Curly ambosia maple candy box

Nice boxs, man I wish I could find some free wood that looked that good! Thanks for sharing

-- Glenn, New Mexico

Gorgeous wood.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Now that keeping a eye out Matt…you never know what around the corner. My Dad taught me to always be on the look out…one mans junk is another man treasure. Score one for the woodworker…thanks for sharing Blkcherry

Very nice indeed, the maple is stunning!

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

Wow, I can’t believe some idiot made pallets out of wood like that. Beautiful box! I can’t quite tell how the lid opens… can you fill me in?

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Hi Matt;

Fantastic work and the lumber… ooh the lumber.

It’s funny, just yesterday I was with a buddy at a sears store loading dock, waiting for his washing washing to be brought out.

While we were waiting I wandered over to the pile of pallets, looking for a similar gem.

No such luck this time, but in the past, ooh the lumber…

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

are their little holes in the middle of the grey marks? I wonder if this is partially the work of the ambrosia beetle. Very nice.

The story, the wood, the box, will live on for ever. I hope you signed your work so future generations will know who the master wood worker was.
Great Story. Even Greater Receiving This As A Gift.

-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida...Lets be safe out there.

fantastic work! i love the maple and the bloodwood. they really go good together! thanks for the post

This is beautiful! This is why I love boxes so much. They are always a great way to show off some amazing wood. Really, really nice.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

wow…just gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!! I keep thinking I want to go around town and collect pallets…and if the wood is bad just make outdoor stuff or shop projects…But man—-that wood is beautiful Matt!!!

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

WOW!! Beautiful boxes and workmanship. I also want to know how the box opens.

-- "A goal without a plan is a wish."

Very nice. I really like the finish.

When you say “tung oil” what exactly did you use ?

How any coats ?

TIA

Beautiful! Thats some really nice work and beautiful wood. Funny how it was treated as throw away junk until you got a hold of it!

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

Beautiful Ambrosia maple. I’ve got a hundred board ft or so but none of it has curls like that. just beautiful wood and some great looking boxes.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Very nice. Every time I see padauk in an oil finish, I want to buy a few thousand board feet.

Great find, Matt. Although we never found anything like this, I used to work at a place that received a lot of supplies from overseas. The pallets that this stuff would come on were knocked together from all sorts of exotic hardwoods that they had laying around. Perfect for small projects and boxes.

-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com

WOW!! I had some reservations about even posting these 2 projects when I joined LJ’s!! I didn’t feel they were worthy of lets say a Bonnet Top Highboy!! HA HA!! You know, I felt so lucky to even find these boards, and after searching for more finds like this unsuccessfully, I’ve really given up! I still keep my eyes open, but so far this has been the lumber Holy Grail!!
Ok, now to answer some questions:
Charlie and Ampeater, there is a tiny seam there if you look real hard! That’s how close my tolerances are!!(Just kidding!!) I took these before I cut them open, just in case I screwed them up cutting them!! I cut these boxes open with my table saw, and then made a cradle to run the top throught the planer, and then just ran the bottom through on it’s own. I ran them through at an angle, and took extremely fine cuts.
Hokie Mojo, those holes are from the dreaded nail beetle!! They are just nail holes. Remember, these were under maybe 20 cross boards that were nailed to the edges of them.
Bartee, the Tung Oil I used was Minwax Gloss Tung Oil, and I bought it at Sears.
I think I may post the Mahogany/Flamed Birch Candy box I made my favorite Aunt!! And since you guys like figured wood so much, I think I may take a pic of a piece of Mahogany I found at Clark’s Hardwoods here in Houston. I’ll post them tonight.

-- Matt, Houston Texas

Beautiful wood selection

-- Shawn, I ask in order to learn

Very nice find and outstanding work Matt….

-- Chris

Sweet.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

Great eye for beatiful wood. Good job on making those boxes. You are off to a great career in woodworking.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Great boxes – well spotted in finding the wood.

Matt, that’s a beautiful box. You did a great job on it. I love the wood…and the story behind it.

-- Martin, Kansas

Hidden treasures, beautiful boxes.

-- Andy Stark

beautiful work and choice of woods.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

Yeah Nice boxes real pretty …..so about that Strat …You must have another one around ..or maybe a Tele …And you will want to play again I would bet …....yes …Nice boxes …Thanks

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

Hey Mike,

No I was never a Tele kinda guy, although one of my favorite guitarists was Terry Kath before his passing. I’m a figure top Les Paul kinda guy. I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t want to wield a figure top after seeing Jimmy Page in The Song Remains the Same. We must have seen that flick over 100 times at the midnite movies when we were in high school. Then one day a friend of mine let me play his USA Jackson Soloist, what a player that is! And man does that sucker always keep it’s tuning! It has a Strat like body, allowing access to the higher frets, and a set neck, and humbuckers so you can hang with beefy Les Pauls! Shoot, you can even get one in a figure top!

-- Matt, Houston Texas

Matt ….Thanks so much for the pix …...those are beauties ….I would prob be a Fender man now had it not been for Gregg Allman and Jimmy Smith ….here is my beast ….

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

So that’s a Hammond organ, eh? I looks “vintage”!! I bet it sounds awesome!! I like the Allman’s!! Great musicians!! I’ve always loved keyboards! I think the best show I ever saw a keyboardist perform was Jon Lord on Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers tour. He had his whole rig swaying during Highway Star. Man that show gave me goosebumps all over. Those guys were great!!!

-- Matt, Houston Texas

Hey guys. We just received an optical comparitor in our store. It was a Mitutoyo, perhaps shipped from Singapore. It’s pallet was solid mahogany!! I asked our metrology specialist if I could have it. He told me to build him another one in a cheaper wood, and it was mine!! If it were only Fall!! Maybe when we sell it, I can contact our customer, and ask him before he throws it away!!!

-- Matt, Houston Texas