| Project by Woodhacker | posted 99 days ago | 625 views | 4 times favorited | 17 comments |  |
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This is the third in my series of boxes using the Woodsmith Plan from Vol. 29, No. 174. Each one is unique in it’s own way, depending on who it’s for. I made this one for one of my nephew’s wife. She likes to collect wolf figurines, etc. I’d purchased this wolf pattern some time ago from a scrolling magazine. I had to shrink the plan down to about 1/3 size to fit it onto the top of this box. This made the cutouts very small. I drilled 216 starter holes for all the various cutouts. (I know, it’s kind of strange to keep track of things like that, but this was the first time I’d scrolled anything this intricate.) Doing this box gave me newfound admiration for those LJs that have posted all the great scroll work projects I’ve seen out here on LJ.com since becoming a member.
I call this box “The Ghost of Wolf” because the wolf face seems to be transparent through the grain of the wood…or even hiding behind the grain in some respects. I think this is partially because the pattern was reduced so much, which made the cutouts so much smaller…the image is much more subtle than with the full blown pattern. I’m not sure this effect totally comes out in these pictures though.
The sides and top are bubinga with figured maple for the front and back. The sides are joined to the front/back with blind mortise/tenon joinery approx. 2 inches long by ¼ inch wide. The base is hickory and is tongue/grooved on all four sides. The finish is 9 coats of wipe-on satin poly/oil blend…enough to completely fill in the grain. Final sanding of the finish was 1500 grit followed by hand rubbing using Behlens buffers polish. The lid is fastened with a 95 degree stop piano style hinge.
Note about the pictures…I couldn’t quite seem to get the lighting right because they all have slight orange-ish hue…more so than in real life. The color in the close-up below is perhaps a little too dark but is closer to the actual richer color of the bubinga, (although this picture does give the wolf a “shiner” in its left eye).
I just completed this box and her birthday is not until July. I’m not sure I can pull this off as planned, but as a way of presenting this gift, I’m planning on giving her the web path to LJ.com with this project link, and let her see it first here on-line before handing her the real thing. …kind of a “web-based” wrapping paper. So please…no one tip her off. :)
If you’re interested, my first two versions of this plan can be seen at:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/7441
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/7472
-- Martin, Kansas
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17 comments so far
trifern
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3379 posts in 216 days
posted 99 days ago
Awesome job Martin. I love your choice of timber, attention to detail and finish. Thank you for sharing.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
Bigbuck
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820 posts in 113 days
posted 99 days ago
Very nice. I am shure your nephew’s wife will love it.
-- Glenn, New Mexico
GaryK
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8410 posts in 438 days
posted 99 days ago
Great looking box. The ends are great!
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
EdC
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415 posts in 290 days
posted 99 days ago
That looks and sounds like it took a lot a patience to do such fine scroll work wow 264 holes. It turned out great. Very nice job!!!!!!!
-- Ed Collinge- Edmonds, WA.
Greg3G
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625 posts in 535 days
posted 99 days ago
Very nice job. Great wood selection and a wondefull finishing job.
Not sure I would have had the patience to do all the scroll saw work. I agree, it seem to be looking at you through the grain of the wood.
Beautiful work.
-- Greg - Charles Town, WV
teenagewoodworker
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1948 posts in 217 days
posted 99 days ago
awesome job. that is a great box and i love the attention to detail on the wolf. thanks for the post.
CharlieK
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10 posts in 242 days
posted 99 days ago
Fantistic! I thought for sure that that was cut by a laser. Even after I read about the 216 starter holes it still looks like it was cut with a laser. Great work, great choice of mateial, and a great design, too. Congratulations!
Chip
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1058 posts in 542 days
posted 99 days ago
Been away for a few months doing a remodeling project and am just catching up on stuff around here and just wanted to say your work is really outstanding Martin. Went back and looked at your other projects and each is wonderful in its own way. Look forward to seeing more and thanks for sharing with us.
-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.
Scott Bryan
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8557 posts in 271 days
posted 99 days ago
Martin,
This is simply a wonderful box. The wolf pattern adds a nice detail to the box.
Thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
SPalm
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702 posts in 331 days
posted 99 days ago
Very nice. I also am impressed with the sculptured sides, top, and front. Excellent work all around.
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Bradford
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622 posts in 272 days
posted 99 days ago
Your niece will surely be thrilled after seeing it here first and reading how many people are part of the surprise. The workmanship is top notch. Amazing appearance and scrollwork “216”. Your should have her buy an insurance policy for that box. “Irreplaceable”.
-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.
CharlieM1958
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3976 posts in 668 days
posted 99 days ago
Beuatiful box. Gorgeous wood and finish.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Blake
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1876 posts in 324 days
posted 98 days ago
That scroll work sure is tight. Your patience paid off, this is spectacular.
-- Dust collectors suck.
blackcherry
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195 posts in 272 days
posted 97 days ago
Thats a WOWerrrrr…just a super sweet design….Blkcherry
jockmike2
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4025 posts in 696 days
posted 97 days ago
Beautiflul box, unique design, and the wolf is a real neat piece of art. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
miles125
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899 posts in 455 days
posted 89 days ago
Thats a fine looking box. Great job.
-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""
matt garcia
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172 posts in 121 days
posted 55 days ago
Let me get this out of the way first….......man that is awesome scroll saw work, just awesome!! And let me tell you the bubinga is gorgeous, man that end grain really polished well!! I sure would like to know your finishing technique. Great job, great design and beautiful work!!
-- Matt, Houston Texas