KT's Box - My first real project

Beautiful box. I’m glad you were able to overcome and finish it. As far as constructive criticism goes, it looks like you’ve already listed lessons learned.

-- Jesus is Lord!

it’s beautiful and you are right to listen to the boss! Don’t touch it… but then I do have a suggestion that I think she might like ;)

Just sprinkle some diamond dust into that gap :D

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Very fine box Jeff. I’m with KT on this. That’s what makes your box a heirloom. It’s handmade and one of a kind.

Excellent job, you should be quite proud of! Thanks for sharing.

-- Jimmy

We’re not perfect and neither is wood. Leave it alone. Very nice box!

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

Perfect or not it is pretty.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’m a little confused as to what you’re calling “reversed breadboard joints”...

Do you mean the box joints (or finger joints) you used for the box frame? Or are you talking about your lid construction? I think the box joints are well-executed; they look uniform and well-fitted, the two big things I look for in box joints.

I think your frame and panel construction is good, as well as your choice of woods. I think sometimes people try to use too many different kinds of wood or they’ll use wood with just too much going on. You’re on the right track.

How did you arrive at your dimensions? If you haven’t heard of it, do a Google search on the Golden Rectangle or the Golden Ratio. It is basically the mathematic rule for the pleasing dimensions found in nature. The 6×10 is pretty close to it, but sometimes it is amazing how very subtle differences will give your piece that little extra push it needs (Golden Ratio would be 6:9.7 (6×9 3/4 would suffice).

Another Suggestion:
It looks like you used about 50% Padauk and 50% Maple. I would suggest using a higher percentage of one kind of wood and then make the other wood the accent piece.

For example, in your next piece, use the straight grain of the Padauk for the box sides and the lid frame, but then use a really figured piece of the curly maple for the panel in the lid. Then find another way to use the curly maple as an accent, like making a lid pull/lift or inlay a simple shape in the front or the sides.

(At the very least, I’d consider always using straight-grained wood (quarter-sawn or rift-sawn) for frames and then using the figured wood (in cabinetry, it would be the cathedral-grained wood) for the panel.

I think your first real project turned out great, Jeff. Keep at it!

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

Very nice – I have got to try something like that.
Just sprinkle some diamond dust into that gap – as stated by Debbie – my wife read this and said – heck – forget the diamnod dust and just put a diamond inside of the box .

sigh

WOMEN???? go figure

-- "Have you hugged your pet today?" ---------- Larry

Hey Jeff… WOW! That is really terrific. No critique here, sorry. As you saw on my projects, I really like contrasting wood like that and yours turned out beautifully. And the finger joints look perfect! Don’t be so hard on yourself man! Has anyone in here produced the “perfect” piece? I don’t think so. Just enjoy, thanks a lot for sharing and keep it coming please.

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

lots of good information Ethan. Thanks. I’ll keep those tidbits in mind

(Larry: Men! )

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks! Great feedback and comments. I have to cut out for the rest of the day but will address questions tomorrow. I echo Debbie, Ethan.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Ethan – I was talking about the lid and I guess I was thinking about how the wood movement would have better been accounted for by that approach. I didn’t think about it as a frame and panel construction and now that you have said that, it does seem to be the more accurate description. When I designed this though, I wanted to accentuate the length and that visual aspect drove the way I made the lid. I am familiar with the Golden Ratio as I was a Graphic Designer for about 8 years. The usage of it is part of my ‘eye’ now I suppose. Diminsion correction: 12×7 x 3 5/8 – still pretty close to the ratio.

I’m pretty proud of the wood choice and the finger joints. I love visual joinery and the finger joint, I thought, would be good practice and appeals to my perfectionist side.

I’ve made a decision about how to try to fix gap in the lid. I measured the gap with my new caliper that KT gave me for Christmas (yes, she is the best) and it comes in at 1/32. I’ve tuned my saw pretty well and I have good a Woodworker II blade on it so I’m going to try and sneak up on a couple of 1/64 slivers to fill the gaps on both sides. Should be fun…

Ethan, I bought some really figured maple a while back that will be used in my next box lid for sure.

Thanks again for your encouragement, everyone!

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Nice tight joints caliper, very nice looking box. jockmike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Very nice. Glad to see it finally. Can’t wait to see what you make next. And thanks for letting me know about this site too!

I think it looks great.
A way you could cover up that gap is to rabbet out the perimeter of the lid, or the botom, & glue in an accent piece. I think that would hide it for you

-- -** 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

Great looking box. I’m kind of with Dennis on the ratio of accent wood to base wood. maybe smaller maple around the edges of the lid and more padauk or a line of Padauk imbedded within the maple toward the front and back. kind of like railroad tracks. It forces the eyes to focus on something.

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

You’re welcome, Rich. Glad you are here.

Dick and Karson, thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate it. With any luck, I be able to post some SketchUp drawings with representations of some species so you guys could give me some feedback on those

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Caliper,

I did a little box myself for my wife some years ago too. I did some things I shouldn’t have as well. The box doesn’t sit straight on the dresser now, and that is o.k. It shows me where I have come from and in a relatively short time. I think I made it five years ago. I learned a lot from that silly little jewelry box (we call it a hamster casket), and about a year later I designed and built the mahogany sofa table.

