LumberJocks

Grandfather Xmas Box

Project by ByronBlack posted 342 days ago 410 views 1 time favorited 16 comments Add to Favorites
Grandfather Xmas Box No-picture-s No-picture-s Click the pictures to enlarge them

This is a relatively quick box I made for a xmas present for my grandad this year. I attempted a different box a few weeks ago and made quite a few mistakes on it so I needed to start another. I didn’t start this one until this weekend just gone. I was still working on it in the morning of xmas day so that I could give it to him later that day during dinner.

This picture is just before I finished the lid hence why it looks a little rough – my camera had developed a fault and I lost the final pictures.

Its made from Walnut with beech ‘splines’. The panel is made from a section of spalted maple that I had, it’s quite difficult to work due to all the crumbly area’s and checks that had developed along the black lines of the spalt, but I eventually managed (after three attempts) to get a nice solid piece.

It was made mostly using a router-table setup I have in my outfeed table. In truth it’s just a hole in the table with the router clamped to the underside. My fence is just a lump of flat timber that is clamped into position.

I used a very simple 45 degree jig to hold the box whilest I ran it over a 3mm cutter to produce the slots for the splines. The mitres were cut by passing them across a 45 chamfer bit – this worked particularly well. I normally do these kind of mitres by hand using a shooting board, but this was much more accurate and quicker albeit noiser and dustier, but speed was of the essence of this project.

The finish like all my projects was simple. A shellac sealer coat with a single coat of beeswax.

The box will be used to store his lighters, papers and tobacco.


16 comments so far

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

8574 posts in 412 days


posted 342 days ago

the spalting really makes it stand out. The splines are also a nice detail.

-- Maplewood, MN

View Dominic Vanacora's profile

Dominic Vanacora

449 posts in 407 days


posted 342 days ago

I also love the combination of spaulting and walnut. The beech splines also stand out and say look at me. Nice project, Great workmenship.

-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida...Lets be safe out there.

View Bill's profile

Bill

2524 posts in 699 days


posted 342 days ago

A nice looking box BB. The contrasting wood looks great. Well done.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

View coloradoclimber's profile

coloradoclimber

346 posts in 605 days


posted 342 days ago

Byron, the high contrast between the woods really highlights both. The spalted maple is exceptionally nice.

View mot's profile

mot

4859 posts in 574 days


posted 342 days ago

I really like projects like this. The spalting really adds to the piece.

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

View Critterman's profile

Critterman

492 posts in 348 days


posted 342 days ago

Nice box, the lid is great. That maple against the walnut is outstanding…well done.

-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

968 posts in 631 days


posted 342 days ago

Nice arrangement of the spalted grain for the lid. The extra contrast from the keys is great too.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View TreeBones's profile

TreeBones

1456 posts in 561 days


posted 342 days ago

Very nice, great wood.

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

View Karson's profile

Karson

13640 posts in 938 days


posted 342 days ago

The maple looks great. The box looks great a nice job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

View Blake's profile

Blake

2243 posts in 412 days


posted 342 days ago

Gorgeous choice of wood for the top panel, and I like the thinness of the lid.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

View Hawgnutz's profile

Hawgnutz

507 posts in 614 days


posted 341 days ago

Great work, Byron! Iam sure this box will become a family heirloom.

Very creative and the maple looks fantastic! Did you steam the walnut or is it all heartwood?

God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

View Krisztian's profile

Krisztian

83 posts in 437 days


posted 341 days ago

Great box.Well done.

-- Krisztian (from Hungary) VA

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2735 posts in 601 days


posted 341 days ago

That is a fine looking piece. I’m sure your grandfather was pleased by the gift and the work needed to create it.

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

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1749 posts in 534 days


posted 341 days ago

It’s almost like two lids in one! The spalting is quite different on each side and looks really good with the walnut…

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

View HandsOgold's profile

HandsOgold

85 posts in 541 days


posted 340 days ago

Nice, and thankyou for including a “how to” in addition to a “this Is”. My only input of significance is to remind you that spalted woods are diseased and dangerous to human health. The inhaled dust can be toxic, so please wear respirator while generating dust, or now as you try to remove it from your workplace.

-- Dan

View ByronBlack's profile

ByronBlack

22 posts in 427 days


posted 340 days ago

Thank you all for your complimentary comments! Hawg – the walnut is all heartwood. I was lucky to be given a couple of boards as a freebie by my timber merchant when I bought the beech for a workbench project, and the width of the boards were perfect for smallish boxes like this one. It was a real nice wood to work with, very stable, easy to machine and was brought to a finish quite easily, the spalt on the other hand was quite troublesome, but I’m glad how it’s turned out.

I’ll be making some more of these types of boxes next year as I still have a number of splated panels left over.

Thanks again for all the kind comments and the feedback! :)

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