Diamond Top Box

Charlie,

Nicely done box. The contrast between the Oak and Walnut is very pleasing. I like the 45 degree orientation of the checker pattern too.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

I love the box. How did you make the box joints. I tell you if you would not have said something I would have thought you spent alot of glue up time on the top of the box. I never even thought about a checker board what a clever idea.

-- With Christ all things are possible!

I like the exposed edge on the top, it makes the pattern look like it was folded over. The rotation definitely adds interest to the look too. Spiffy box.

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

Very nice box, Charlie. You’re right, the checkerboard really adds a neat effect.

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

Charlie – I like the box very much. I think I would not like a panel design better. I like the way the top wraps over the edge. I also think you did a nice presentation photo in that last shot. Very artistic of you. :-)

-- Betsy - There is no strength where there is no struggle

The round over edge works for me. Nice little box. Did you find the hinges easy to install?

I agree with Betsy about the photos. They are really nice. Very artsy.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Very nice work Charlie. The oak and the walnut contrast very nicely…I may have to steal that combo for a future project. Thanks for sharing.

-- Sgt_Lobo -- Montgomery, AL

Thanks, Guys!

Delta – There was quite a bit of glue-up time on the top. I started by gluing up alternate strips of oak and maple (6 of each color). Then I crosscut that assembly across the colors, and glued them back together alternating every other strip to create the checkerboard. A lot of work, but not nearly as bad as trying to cut out all the squares individually and gluing them together.

Steve – That was my first experience with quadrant hinges. To do the mortises, I set up my router table using the fence and stop blocks. I guess I was not careful enough, because I ended up being a little oversized on one side. Rather than have that error be so glaring, I opted to round the edge of the two mortises in the back. So if you look at the photo of the open box closely, you’ll see how the mortises slope gently away from the hinge. It is not the best looking solution in the world, but probably the best I could do under the circumstances.

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

Thanks also for the photo compliments. One thing I noticed early in my Lumberjocks browsing is that the projects I found most striking were frequently photographed in natural light. So if you want to show your project at its best, take it outside for the photo shoot if possible, in my opinion.

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

Charlie. Because i studied Drama in high school. and the teacher always told us to look at the big picture and see if it comfortable to the eyes.

My first look at the box was one of beauty and a little busy but pleasing to the eye.

But then I noticed, at least from the pictures, that the squares don’t seem to symmetric on the lid. It maybe the view of the pictures, but the squares look to be closer at the top and left, and further away at the bottom and right.

Again I want to emphasize that I do like the box and it might just be the pictures that make it seem the way that I’m viewing it. It would be nice to have a panoramic viewer on LJ and an ability to make pictures that way.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Ooh, lookee dem quadrant hinges, mon cheri!
Seriously beautiful work Charlie. Love the concept, the half-blind doves, the hinges, (even with the save) and of course the top. Fine looking box.

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

Karson, you are very observant. I tried to make the left-right alignment perfectly symmetrical. It is very close, but not perfect. The angle of the photograph makes it look more off than it really is.

As for front-to-back alignment, I opted to go with what I thought would look best as the viewer looked at the box from the front. In a perfect world, I would have planned everything carefully enough for that look I wanted to be identical on both the front and back.

Planning is not my strong suit. I’m one of those right-brain folks who plunges in and makes it up as I go along. :-)

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

And Doug, one of those Beall hinge gizmos sure would have come in handy!

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

Beall hinge gizmo?

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

Looking inside the open lid there seems to be just a little variation on the walnut diamonds.

And as the instructor would tell us, “It not always necessary to make every thing so comfortable to the eyes that what you are trying to represent is lost.”

I like the bold dark color in the front of the box that is first visible, That draws the eyes to look at it. It’s one of those things where you need to make the lid and then the box to fit around it.

We sometimes see things on the left of a scene and miss things on the right, And this is because we read from left to right. If you want to force the right view you need something bold that causes them to look that way. Like a fire in a fireplace. Movement catches the eyes.

A great box. It keeps the eye busy and keeps it hanging around for a second look, or third look.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Beall Hinge Wizard, Tom. Charlie, notice I spelled it correctly this time. I still owe you a muffelleta… how did you dig out the quad pockets?

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

Very nice! Quite a bit of work in that one… and the results keep drawing me back for another look. Good work!

Doug, I pretty much just eyeballed where the pockets would need to be, pencil marked them, then took the box and lid over to the drill press and just drilled a series of holes down my marks. This worked fine since it doesn’t really need to be pretty.

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

Mine got perilously close to the edge of the mortise edge. Glad it worked out so well.

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

It is a GREAT looking little box. It are the little details who give it a GREAT LOOK.
Keep doing these things.

Another great box Charlie.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

Very effective indeed. I, too, think it would lose something if the panel were floating/set-in. The base of the box adds to it too. It’s something I often think about doing but never get around to.

Amazing what you learn on Lumberjocks Douglas; I just spent ten minutes looking at recipes for Muffelleta. They haven’t hit Yorkshire yet!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

Stewart, if you ever come to New Orleans, I’ll treat you to one.

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

Now that’s a thought! Thanks Charlie.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

Really cool. The roudover works much better… gives the diamonds depth. I might even look cool if the top was thicker, then you would see more of the “stripes” on the sides of the lid.

The diamonds plus the outdoor photography on grass make me think of a picnic (like a diamond picnic table cloth). Maybe it could be a lunch box!

Very handsome box.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Excellent Charlie. This place is an inspiration—or rather a continuing parade of inspirations.

-- Maplewood, MN

I like it, Charlie. I agree that it might be interesting to do one with a thicker top. It’s neat the way it is.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Charlie,

This is a very beautiful box! I’ve truly never seen anything like it. Nice work!

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

Very nice box Charlie.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Good looking work on this Charlie.

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

Thanks to all of you for inspiring me through your own beautiful projects!

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

Not to hijack anything, but Stewart has me thinking muffelettas again. Charlie is Central Grocery still up and going on Decatur after Katrina?

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

Great looking box Charlie and the photography is up to your usual high standards. I like the checkered top, it has a lot of eye appeal.

Yes, Douglas – Central Grocery is back in business (at least I’m pretty sure they are). Their Muffelettas are world famous – but here in New Orleans there is sooooo much good food and so little time to eat it all :-)).

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Well, Bill said a mouthful. LOL!

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

Very cool looking!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

great looking box charlie . the roundover on the lid made a great look . better not promise me any muffeltas , i think i could be sittin in your driveway before daylite !! lol
on the other hand i got a couple boards of the prettiest curley cherry i ever seen and they might want to go along for the ride !!

-- if you aint the lead dog the scenery never changes

Great work i bet glueing all the pieces for the top, was a great pleasure?

-- Robert, mountainwoodcarving@netzero.net

Gluing was the easy part. Making straight cuts on a $99 table saw with a fence that tends to drift all over the place was the hard part.

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

Mrtrim, I will definitely trade New Orleans food for lumber!

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

I just love this one! LOL

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