Bog Oak & Sycamore Box

Very nice!!! I like the contrast of the bog oak and sycamore, it is striking. I also like the feature with the circular piece with a cutout on the front – very unique. Great job on the top, too.

Everything considered, I would rate this as a great box!

Jim

-- A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including his/her life".

wow… is that bog oak naturally that color? or did you dye it with something?

-- San Diego, CA

Bold and beautiful!

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

Another beauty. I like the design & wood contrast.

sweet and unique box

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

Very nice, I do like that coloring.

-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI

Bruce,the contrast is very eye catching! Nice workmanshop too.
The choice of sycamore was very appropriate in that is comes very white to off set the bog oak!

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

Nice contrast and great design.

Fantastic box. Grerat design and contrasts in wood.

Keep it up.

Scrappy

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

Bruce, I have to agree as well that this is a gorgeous box. It has a unique design and I enjoy the contrast between the sycamore and the bog oak. The finish also looks outstanding.

How did you finish it?

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Outstanding! I really enjoyed the carved looked to the middle band of bog oak as well as the detail work on the handle. Favorited

-- A bad craftsmen blames his cheap #$%ing tools

Wow Bruce
You seem to have a natural talent for outstanding box design and building this is just another great example of your super work. So well done.

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

Hi everyone and thankyou so much for your positive comments. I really appreciate it. This is the first time I have been able to show my work to like minded people so have never been sure if the work I am doing is of any real skill. You have made my day. To answer your questions: The Bog Oak is naturally that colour after any finish is applied. I personally love the wood and try to incorporate it into all my boxes where approriate. The finish was a number of layers of simple wiping varnish.

-- Bruce, Ireland, www.irish-eyes-workshop.spaces.live.com

OK, I have to admit it, I looked up what BOG OAK really is. I will have to get some now. Great box.
Bog-wood is wood from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood, with further stages ultimately forming lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years. Bog-wood may come from any tree species naturally growing near or in bogs, including oak (Quercus – bog oak), pine (Pinus), yew (Taxus), swamp cypress (Taxodium) and kauri (Agathis). Bog-wood is often removed from fields etc and placed in clearance cairns.

-- A childs smile is payment enough.

Yes and it can be a pain to work to boot. :) It dulls bits and blades and can be “brittle”. But I love the stuff. Some is so hard a chainsaw blade has no chance. I have been lucky. I obtained some which is quite usable for the work I do (most Bog Wood is used by carvers and the shape of the origal log is enhanced) and I’m keeping any offcuts. You never can tell when they will be handy in a project.

-- Bruce, Ireland, www.irish-eyes-workshop.spaces.live.com