Church Offering Box

Great craftsmanship Tom.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Great chest. The first picture was darker, was that without flash. What is the normal color. Is it just Deft or was some color added?

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Karson,
I took the first picture farther away and cropped it, so it wasn’t as “washed out” as the other two which were taken up closer. I used Minwax English Chestnut #233 to stain the wood darker. I normally have blotching problems with my pine projects, but this time I tried the Minwax Wood Conditioner and it did help considerably. I was very pleased with how uniform the color turned out. The Deft was semi gloss.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Nice work, Tom. I just love small wooden boxes!

Although this one is not too small to hold a fair amount of offering. Good thinking, Mate!

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Very nice Tom.

Lol…I think I’ve heard Don mention before that he likes small boxes.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Gee, Bob, you’re the first one to mention that. Mmm… Maybe I’ll add it to my signature.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Tom, we do the same in our church. Very nice finish on the pine! Thanks for the tip on the pre-finish! I work in pine a lot and will get some for my next pine project/

God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

Tom, beautiful box! I’ve been away for a few days, so I’m glad I didn’t miss it.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Nice work and finish.

-- Jesus is Lord!

Thanks to all for the gracious comments.

Don’t forget though – I’m also open to ANY constructive criticism too. That, along with your kind comments, will make me a better woodworker.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

nice box – I tend to shy away from pine…because I always struggle with how to finish it right. Your finish looks great!

who put the rabbit in as an offering in pic #3 ;)

-- Mike - Columbus, Ohio

MJ,

Thanks a lot for the compliment!

Did you read my previous post above about using the Minwax Wood Conditioner? I was skeptical when I tried it, but there is no doubt that it helped a lot to ensure uniformity of color on the project.

The rabbit makes for a more “interesting” photo, doesn’t it? Never even thought of that when I took the picture.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Simple and elegant. Do you usually use Deft? I use polyurethane and have always been curious about other products. Like the box though. Hopefully it will be too small!!

Christopher,

Thanks for the kind words on my box.

I like Deft for projects that will not be exposed to moisture. It rubs out beautifully with 0000 steel wool. You can apply several coats in a few hours and complete a project in one day. For a lot of small projects, I like to use their spray cans, instead of using my spray equipment, which will then have to be cleaned up.

Deft is lacquer, and for me, it’s the right choice of finish for a lot of projects. Each successive coat of lacquer “melts” into the previous coat. Lacquer is also easier to repair if you ever get damage to your finish. It is more “forgiving” than other finishes too, as far as application is concerned.

Polyurethane is a good finish, but it does take longer to dry, which often gives dust time to settle on your project. It is more difficult to repair (if not impossible) and each coat “layers” onto the previous coat, which can produce problems when you “rub out” your finish.

I hope that helps to answer your question about Deft.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Tom I missed this one first time around. You have elevated the pine box to new heights. Keep an eye on that bunny, though. He might mistake the offering for lettuce.

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

Hi Doug,

Thanks a lot!

I have had mixed results with my pine projects, but this one here turned out to be the exception. I don’t know if it was the Minwax Preconditoner, or I just got lucky, but I was really pleased with how it turned out. I’m really glad for the satisfactory result though, because I hate ruining a nice project when I go to finish it (or at least being dissatisfied with it).

That rabbit gets more attention than my box ;^D (but, that might be good…).

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

A simple but beautiful box. I really like it.

-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""

Miles,

Thanks for the gracious comment; I do appreciate it!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

That’s a great idea. Don’t do that in our church but might try it. Great box as well. You’ll get your reward.

-- Bruce from Central New York

brunob,

Yes, it really is a great way to receive an offering. Without any coercion or manipulation, the needs of the church are met. The box just sits in the back and the people of God bring their offerings and place them in the box without fanfare. Biblically speaking, our giving is to be from the heart and between us and the Lord (2 Cor. 9:7).

Thanks a lot for the compliment and the word of encouragement!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28