Project Information
Through your life your parents are your rock. They are there for you and support you in ways that are not always simple or seen. They provide you with the guidance needed to one day go out into the world and become the person you want to be…whatever that direction may be.
This is what ran through my head when I was designing "Reconstructing Home". A majority of the box components came from my childhood home. The limestone rock is from the pile in the backyard. The support structure and lid insert are from a Maple tree we cut down and turned into lumber over eight years ago. The hinges are made from an Ironwood tree that was in the front yard but had to be removed….I saved a piece off the firewood pile. The box body was created out of an old cedar seat from a small boat we used to have. The box is lined with the remnants of my sister's old leather jacket.
The major difficulty in creating the box was leveling everything. First came leveling the limestone rock. I did that by hammer drilling into the bottom of it and epoxying in 1/4" dowels. These dowels could be sanded to level the rock. The main two bases were next. To first start the bases I used a compass and a piece of paper to do a top scribe of the rock cavity I was trying to fit into. After cutting those out I had to pick the level they would sit out. I made special "sleds" that I would attach the bases to and slide them in and out of the rock. I would carve out the bottoms until they fit perfectly into the rock face. Before final shaping I hammer drilled into the rock and epoxied in 1/4" aluminum dowels. I attached center points to these and then slid the base into it to mark the dowel locations finally drilling out the bases. This kept everything level so I had good level bases to design and attach all the mechanics to. The mechanics do operate by turning the threaded wooden "pin" at the back but their main job is to just level off the I-Beam support structure/box.
"Reconstructing Home" is 33" x 11" x 11". It was finished with three soakings of Danish Oil followed by two buffings of Briwax.
If you were wondering the box was a gift to my father. The hug afterwards made all the work completely worth it. Keep making that sawdust everyone and Happy Holidays!
This is what ran through my head when I was designing "Reconstructing Home". A majority of the box components came from my childhood home. The limestone rock is from the pile in the backyard. The support structure and lid insert are from a Maple tree we cut down and turned into lumber over eight years ago. The hinges are made from an Ironwood tree that was in the front yard but had to be removed….I saved a piece off the firewood pile. The box body was created out of an old cedar seat from a small boat we used to have. The box is lined with the remnants of my sister's old leather jacket.
The major difficulty in creating the box was leveling everything. First came leveling the limestone rock. I did that by hammer drilling into the bottom of it and epoxying in 1/4" dowels. These dowels could be sanded to level the rock. The main two bases were next. To first start the bases I used a compass and a piece of paper to do a top scribe of the rock cavity I was trying to fit into. After cutting those out I had to pick the level they would sit out. I made special "sleds" that I would attach the bases to and slide them in and out of the rock. I would carve out the bottoms until they fit perfectly into the rock face. Before final shaping I hammer drilled into the rock and epoxied in 1/4" aluminum dowels. I attached center points to these and then slid the base into it to mark the dowel locations finally drilling out the bases. This kept everything level so I had good level bases to design and attach all the mechanics to. The mechanics do operate by turning the threaded wooden "pin" at the back but their main job is to just level off the I-Beam support structure/box.
"Reconstructing Home" is 33" x 11" x 11". It was finished with three soakings of Danish Oil followed by two buffings of Briwax.
If you were wondering the box was a gift to my father. The hug afterwards made all the work completely worth it. Keep making that sawdust everyone and Happy Holidays!