of that brown oak. Have you ever had a chance to compare it to white oak or red oak? Does it work any differently? It looks like the grain is a bit less pronounced.

I’d like to try and get my hands on some of that at some point in time…

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

Very interesting project. It never ceases to amaze me at what is being produced by other woodworkers. I would never have envisioned a box hidden inside that burl. (Before I joined this group the burr oak pictured above would have actually looked a lot like- gasp- firewood). I applaud your and other members imaginative woodworking efforts. Being part of this group has really opened up a lot of new ideas and concepts in the short time that I have been here.

I can’t wait to see the completed project.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Stewart Great job on the box. Nice picture trail.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Stewart,

Don’t you just love burr oak? I was able to get my hands on about 200 bd ft of the largest burr oak tree you can ever imagine. Even the branches were great. But yours is pretty special!!!

-- Al Navas, St Joseph, MO, http://sandal-woodsblog.com

Thanks to all for your interest and comments.

Ethan – Brown oak comes from oak trees in which the timber in the trunk of the tree is coloured by the Beefsteak fungus. It apparently doesn’t degrade the wood in any way except to turn the heartwood a rich deep brown colour. I haven’t detected any difference in its working.

Al Navas – lucky man!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Stewart,
Yeah, I actually read about that today when I was, err, well, looking for a supplier for brown oak here in the states. :)

Doesn’t work any differently because it’s really just white oak with your aforementioned fungus. But one of the places I found info about it said it only happens to about one in every 500 trees. I don’t know if it is that or the fact that I can’t easily get it which makes me want to use some in a project… probably a little of both.

(Actually, someone I usually buy bog oak from has some brown oak for sale, but it’s a fairly sizable bundle of it and shipping would absolutely kill me, so… I’ll just take some of my reclaimed white oak and fume it. Or maybe I’ll rub a beefsteak on it and see what that does.)

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/