Mans Valet Box

That is a great looking box, nice job. All for only $15.00 you can’t beat that.

-- Vince

Amazingly beutiful box. A nice design well executed. I particularly like the thick corner splines matched to the thick Walnut stripe on the lid. The maple contrasting bottom is also a well thought out touch.

smooth clean outstanding design so well done

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Beautiful. Really nicely done. The contrasting woods give it a unique look.

-- Where did all this sawdust come from?

Beautifull box. Lots of nice aspect.

Great contrasting wood choice.

Big bold corner keys.

Nice touch with the center stripe.

What are the dimensions?

Again, very nice!

Keep it up.

Scrappy

-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!

Really very beautiful Valet Box! I second Scrappy’s compliments.
I like the thick keys. How thick is it?
I also like to be you best friend….LOL

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Thanks for the comments, I’m going to get a swelled head soon…
The box is a mix of design change and accidents. I never drew up a plan but made some mods on past boxes not posted yet. The lid stripe was necessary because the thicker maple I had to use was too narow. It’s 1 in. wide. The demensions are about 7.5×10.5 and 5 in tall at the center. I tried the golden dimensions using 1 to 1.618 but it looked like the parthanon, so I cut it shorter and a bit shalow for the width. The Keys are a mistake, at least the dimensions. I planed to do series of single passes but when I made the top and bottom key cuts I used a new Frud 80 tooth blade that cut like a knife but left a V shape at the bottom. Since that plan was out I widened the key to the snallest chisel I had 3/8 and cleaned out the spline slot with the chisel.
The shape came from a Ryobe stationary belt sander. The whole thing was sanded to 320 and then shot it with borrowed spray gun and 10 coats of lacquer. Final coats sanded to 600 grit and hand rubbed with Car rubbing compound.
Nuff Said…

-- Keith, Bolingbrook, Illinois. The way I figure it I only have the rest of my life to get good at this...

Kefus, welcome to LJ. This is a great site to be a part of. You’ve done a great job with this box. Nice recovery with the slotted keys. That’s a great thing about woodworking…mistakes can create some interesting and unique design aspects….we’ve all done that before. That sounds like a lot of sanding creating the convex sides. I’ve done something similar using several passes with a large furniture pattern router bit. I like the shape of the top as well as your finishing technique. I also use multi coats (except with wipe on poly) and sometimes sand to 1500, and finish with auto polishing compound. It’s a good technique to get a really smooth finish.

I’m sure you’re friends love these.

-- Martin, Kansas

Nice box! I really like the shape.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Looks great! I really like the contrast in the materials used.

If I understand your comments, you created the outside radius by hand with a stationary belt sander. How did you make the radius the same across all four sides?

For wilbur4s
The radius is easy. The 45 degree miter joint makes a perfect guide. As you begin to shape one side it is ground away past the glue line. When you switch to the adjacent side you shape it to the line. Another accidental discovery. Try it with 2 pieces of 3/4 pine like I did. Glue then up on a 45 and when they are dry take them for a ride on the belt grinder and you will see the resulting glue line. I wish I could draw a sketch of this.

-- Keith, Bolingbrook, Illinois. The way I figure it I only have the rest of my life to get good at this...

nice work , kieth !
from now on i’ll give you $20.00 to make my boxes for me ….?
and yea were buds .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

The timbers compliment each other very well’
Nice execution of the stunning box

-- Drink twice... and don't bother to cut... @ lazylarrywoodworks.com.au For lovers of all things timber...

now thats a mans box

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com