Orange Hardwood Band Saw Box

October, 2009—This started as a block of wood sitting on the shelf at our local Woodcraft store, about 6×6x4 inches. This did not have the wood species listed, as they normally do. It just said “Wood $10”. It felt heavy so I bought it. The guys in the store did not know what kind of wood it is, and I have not had time to research it. The wood is dense and hard, but it cuts very nicely in the band saw, and it sands nicely too. This particular design just came out of my head as I sketched it on the wood block. There is one big problem! Gravity!! The top drawer tends to slide down (to the left in the photos), leaving an unsightly gap on the top-right between the drawer and the carcass. I thought it was a lost cause, but my woodworking friends in my neighborhood (Tom and Lee) suggested a solution that worked: Under the drawer, glue in some “runners” to the carcass. That reduced the gap to a normal size. This one does not have handles because of the way I cut out the back (should have taken photos). The drawers are opened by clasping the side of the drawers, which actually feels natural. The finish is Watco Danish Oil (3 coats), and then car wax a week later. If I were to do this project again, I would have spent more time sanding. Actually, that is probably true for all my projects! :-)

-- Art | Bradenton, Florida