| Project by Woodjoint | posted 317 days ago | 1019 views | 6 times favorited | 28 comments | ![]() |
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This is a Xmas present I made for my partner Mary last month. The wood is spalted elm I had left over from a counter I made for Richie’s Pizza in Enterprise. First time I’ve tried doing splayed mitered dovetails and I like the way it looks. The handle is ebony and I turned the standoffs from maple. There’s more about this on my blog.
-- Charlie Mastro Lewiston, ID www.mastrowoodworking.com

































28 comments so far
branchout
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14 posts in 327 days
posted 317 days ago
Super cool design. Love the natural following lines that wrap the box. Nice job man!
-- Live, think, breath wood...
CharlieM1958
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7595 posts in 1110 days
posted 317 days ago
Great design. I really like the way you incorporated the natural beauty of the wood.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
isetegija
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610 posts in 406 days
posted 317 days ago
Just beautiful box.
Very well done.
Like the choice of wood and the splayed mitered dovetails.
Welcome to Lumberjocks community , the best woodworking community on the internet!
-- My woodwork blog : http://www.isetehtud.pri.ee/blog/
Hutch
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91 posts in 789 days
posted 317 days ago
Very nice! I like the joinery you chose.
-- Hutch ...Montana ___ Life is a mystery to live, not a problem to solve! ___
WispWoods
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41 posts in 318 days
posted 317 days ago
Great use of grain patterns. I’ve always wanted to try that joint. St. Roy did it on a tool box. Very cool.
-- - You begin thinking less, and feeling more.
Douglas Krueger
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379 posts in 615 days
posted 317 days ago
You have worked the wood pattern to perfection and the joinery just adds more to it. Very nicely done.
-- I can so I wood but why are my learning curves always circles
rshep55
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61 posts in 326 days
posted 317 days ago
Beautiful.. I love how you centered the spalting on the lid and sides.
-- Ron,R.A.Shepard Woodworking,Massachusetts
woodworm
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8135 posts in 482 days
posted 317 days ago
So cool….
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
Dennis Zongker
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1014 posts in 483 days
posted 317 days ago
Beautiful Box Woodjoint!!!
-- Dennis Zongker
Kate
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95 posts in 766 days
posted 317 days ago
beautiful box. I love the dovetails and the handle really adds to the look.
-- Kate, http://www.wooden-box-maker.com
unknownwoodworker
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218 posts in 595 days
posted 317 days ago
Very Beautiful !
-- ??? My mistakes heat the house. It's very warm in here. ???
ryno101
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246 posts in 556 days
posted 317 days ago
That’s fantastic… Love the grain and handle on the top.
Are the dovetails hand-cut?
-- Ryno
roman
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1106 posts in 785 days
posted 317 days ago
spalted Maple and Birch…..............one of my favorites and you “captured”it quite nicely.
Did you know that the word “Spalted” and “Spalting” dont exist other then in the lingo of woodworkers. “Spalt” is a word found in most dictionaries but the other two…...........nadda happening.
Strange that Webster and Oxford cant keep up with Jocks
-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/
ratchet
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299 posts in 678 days
posted 317 days ago
simply masterful.
Woodjoint
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27 posts in 317 days
posted 317 days ago
Thanks everyone. Glad you liked it….
-- Charlie Mastro Lewiston, ID www.mastrowoodworking.com
SPHinTampa
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155 posts in 577 days
posted 317 days ago
Looks great
-- Shawn, I ask in order to learn
YorkshireStewart
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782 posts in 793 days
posted 317 days ago
Beautifully done Woodjoint. Those joints are a delight. Richie’s Pizza must look resplendent too!
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
Blake
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2753 posts in 766 days
posted 317 days ago
Absolutely beautiful! Love the dovetails, the top, and that spalted wood.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
SPalm
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944 posts in 773 days
posted 317 days ago
That is just fantastic! What a present. Truely fine workmanship.
Steve
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
mtnwild
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2012 posts in 419 days
posted 317 days ago
Got here late so I have to ditto all above. Very elegant!
-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 605 days
posted 316 days ago
Terrific box!! I like everything about it, esp the spalt! Awesome, somebody got lucky getting that as a gift.
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
bfd
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418 posts in 698 days
posted 316 days ago
Just beautiful all around! The dovetails are great and I particularly like the handle and the spalting on the top.
-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com
jim1953
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1598 posts in 733 days
posted 316 days ago
Great Job
-- Jim, Kentucky
majeagle1
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424 posts in 388 days
posted 316 days ago
Wow, beautiful design, smooth sleek lines, wonderful grain wrapping around and the handle is perfect as well.
The dovetails are great, they add to the whole package…........ I have never tried them, someday maybe
I’ll have the guts…............
Thanks for sharing
-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/
oicurn2it2
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82 posts in 729 days
posted 308 days ago
wow again the semitry is one thing ,cool as it is but .. ah that just fine ,very fine
-- "when you think youre going to slow, slow down just a little bit more" .... Pop's
TheCaver
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292 posts in 731 days
posted 221 days ago
I just now discovered this box, and if you have seen my postings, I don’t comment on average pieces.
Your attention to the grain direction and bookmatching the top etc is excellent. I like the subtle top treatment how it appears almost dished on the ends.
The splayed, mitered dovetail is beatiful. And the little foot detail is nice. Bravo.
Now, here is some critique for you if I may be so bold. If you want crisper dovetails, there are a few things you can do to get that last little bit of perfection. First and foremost, stop using a pencil to mark your shoulder lines, use a rolling marking guage (I tell you this improved my dovetails dramatically). Second, use a paring block cut to whatever angle you do your tails at then use it to guide your last cut into the pins (you DO do pins first right? :) ) This will leave you only one surface to botch (the less the better in my case!), and third, before cutting anything, take a VERY sharp chisel, and snap it into your shoulder lines and press straight down just a bit (NO ROCKING!) then come in from the side to remove just a tiny sliver of material. I guarantee this will amaze you in how tight your tails will be after this step.
Then, only two things I noticed, maybe reducing the thickness of your sides on this box….I think it would be in better proportion to the delicate top. And the final comment is purely research based. I’ve seen some asian style boxes like this with turned corners on the lid….this box would be amazing with that treatment.
Hopefully this did not come off as preachy, it would be hard to improve this box, but a few tiny adjustments would make your next one flawless. Please, stop by and critique my work anytime…..
Excellent work!
JC
-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan
Woodjoint
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27 posts in 317 days
posted 219 days ago
JC
I think you’re right about the sides, they could be thinner. The turned up edges would be nice too but would involve a lot of carving and I had a time limit on this one. I have more wood with the strip in it so maybe next time.
By the way I i use a marking knife and marking gauge but often darken in the cuts with a pencil so I can see them better.
Charlie
-- Charlie Mastro Lewiston, ID www.mastrowoodworking.com
ken90712
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317 posts in 80 days
posted 70 days ago
One of the nicest I have looked at! To be proud would eb a understatement.
Ken
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"