Christmas Boxes

Man these are looking nice!

I can see your woodworking skills are coming right along. I am glad to see you got away from the box store wood.

Boxes like these are harder than most people realize. There are a lot of parts, they are small, and the lid has to line up with the bottom. You did very well on all accounts. I am sure that they will be well received.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

very nice work lobo . i was gonna pick my favorite but i gave up they are both too sweet to choose . well done

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

I like these boxes. Nice work.

-- Krisztian (from Hungary) VA

Hey Todd, thanks for always being here to critique my work. My skills are improving dramatically thanks to this site and people like yourself!

Thanks for the kind words mtrim. I actually have a favorite and it is the walnut and zebrawood. I think I might make another for myself sometime ‘cept maybe I’ll try walnut and cocobolo…

-- Sgt_Lobo -- Montgomery, AL

good looking boxes – you done well!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

Boy..they are beautiful! I like the style you did on them.
Krum

-- Cathy Krumrei (Krum) http://www.TheCarversCorner.com

Outstanding looking boxes Lobo. Your folks should be very happy with them.

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

There’s immense pleasure for both the giver and recipient when a gift is handmade, and especially when it’s a box! I think. These are beautifully done Lobo. Those lid joints are unbeatable. Thanks for showing.

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

The keys really work nice. Those are two fine boxes.

-- Maplewood, MN

Those look great lobo. Nice reading how much you enjoyed making them. Thats what woodworking is all about.

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

Nice work,Sarge. glad you had fun on them. I can see your skills improving with each post . Congratulations.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Thanks again everyone for the nice comments. I have learned a lot about various woodworking techniques making these small boxes. Hopefully I’ll be able to take the skills I have picked up and use them on bigger and better projects in the future.

-- Sgt_Lobo -- Montgomery, AL

Sarge, you are a quick study at box-making. These are great!

Your comments about about the Watco Danish oil surprise me, because I find the stuff about as easy to use as falling off a log. It does take several days to dry thoroughly, and you made need extra coats, but I find the end result great, especially on walnut. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong on this, but I know the Danish oil contains some varnish, so it wil eventually dry completely to a protective coating. It is my understanding that pure oils, like tung, never fully dry, and thus leave the surface more susceptible to dirt and stains.

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

Charlie – The tung oil I use is definitally not a “pure” oil. It contains a substansial amount of varnish and dries very quickly making for a very nice protective finish.

The Danish oil on the other hand, well, it didn’t go as well. I applied 3 coats of it per the directions on the container. I then let it set for 4 days. It felt dry to the touch, but did not leave any kind of protective finish. When I applied the wax, parts of the box took it fine, while other parts leached out more danish oil on my wax rag, indicating to me that after 4 days it still wasn’t completely dry.

I will try danish oil again on another project someday, but I think it will need to be a project that I have a long time to finish so I can apply many coats and give them all ample time to dry.

-- Sgt_Lobo -- Montgomery, AL

Thumbs up, Sarge. They look great!

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

One other thing you can try someday is something I do frequently… I apply danish oil because I really like the way it seems to bring out the grain, but then I come back after 3-4 days (when it feels dry to the touch) and apply wipe-on poly for a harder, more protective finish.

But now you have me curious about the tung oil with varnish, so I’m going to have to give that a try.

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

Very nice boxes. Two years ago I made boxes for Christmas gifts and now all my family has one. Excellent work and great wood.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3

Great looking boxes. I am going to have to give that a try someday.

-- Lori

You have come a long way in a short amount of time, it seems. Your execution is excellent. You have mastered the ability to make a box and we will look forward to future designs.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Good job on the boxes. Remember that every woodworking project is just a box or a collection of boxes that fit together. One thing that I have found when using oil finishes is I add somme thinner to the oil and it dries a lot better, especially this time of year when the shop is a little cooler. Great job and good luck on your future projects(that will most likley be some sort of box!!)

-- Woodworking is Life. Anything before or after is just waiting.--S. McQueen sort of

I have used the Watco “Danish Oil” in the past and had good results with it. I did 2 folding stepstools and an entry table with it.

I used 600 grit (I think) wet/dry sandpaper to create a slurry and it filled the pores. I had to stay on it about 3 or 4 hours because of the bleed out. When it quit bleeding and dried it had a great silky finish. I did not wax it.

The table was my first one ever and I gave it as a wedding gift. At the party it ended up with beer and alcohol rings on it. The couple was devastated.

I took it back to the shop without a worry. I added some more oil and used the wet/dry sandpaper to rub out the ring. It went away quite easily but would not with a wet rag. I did a once over on the whole top just to be sure and keep the finish even. Because the top was already saturated with oil it dried very quickly this time and did not continue to bleed out.

The step stools get used and get dirty. I oil them once a year and go over them with the wet/dry sandpaper and they look like brand new when I am done. It takes about 30 minutes that I really don’t mind. I enjoy the intimate relationship that I have with one of my first projects, and it allows me to see how they are holding up.

The step stools are made of reclaimed black walnut and scraps of ash (great combo). They are beautiful.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Thanks guys for the advice on the danish oil. As I said before, I will try it again on future projects and will keep your tips in mind. One question Todd, when you use the sandpaper to apply the danish oil, doesn’t the “slurry” obscure the grain?

-- Sgt_Lobo -- Montgomery, AL

Your stuff is getting so much better with every project Sarge. Sharper craftsmanship, tighter design. It’s a wonderful thing to watch and thank you for sharing it with all of us.

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

Sweet boxes Sgt.

-- I've cut that board three times and it's still too short!

Damn Sgt. your getting pretty damn good in a really short time with your woodworking! These are really nice. Your display case was nice too. Did I see a Fairbanks dagger in there?