My first box

Sharad – not sure that I am qualified to provide critical comments on the box. I will add that working with wood is a passion and the recipient of this box, you have created will last a lifetime and provide joy for days to come.

Well done and thanks for posting.

-- Norm (AKA - The Maddhatter), Middletown DE

Well done. Interesting wood I had never heard of it must look it up at my local exotic wood store.

-- All bleeding will eventually stop.

i built my 1st box almost 50 years ago.. hardware via mailorder is often the only way to go.. i love working with the wood you chose.. yes it’s hard but mills clean.. take a small board and build something that will last for generations. gets in your blood i think. get used to being your own worst critic.

-- it's not a sickness, i can stop buying tools anytime i want

A good and nicely made for your first attempt, keep going Sharad my dear friend. I like the wood and the lines of this box very much you will only improve with each one you make kindest regards and keep up the good work.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

i think it looks good. I have never heard of that wood before. It sure is a very rich looking color. Thanks for sharing.

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

Nice box Sharad.I like the grain of the wood.

-- Dustygirl..Hastings,Ontario.. How much wood can 1 gal chuck if 1 gal can't cut wood?

The hardest thing to do is to is complete the first box. Never having done it before, it is all new. As we continue on our journey building things, we acquire skills and experience to better ourselves and our projects. Now with each new box you make, it will be better than the last. However, seldome does our ability exceed our expectations. Keep a positive attitude and an open, learning mind; then you and your boxes will develop just fine.

Congratulations on your first box. It is a fine piece. Keep it, it will always remind you of where you are in your woodworking journey.

Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I assure you I will do much better in my next attempt.
Sharad

johnpoole, It is true it mills clean at some places but poses a little difficulty at other places because of the grain structure. The plane blade(iron) should be very sharp to avoid this.

-- patanjali

Sharad, that is a box to be proud of. If your work is that good on the first try, the following boxes will be wonderful.

a beautiful box. A keepsake for sure. Well done.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

The box turned out great. And I especially like your wood selection.. Beautiful.

-- Keith Cruickshank, www.woodtreks.com - on-demand woodworking videos

Your joinery is sound. The wood selection is beautiful. Try using thinner material on your next one. Not only does it make the box “lighter” but it will save you labor especially since you are using hand tools. Be sure to post pictures of your next one!

-- Don, Pittsburgh

Very nice. I can sympathize with the problem of finding good hardwood through local sources.

Indian rosewood is a beautiful wood. In fact, two of my guitars have bodies made of this wood. It yields a warm, rich tone.

Like Don, I think thinner pieces might yield a better balance in this size. Also, you might want to experiment with a simple oil finish on some of your scraps. It’s been my experience that oil will really bring out the beauty of rosewood, especially in a piece that will be handled often. It tends to yield a rich color that will deepen over time. Also, unlike glossy finishes, it will not show scratches as easily.

Have you tried a scraper for final finishing? This will often yield good results with rosewood, as it tends to clog sandpaper rapidly.

I get the feeling that rosewood is not as expensive there as it is here!

Very nice first effort.

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

I think your box looks pretty good and is nothing to be ashamed about, especially in light of the fact that it is not only your first but also made of a dense wood and no power equipment to help you along. All in time and practice. If you felt it was difficult you could try a softer, straighter grained wood if its available just to get a better feel for the various techniques, and joinery types. Nice job.

The only thing I could add is a humble suggestion on the hinge mortises. If you have a drill of any sort I prefer to pre-drill the hinges and actually attach them to the box. Then use a sharp knife or chisel and pre-score the hinge mortises using the hinge as your guide. Then unscrew the hinges and chisel your mortises out. This makes for a perfect fit on those hinges. This is my technique and there are many others :)

-- 3rd generation craftsman ~ www.passionforwoodworking.com

Hi Sharad;

Using hand tools and a hard wood such as rose wood, you did a great job with this project. The suggestion above, from 4hisglory, is a good one. It is rather easy to install hinge in this manner. Opening the hinge fully, so the free leaf is touching the back of the box, will help in keeping the hinge square to the back.

Scribing around the hinge with a marking knife helps to guide your chisel, making a nice tight fit. Also, it is best to “sneak” up on the line, meaning do most of the wood removal close to the line, the work your way to the line using a paring cut.

Thinner lumber also helps in achieving a more elegant look, as it is more proportionate to the project.

One last thing, if you are going to continue to use slotted screws, would be to try to have the slots running parallel to the board. Sounds a little petty, but helps in the overall appearance. The eye is automatically drawn to the mismatched direction of the slots.

All this said, if this were my first box, I would be quite proud of it.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Lee, your suggestions are very constructive and I will use them along with those given by others as well. My next box will be free of all the defects perceived in the first box. Thanks a lot.
Sharad

-- patanjali