Barn to Horse Box

a real WOW project

and gifting is so nice

well done

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

A wonderful piece of work. It’s very quaint looking.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

That is one beautiful box and design. Nice story and I bet the smile was priceless just as it was to recieve it….

-- What we do in life will Echo through Eternity........

Awesome work! Is that fir?

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

Patron, helluvawreck & Gshepherd: Thanks guys.. very much appreciated!

TopamaxSurvivor: That would be my guess, Douglas Fir. When I picked up the boards it had just rained and the freshly broken edges were a very bright orange. It bent pretty easy. I worked too slow on the first attempt giving the wood too much time to cool down. It’s got a real nice color, almost iridescent. I was shocked –this came from the roof of a barn! Thanks for the comment!

I never thought of fir as a bendable wood. Guess I had better give it a try ;-) thanks

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

What a beautiful memento you have created for a friend to cherish .
Absolutely wonderful thought and creation from a piece of history !
A fine piece of craftsmanship !

-- Kiefer 松

TopamaxSurvivor, Me neither! My Wood ID book says Douglas Fir has high crushing, stiffness and bending strength so I figured, if the wood bent, there’s a good chance it’s Fir. Sure looks like it.

Kiefer, The side of one of the beams had dropped and the peg was still in it. That’s what sparked the idea –it was as if my friend was meant to have that particular style box made from her family’s barn. Thank you!

I made 25 of the exact same box for my daughters wedding as table decorations. Fun to expand the skill set. Nice job on the bending and finish. Those little horses were a pain. I skipped the peg lock due to lack of time. The bending was probably a 66 success rate. The cherry would have dark blotches almost like mold stains. Really like the effect of the stitching. Got to love the old growth fir. Thanks for recovering some great lumber.

A great gesture and an outstanding job on that box. I too am amazed at how that fir bent.

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

Green_Hornut, Oh yeah.. the hardest part of the horses, for me, was shaping the back to fit the curve of the box. I can’t imagine doing that 50 times –whew! It’s amazing how quickly the wood cools down. A fast, smooth motion while bending makes all the difference. Thanks so much!

Gfadvm, I’m hoping to get a few more boards before it’s gone—and a section of the beam with a peg. I could have gotten the whole barn if I had the proper equipment and licensing required to do salvage work. Thanks for the kind words!

Great build, fine gesture, good photos, interesting writing. I enjoyed seeing your work and hearing the story behind the wood and the construction. Thanks for sharing these with us. How long did you steam the wood and how thick is it? Keep boxing and keep posting.

-- Big Al in IN

Boxguy, I used a 36 X 6 galvanized lidded tray placed on two hot plates. Once the water was at a high rolling boil, I eased the wood in and placed some scrap 2 X 4’s on top to fully submerge it. After about 15 minutes, I removed it with ice tongs and bent it around the form. The band was re-sawn to 3/32 thickness. I hope that helps! Thanks so much for the compliments – I really appreciate it!