An Oak Burl Man-Box

Finally finished the second shaped-front man box. It’s 10 ¼” x 8” x 4 ¼” high, and veneered in an oak burl, with a four way book-match on the lid and edged with boxwood. The finish is French polish over Liberon spirit sanding sealer. The side rail hinges are from BCSpecialties.com, and the full mortise lock and escutcheon is from WhiteChapel.com.

The substrate is baltic birch ply, MDF, and edged with solid walnut to provide a finished bottom edge. The inset panel in the bottom is covered with the same blue leather as the lining. Small white/;black/white lines border the inside of the lid/base opening to provide a crisp delineation between the veneer edge and the blue leather lining.

I embarked on the shaped front idea with the walnut box I posted a couple months ago, and have been experimenting with different, and increasingly complex front shapes. For example, there are fourteen separate pieces of veneer on the front of this box. (plus the edging and inlays) The various converging curves present some unique problems for the veneer matching, joining the edging, and placing the line inlays. The shaped front is unquestionably the most difficult part of this box.

I considered a carved shell or an inlay on the lid, but it seemed to look better without. I chose the simple brass lock escutcheon to complement the period nature of the design. I like to avoid unfinished surfaces anywhere on a box, so the bottom of this one is upholstered with the same blue leather as the lining instead of my usual veneer treatment.

I think it’s fun to provide pleasant surprises on the interior of a box. To me, an unlined box is, well, unfinished. (That’s just my opinion, and not intended to be a shot at anyone who prefers to leave the inside unlined.) So I continue to look for new and interesting ways to finish off the interior of a box (though this particular interior is pretty simple). It has only a single tray of Asian satinwood, divided to hold a man’s watches and/or pens. The dividers are secured with decorative brass pins, and the bottom of the tray is veneered in the same oak burl.

I’ve lately been experimenting with embroidered monograms or patterns on the leather lining, and in this case added a Celtic knot to the inside of the lid. Ideally, to my thinking, such decoration should have some significance or meaning, and not just randomly selected. The “endless knot or eternal knot” patterns (there are many) have a very long history extending at least as far back as the Romans, as well as the middle-east and far east. It usually indicates the connectedness of all things. The idea, at least, is to continue enriching the viewing experience on into the interior of the box. We’re always eager to touch and open a box, so why should we be disappointed when we get inside? Anyway, I wanted something more than a single tray, hence the symbolic knot pattern.

In any event, it’s been a fun and challenging project. I really do enjoy making these things. There are a couple more variations on the shaped-front theme in the project pipeline which will probably show up in a few weeks.

Thanks for looking in.

Roger

-- "Everybody makes mistakes. A craftsman always fixes them." (Monty Kennedy, "The Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks", 1952)