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We were driving in our neighborhood the other day, and I saw a pallet by the curb. I stopped and got out, and asked the lady cleaning out her garage if I could have it. She said yes, and proceeded to show me lots of other "scrap" wood she wanted to get rid of, including some dimensional poplar from a big box store. I gratefully took all that would fit in my car and went home.

So I disassembled the pallet and planed a couple of the slats to reveal some interesting grain patterns. I decided I would make a small box for the lady who gave me all the wood, and this is the result. Mitered corners to keep the continuous grain around the sides, a lift-off lid with a cove around the edge, and a quarter inch rabbet on the lower inside edge of each side piece to receive the bottom. After rounding over the sides and bottom with a quarter inch bit, I sanded to 200 grit, applied wipe-on poly, then lined the inside with felt (not pictured).

I thought about adding splines, but the corners were plenty strong for the application, given that each piece was still on the heavy side of half an inch thick. I like the way it turned out, and if nothing else the lady will have a cool story about the stranger that made a nice little box out of the pallet she was throwing away.

Thanks for looking!

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i really like this box; what are the dimensions? it looks like it could be a nice keepsake box.
 

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Thanks Naftoli! It's about 5-1/2" square by 3" tall I think. I didn't measure it before I went to deliver it, and didn't really take any measurements as I was making it either.
 

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Sam, I like the shape and the thought behind this box. The route around the top really dresses this up. Nice ideas. I would have added splines for decoration, but that is just sort of my thing. The corners certainly do match up nicely. Keep boxing and keep posting.
 

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nice box - that looks like yellow pine
 

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Thanks Big Al and Dick.

Big Al - I really need to construct a better spline jig for my table saw also, which was part of the decision. I'm a big fan of all your boxes, so thanks for the comment!

Dick - You're probably right. That's pretty common around my neck of the woods. The funny thing is that as I keep taking pieces off the same pallet, I'm finding that there are at least three different wood species that make it up!
 

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Looks to be very nice work, nothing like putting in a bit of thought regarding the flowing grain and the visual effect is worth it.

I take it the missing photo No 6 is the felt lined one, when can we expect to see it posted?
 

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Neat box.

Neat make.

Neat story.

Great "giving back"!
 

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Thanks everyone!

Robert - I always seem to forget to snap a pic after I apply the felt.. I'll try to remember on the next one.
 
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