the Oaks

These are great Monte. I love the grain of your wonder wood as you call it.

I will give you the advice that I follow on everyone of my boxes. It’s simple. I try to make every box a little better than the one before. I don’t always accomplish that, but I strive for it and that is the important part.

-- JoeyG ~~~ http://www.facebook.com/JHGWoodWorks

Hi…Great looking boxes. Oak looks great. I like to stain some oak with redish stains, can also accent parts, like the ends of palm boxes by ebonizing the ends, and staining the entire middle, and top. Combinations give a striking effect….sometimes. I like to ebonize oak with flat black paint the coat with poly. It’s quick and looks very good, also, holds up well. Great boxes, keep em coming!

Love the wonder wood!
I don’t find your projects boring at all but do have a comment on finishing. Of course, this is my taste only but I like subtle finishes best. Gloss has its place on certain pieces but in the case of the wonder wood I’d rather see a satin or rubbed semi-gloss finish and let the grain of the wood speak for itself.
And wouldn’t I love to have a bin of your wonder wood!

-- Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. --Theodore I. Rubin

Monte you kicked it out and they look great. Fantastic job. I really like the top on the middle one.

-- http://www.landwoodworks.com (L an D Woodworks)

Nice boxes. All of them. My tip would be one I have taken from another LJ. To paraphrase his “tagline” under his name, he basically says to treat each step of your project as if it is the most inportant step. That way, when you are finished it will be the best that you were capable of going at that time!

Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I dont. It’s all in the trying though!

-- Use it up, Wear it out --------------- Make it do, Or do without!

Some super lookin grains on all of em

-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net

I like all of these Monte. Of course the wonder wood/SD Balsa is my favorite. How is the top hinged on this one? I started out finishing all my boxes with Spar and experimented (a lot) and found that shellac works well for me. I really like MinWax Gunstock stain on red oak and Doug Fir.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

Monte,

Buy David Freedman’s book: Box-Making Basics (about $10 on Amazon). Buy the book 400 Wood Boxes by Lark Press (for inspiration and ideas).

You might experiment with some of these ideas. Thin your wood to 5/8, 45 your corners, add splines, sand your wood down to 800 grit, try wipe on poly- applied with a foam brush and 0000 steel wool between coats – add interior dividers or trays.

-- Big Al in IN