Accident Box

Hey Charlie
You have just started a new trend for tops ,great save good looking box

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Charlie you secret is definitely safe here at LJ’s.
I like the design and may make one by accident too.,

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

I’d patent it :-)) I did that the other day putting in the kerf for the bottom to slide in ;-)) Oh, Well!!

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Charlie,

Help me out here. So the box is upside down or is the top with a tall front?

Who would notice? Look great. Wish I could get my corners to match that good.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

-- W. Kirk Crawford - Tularosa, New Mexico

Don’t ya just love it when you can salvage a project and on top of that have it turn out looking so good!
Great looking screw up Charlie. Love it!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

Great looking box and nice save.

-- If we learn from our mistakes, I'm getting a fantastic education.

secret? what secret. LOL

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Way to go Charlie, It’s nice to see that there are “others” out there that do the same thing that I have done.
I did one similar to this when I was cutting the slots for the kerf hinges…... I cut the slots in the correct position in the top, but then cut the slots in the “front” of the box part…... Like you say, another design opportunity, I did an inlay all around the top edge of the box part and then cut the slots in the “correct location”.............

Very, very nice box and wonderful “design”, thanks for posting

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

Nice job Charlie. Sweet save. I wish my “non” accidental boxes came out so well.

-- Brad, Oregon- Wood, it's what's for dinner.

This is a great little box and a great big save! Well done

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Nice save, I caught myself in the nick of time doing that the other day on a box I’m building. Now I know what I can do If it happens again.
Thanks for sharing.
John

-- John

Before I read your text I thought, oh! what an interesting design. After reading the text I thought it must be a lie, because my mistakes never ever turn out like that. I think the mistake was lucky because you now have a truly unique and beautiful box. I think it would be ideal for containing some precious collectors object or as a very luxurious presentation box. Keep making those mistakes Charley, we’re all watching and waiting.

-- Mike, American in Norway

i think that is part of the woodworking experience ,how do i fix this… looks great

-- Paul , Calfornia

Nice “screw-up” – it turned out very nice. I like the inlay as well. Your an honest man Charlie – and there are so few of left these days :-)) (outside of the LJ family I mean).

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

LOL! Thanks, Everybody. They say you are only as sick as your secrets. :-)

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

When I saw the title “accident box” I thought it was possibly a keepsake box for any parts you might cut off while wood working..

Nice save Charlie!

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

Hi Charlie

You never tell anybody you screwed up! Just like the time I was duck hunting and shot the last duck in a string of three high flying ducks. One of the guys I was hunting with howlered at me – great shot. I said THANKS. He was so impressed with the shot I never had the heart to tell him I was aiming at the first duck. Great design Charlie! And you say, THANKS!

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

It takes a master box maker to develop such an innovative design on the fly. It’s really quite cool and now to make a jig to do it on purpose.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

That’s what I call great Yankee ingenuity.

I hope that’s the proper thing to say, being you’re so far south.<(:O}#

-- -** 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

Good save buddy the inlay looks real nice.

-- All bleeding will eventually stop.

Tom: Good shot. And thanks!

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

awesome looking box!

-- My signature is awesome.

Great box Charlie, love the inlay. We could all take lessons just from your little design changes.

-- Canadian Wood Chuck (Bruce)

All the better to display the contents. Great save Charlie.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Very nice box with lesser capacity though.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

I like it

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

Charlie, your secret is safe with me. Nice work, Inlay, accident and all…..........

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

Good save, but eww, sanding. I hate sanding. Probably would use a spokeshave and then card scraper on the slopes. Have you got a spokeshave? Very handy in places you can’t manage to fit a hand plane. Nice banding by the way. What did you use for the black?

-- Ooo, er.

nice save…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

I’d like to say thank you for making a mistake that I/we can learn from! That’s not to say that I won’t screw up similalarly in the future but it will be good to know that I am in good company. I like the way the inlay and the flocking look with your wood choice.

p.s. great example of how “woodworking – patience doesn’t have to = firewood. :)

-- The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.. Michelangelo

Skarp, I can’t take credit for making the inlay. I picked up some really old banding on eBay a while back. I talked about it in my blog here.

