| Project by gbear | posted 989 days ago | 821 views | 4 times favorited | 15 comments | ![]() |
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This steamer trunk was a Christmas gift for my son Shawn. It was made mostly of salvaged materials. My son was working for a construction company on some apartment which were being converted to condos. The company putting in the new cabinets had a lot of cabinet grade plywood that they used to separte and stack the cabinets during shipping. After their arrival to the job site, the plywood was discarded. My son told me about the wood and I was able to obtain it. The oaks slats on this pience were left over pieces of white oak hardwood flooring which I had installed in my house last year. The hardware came from Rockler.
-- gbear, Carmichael, CA






























15 comments so far
dennis mitchell
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3789 posts in 1209 days
posted 989 days ago
pretty darn cool!
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
Bill
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2561 posts in 1056 days
posted 989 days ago
A great job and a nice way to re-use materials. Bet that construction company never thought something this nice would come out of their tossed materials.
-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com
Karson
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25801 posts in 1295 days
posted 989 days ago
Nice looking Trunk
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
MsDebbieP
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14159 posts in 1055 days
posted 989 days ago
1. this is stunning and definitely an heirloom for future generations
2. this is amazing how you collected the “scraps” and put them together to create this beauty. How did you “see” this in the wood??
3. this is gorgeous… had to comment on the beauty twice because it is so, well, beautiful.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
jockmike2
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7314 posts in 1141 days
posted 989 days ago
Nice trunk, good use of discarded material. Very nice worK jockmike
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
scottb
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3402 posts in 1222 days
posted 989 days ago
I can’t believe that was considered junk wood. That is exactly the sort of chest I’d like to make someday. Fantastic!
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
Dick, & Barb Cain
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7036 posts in 1194 days
posted 989 days ago
Very nice piece of craftsmanship. I think found wood is an extra bonus, & it makes you feel better after completion.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Don
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2590 posts in 1072 days
posted 988 days ago
Super job, gbear. Yes to recycled ‘junk wood’. How about more info on the construction and finish?
It looks like panel frame construction. Is the frame joinery mortise and tenon? What about the way you joined the front and back panels to the sides? How was this done?
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/
BassBully
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253 posts in 992 days
posted 988 days ago
Great job on the trunk. I especially like the color of stain and the wood decor you used on the top of the lid.
-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!
oscorner
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4572 posts in 1206 days
posted 988 days ago
Amazingly beautiful work. Don’t let the construction company know where the materials came from. If they find out, you’ll never get another piece.
-- Jesus is Lord!
tooljunky
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34 posts in 1005 days
posted 987 days ago
Great trunk, very nice work, Did you do the trunk from a plan or is is something that you thought up on your own.
-- vlee2@ford.com
gbear
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103 posts in 994 days
posted 987 days ago
Thanks to everyone for the nice comments. The basic box is constructed with tongue and groove joints and the outer slats use rabbit joints. I stained the project with a medium oak stain and finished it with 3 coats of polyurathane, sanding with 1500 wet and dry between coats. I didn’t have a plan for this project only the pictures of trunks I had seen in catalogs. I must admit, planning is my weakness. I often just have a rought idea of what I want and start building, planning as I go. Not a real good idea.
-- gbear, Carmichael, CA
BassBully
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253 posts in 992 days
posted 986 days ago
How did you construct the top? Did you use veneer so that it would bend?
-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!
gbear
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103 posts in 994 days
posted 986 days ago
BassBully- Yes. I used 1/8” oak veneer plywood. I bent it over the struts and glued it to the lid. I then added the knubby trim with glue and brads. The struts in the lid which form the curve are close enough to each other that they provide plenty of support for the plywood even if someone sits on it! It’s somewhat like the hull of a boat.
-- gbear, Carmichael, CA
Shopsmithtom
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407 posts in 1090 days
posted 669 days ago
I truly love it when anyone can make something out of reclaimed materials, and you not only made something…you made something really outstanding!!! When I think about my woodworking skills, and begin to think I’m pretty good at stuff, I see a project like this and realize that I’m an elementary school student in the company of doctoral candidates.
Way to go, Doctor!
-SST
-- Accuracy is not in your power tool, it's in you