| Project by Triumph1 | posted 449 days ago | 3087 views | 30 times favorited | 41 comments | ![]() |
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I was very lucky this summer to have toured Frank Llyod Wright’s Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The house and property are absolutely breathtaking. While on the tour of the main house I noticed a very unique box sitting on one of the tables and asked the tour guide about it. She said it was made for Frank Llyod Wright, by one of his students, to hold the architectural medals he had won. Now this was a fairly simple looking box that didn’t have a lid or any finish on it but I loved it and was inspired to design “For Frank”.
The five lift off boxes and the base in “For Frank” are made from Black Walnut with a Black Walnut Dowel used to strengthen the mitered joint . The large horizontal portions are made from bookmatched, quartersawn white oak. They are not hard mounted to the box sections, they actually “float”. I designed a way to allow this float, to handle temperature/humidity changes, using a grove in the box and a spline to capture the panel. I will post a picture if I get a chance. The square holes where first cut with a mortiser. After that came the very time consuming action of rounding over all the edges. Thank god for rasps and detail sanding sticks! The vertical inlays are made from quartersawn Bocote and African Blackwood. The grain of the Bocote is continuous all the way up the box.
The base of the lid is made from quartersawn white oak. The top adornment is made from Bloodwood, Wenge and Curly Maple. I designed the pattern myself. Frank admired Japanese architecture so the large red “sun” worked nicely. I related dimensions mathematically where I could to make everything complement itself (1/2” wide pice, 1/2” wide space, 1/2” wide cutout, etc.).
There is no stain on the box. All the quartersawn white oak pieces got fumed using a homemade chamber and 26% ammonia. After 28 hours of fuming they were attached to the box sections and the entire box got three coats of clear Danish oil with 0000 steel wool in between. After two weeks of drying it got buffed twice with BriWax. The boxes are lined in a Cherokee Red fabric. This was Frank Llyod Wrights favorite color that he used on many of his homes. “For Frank” is 10” x 10” x 17.5”.
Thanks for looking!
-- Jeff , Illinois Please...can I stay in the basement a little longer, please!
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41 comments so far
Sheila Landry (scrollgirl)
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5940 posts in 1091 days
#1 posted 449 days ago
I love FLW designing and this is an incredible piece! You really did a great job on it and I truly enjoyed seeing it and reading your story. Great work! :)
Sheila
-- Contributing Editor, Creative Woodworks and Crafts, Sheila Landry Designs http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com "Knowledge is Power"
JoeyG
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1161 posts in 796 days
#2 posted 449 days ago
This is an incredible piece. As soon as I saw it I thought of FLW. I think you captured the essence of FLW. Thanks for sharing, it makes me want to build some grand.
-- JoeyG ~~~ http://www.facebook.com/JHGWoodWorks
patron
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12067 posts in 1512 days
#3 posted 449 days ago
this is quite a statement
for a man of incredible vision
your work is always so well done
it is truly an inspiration
i’m always in awe
of the gift you share with us
keep them coming please
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
Ian Hawthorne
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277 posts in 819 days
#4 posted 449 days ago
Wow love it!! very well done.
-- The Boxmakers Jewellery. Neat Hinge - Neat Lock - Neat Screw - http://hawthornecrafts.com/box-hardware/
RogerBean
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757 posts in 1124 days
#5 posted 449 days ago
Jeff,
Your designs and workmanship never disappoint.
Roger
-- "Everybody makes mistakes. A craftsman always fixes them." (Monty Kennedy, "The Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks", 1952)
Maveric777
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2593 posts in 1247 days
#6 posted 449 days ago
Jeff, what a fantastic and incredible piece of art you have created here my friend. I am almost embarrassed of the fact I don’t know much about Mr Wright’s work, but after seeing this… Well, its time to educate myself….lol
I got to say the top is my utmost favorite part of this work. I love how it draws your eyes to it and the rest of the box just fits into place from there. Very impressed bro!
You rock!
-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.
SPalm
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4114 posts in 2053 days
#7 posted 449 days ago
A very nice tribute.
You captured a lot of things there.
Beautifully done – as always.
Steve
-- -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Spoontaneous
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1016 posts in 1501 days
#8 posted 449 days ago
This is simply an outstanding tribute to Mr. Wright. I love the materials selected, the craftsmanship and especially those vertically diminishing ‘windows’. Definitely a ‘Triumph’ !
-- I just got done cutting three boards and all four of them were too short. (true story)
Martyroc
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2708 posts in 477 days
#9 posted 449 days ago
What an incredible design, nice job.
-- Martin ....always count the number of fingers you have before, and after using the saw.
thejosh
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563 posts in 740 days
#10 posted 449 days ago
Jeff, what a box and what a talent you are. Creations like these inspire me to be more creative than I think I already am. I grew up close to Frank’s Fallingwater in PA and that place is amazing!
-- "Come to me, all YOU who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." ---Matt. 11:28
BritBoxmaker
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4011 posts in 1207 days
#11 posted 449 days ago
Beautiful piece, Jeff. You’ve caught the style perfectly.
Strangely the red part of the top piece makes me instantly think of ELP (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) but thats me.
-- Martyn -- Boxologist, Pattern Juggler and Candyman of the visually challenging. http://www.theartofboxes.com
Kent Shepherd
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2690 posts in 1457 days
#12 posted 449 days ago
Beautiful job Jeff. Awesome design!
-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong
rance
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3856 posts in 1331 days
#13 posted 449 days ago
Simply stunning in design and execution. Thanks for sharing all of your works with us.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
Ken90712
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12676 posts in 1359 days
#14 posted 449 days ago
Amazing work and what a great peice of art! Bravo!!!!!!
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
Philip
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723 posts in 710 days
#15 posted 449 days ago
Very well executed. Congrats.
-- If you can dream it, I can do it!
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