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

good save , charlie .
if it wasn’t for mistake/inovations , we would all still be playing with blocks in a sandbox !
i guess that cruise really helped .

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

Great recovery, Charlie. The box turned out to be a nice piece that sports a unique design.

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

I’ve never seen such a great recovery!! Almost David Marks like!! Great job Charlie, you’re my hero!!

-- Matt, Houston Texas

Charlie, I’m way down the list here, but I agree with the others and I have to say…Great Save. It turned into a beautiful display box.

-- Martin, Kansas

I think we can all sympathize. I was making a box, having just hand cut the dovetails for the corners, and singing along to something on the radio, when I realized I had made two left sides. No hope. So I started the right side over … and did it again!!! That box went in the fire – the karma was all wrong.

So who gets this new design innovation?

-- Whatever

Great save. I love the design you ended up with. Turned a mistake on a “standard” box to a success on a very unique…display box? That’s the impression I have anyway.

-- Where did all this sawdust come from?

Thank you all. Yes I definitely see this as a display box for a fine watch, necklace, or maybe even a really nice dial caliper. :-)

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

What was it supposed to be for?

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

And heeeeeee’s…....SAFE!!!! Nice save. I’ve had numerous moments like that. Glad to see it worked out.

-- Behind the Bark is a lot of Heartwood----Charles, Centennial, CO

Nice save! Great box. Love the design “as is” The fact that it was accidental just makes it that much more unique.

There are a LOT of things we use everyday in life that were made by accident. Vulcanized rubber(car tires),just to mention the most common.

Did the same thing on my one box when cutting the key slots.(thats why that center key is larger! not on purpose!)

Again great save and great workmanship.

Keep it up.

Scrappy

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

Now everybody’s doin’ it.

-- John

Nice save. Remember … it’s never a mistake unless you can’t save it. Up to that point everything else is just a slight design modification.

Shhh! Don’t tell anyone that you didn’t plan it that way. Who’s to know!

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

CarlieM1958,
I looked that box over very intently, I didn’t see any mis-cutting anywhere. I mean it was designed to house antique door stops wasn’t it? The corners were all super square as usual, so I thought it was just another success story, no need to add that accident story! Great save buddy, and thanks for sharing.

Sincerely,
Ken McGinnis

-- woodbutcher north carolina

This is great. Now you don’t have to fumble around in all the dark corners to find something. :)

-- tim hill www.newcalshop.com

Charlie, this is ingenious. It shows your intense desire to turn an accidental mistake into something useful and concern for the material used in making it.
Sharad

-- patanjali

Great save and nice job with the inlay.

Your mistake turned out better than a lot of on purposes! Nice save Charlie!

-- spanky46 -- Never enough clamps...Never enough tools...Never enough time.

I actually admire your admittance! I can’t admit my mistakes…...or I would be redundant.

Dave

-- Dave Haynes, Indiana, http://www.oldaveswoodshop.com

This is a great story, about turning a mistake into a success. And it’s a little funny to. If I could get a dollar for every mistake that I have made I would be a millionaire. Thanks for sharing Charlie.

-- Dennis Zongker

I think it looks pretty cool that way.

-- Eric

nice recovery looks like it was meant to be that away

WOW, Charlie, You’ve got skills…and friends…and a great piece of art. Absolutely LOVE it. Way to think “Outside of the Box”. Ha Ha Nice work.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

It may have been a mistake but it looks good to me…....nice one.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

I wish all our mistakes would turn out so nice. I like it – better than the boring old straight lid. I think you just started something new. We are all going to be making these now…

-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...

Very Nice save! was the cuts beveled aka not 90 degree’s to begin with?

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

The cuts started off straight, so it took a good bit of stock removal to get everything beveled equally.

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

Wow nice box Charlie. I will have to remember this next time I make a serious oops.

-- Jim Sollows --- Langley BC Canada --- www.sollows.ca

was wondering where you got the small brass handle?

Great save. I’d call that inspiration though.
Everything happens for a reason.

-- LAS

Thanks!

The small brass knob was from Lee Valley I’m pretty sure.

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