We all start somewhere.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Yes. I have learned to accept it for what it is. A starting point and I’m still pretty proud of how the joints came out.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

I like it. Building a little box is harder than it looks. Especially with corner joinery like that. Many things affect the final project and make it wobble. It’s a nice looking piece.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Great lookin box!!
Listen to your wise wife! She is teh one you ultimately have to please—especially if it finds its way as a gift later.
Dick’s idea of making a Small routed inlay to fill in the gap is the best idea, at least to me.

keep up the good work!
God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

Caliper states: Thanks for looking and I honestly welcome your constructive criticism…...

Sorry Caliper, nothing to criticize you on, about on this woodworking art piece. Maybe next time, that okay(?).

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

This beautiful box has been on the LJ site for 86 days and this is the first time I’ve viewed it. I just love small wooden boxes!

Nothing to criticize here, Mate.

However, may I suggest for future small boxes that you consider changing your construction technique. There is almost no way you that can construct a frame and panel lid without either having the panel slopping around loose within the frame or having it tight and split the frame joints.

I am not holding myself up as an expert, but I have overcome this problem by using veneered panel inserts. I glue veneer which comes in an amazing range of wood species and colors to both sides of 3mm MDF. This makes a panel that is absolutely dimensionally stable. It keeps the lid light in weight and costs a lot less to make than purchasing exotic solid wood of the same species.

If you haven’t done any veneering, small lid panes can be laminated between two platens clamped in a bench vice. Your platens can be 3/4” MDF with plastic wrap inserted between the platens and veneer. Do the glue-up overnight and they will be ready to use in the morning.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

Thanks everyone. I’m guessing this showed up on one of Martin’s new sections on the home page. I love that latest feature. It’s just as good as the shuffle but puts it right there for instant viewing.

Don – thanks for the commentary and suggestions. I have ultimately finished this box. The two coats of Danish oil sure did make it nice. I need to update the project… Anyway, I would definitly consider the use of a laminated, possibly even decorative with multiple species, top/insert for future projects.

Now that the season has changed, the expansion has occurred. So, I glued it up. I think it will survive because it can’t push the joints apart and I don’t think there was enough play to split the Padauk during the winter. Time will tell and the learning experience will go on.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Beautiful box Jeff, I missed it 1st time around. I’m planning on doing one for my wife for Christmas so all the comments are great too! I need to talk to Don more about it…I hear he likes small boxes…:)

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Thanks, Bob. I’m sure your wife will love anything you make. Wouldn’t be surprised if she had you make another one of your chairs…

Yes, Don will be a good resource. Check out Bwillie’s stuff too. He’s recently joined the site I think. I’m bet they both would be a wealth of information.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Another suggestion to use the next time is to make it a floating panel with the edges slightly tapered, either on the top or bottom of the panel.
Or tapered as part of the design with a planned space between the raised portion of the panel and the sides of the top like most floating door panels.
I do, however, also like the veneer idea. Especially if you do not want an exposed edge.

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Not sure how I missed this, as like Don I stay on box patrol. Wonderful box, and I like the reverse breads. How is the paduak now after time has gone by?

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks Doug. The padauk is great. I really like that wood. At least the darker versions that can be found. I’m not much on the more orange variation. With WATCO on it looks very rich and the more open pores allow absorption.

Is there something I should expect or watch out for?

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Padauk has a tendency to darken and lose the orange appearance that is seen when it first cuts. I know guys that have tried a number of UV shield applications to keep the fade from happening (including Armor-all), but to no avail. Some of the things I made a number of years ago are as dark as oiled walnut now. I like that orange-red for somethings, and was disappointed (after battling color bleed with shellac, and color transfer in sanding) when things went brown. Now I go to Chokta Vega for orange (although it’s a bit too bright) and Bloodwood for red.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I didn’t know that about Padauk. That’s good to learn that. Is the darkening purely an age thing or does exposure to light drive it? I hear ya on the color bleed. It was challenging to sand after the glue-up. It was even challenging when using a block plane to clean up the finger joints. I ended up using painter’s tape to cut down on the contamination of the maple with sanding dust. I didn’t have any problems when I oiled it though.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

It’s UV exposure driven. One of my pen boxes with Paduak sides is brown outside and orange red inside. It’s probably 6 years old now.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I am late to this party, but it looks like a winner. Gift it to your wife and move on. Start a new one right away leaning from those mistakes.

-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke". http://woodstermangotwood.blogspot.com/ (my funny blog)

Jeff, I am my harshest critic too. This is a beautiful box and I think it shows you are willing to try new teqniques and challenge yourself to grow! Be proud of this wonderful box, it is a great accomplishment. we learn as we grow and vice versa…............

-- --Chuck

That’s a nice box. I’d put it on my desk, so I could look at it every day.

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