Project Information
MY GOOD FRIEND, LEON
found this box in a dumpster years ago ,
it was originally a transit box , for a surveying instrument .
Leon fixed it up , and used it for many years as his feather box for his native american church things .
leon was a vietnam vet , and when in chicago earlier in life was part of one of those comic playhouse deals there ,
he and john belushi , were a pair , and did the circuit and drank like two fish together ,until john got a chance to go on saturday night live ,
leon was getting married , and passed on this .
leon had heart problems , and refused to see the VA hospital , because some returning vets had told him that the VA sucked , so he never did ,i ran a prayer service for him 5 years ago , and convinced him to go get some help .
he did , and for two months he was the happiest guy in the world , they were even going to fix his hearing .
he went to the hospital for his heart , routine surgery , the surgeon told him , if he had come in 6 months before ,
he could go fishing the next day , but he couldn't guaranty as things stood at that time ,
leon had 3 open heart surgeries , in 3 days , he never made it . bless you brother !
i got to run his memorial service too , and 4 years later , another friend ran one in the lakota sioux way .
this box and all leons things were voted to be given to various people , the box had a cracked top ,
i couldn't repair it simply , i routed 2 groves into it to span the tear on ,one side , and inlay-ed the 4 primary colors of that tribe into it . black, red ,yellow , and white , and the other to balance the top out ,
and added a aromatic cedar inside top and bottom to it , to cover the tear in the top from the inside .
tomorrow night i am going to another good friend and wife's , home and life prayer service , where i had worked for 4 years , helping them build and fix their property up ,
kieth is a surveyor , and we had voted that leons box should go to him , he doesn't know about it , so when i give it to him , on behalf of the church , it will be a surprise .
the fifth picture is some of leons paintings , this one is 4' across , and is the largest one he made ,
his wife gave me this as a thank you for the service i had done for them , and his memorial .
the box itself is philippine mahogany , box jointed corners , factory made im sure ,
my inlay strips are walnut , redheart , yellowheart , and holly ,
the leather handle and the hooks , i don't know if they were part of the box , or added by leon later ,
i cleaned and sanded it , and sprayed minwax poly on it .
thanks for looking , be safe !
found this box in a dumpster years ago ,
it was originally a transit box , for a surveying instrument .
Leon fixed it up , and used it for many years as his feather box for his native american church things .
leon was a vietnam vet , and when in chicago earlier in life was part of one of those comic playhouse deals there ,
he and john belushi , were a pair , and did the circuit and drank like two fish together ,until john got a chance to go on saturday night live ,
leon was getting married , and passed on this .
leon had heart problems , and refused to see the VA hospital , because some returning vets had told him that the VA sucked , so he never did ,i ran a prayer service for him 5 years ago , and convinced him to go get some help .
he did , and for two months he was the happiest guy in the world , they were even going to fix his hearing .
he went to the hospital for his heart , routine surgery , the surgeon told him , if he had come in 6 months before ,
he could go fishing the next day , but he couldn't guaranty as things stood at that time ,
leon had 3 open heart surgeries , in 3 days , he never made it . bless you brother !
i got to run his memorial service too , and 4 years later , another friend ran one in the lakota sioux way .
this box and all leons things were voted to be given to various people , the box had a cracked top ,
i couldn't repair it simply , i routed 2 groves into it to span the tear on ,one side , and inlay-ed the 4 primary colors of that tribe into it . black, red ,yellow , and white , and the other to balance the top out ,
and added a aromatic cedar inside top and bottom to it , to cover the tear in the top from the inside .
tomorrow night i am going to another good friend and wife's , home and life prayer service , where i had worked for 4 years , helping them build and fix their property up ,
kieth is a surveyor , and we had voted that leons box should go to him , he doesn't know about it , so when i give it to him , on behalf of the church , it will be a surprise .
the fifth picture is some of leons paintings , this one is 4' across , and is the largest one he made ,
his wife gave me this as a thank you for the service i had done for them , and his memorial .
the box itself is philippine mahogany , box jointed corners , factory made im sure ,
my inlay strips are walnut , redheart , yellowheart , and holly ,
the leather handle and the hooks , i don't know if they were part of the box , or added by leon later ,
i cleaned and sanded it , and sprayed minwax poly on it .
thanks for looking , be safe !