First Boxes

[Seventh Wood]

Hi all (apologies to Tea Lady and Toni for calling everyone guys)

As per my other thread, I have been inspired to try my hand at boxes and have done two in differing timbers (still don't know for sure what they are). Both are Raffanesque for which I make no apology. After seeing him at the Adelaide TWWW show turning a box and almost wearing out his box turning DVD, I felt ready for it.

Both have reasonable vacuum fit lids ( fit changes with the weather though) and though the walls and rims are a bit chunky, I was not ready to push it any thinner. It called for a whole new range of turning experiences - Hollowing (I prefer scrapers to gouges and am far from mastering the scary back hollowing stuff), jam fitting lids (worked OK) and jam fitting on scrap chucks to finish tops and bases. Bothe are oil and beeswax finished and they are about 60 mm in diameter.

The beautifully grained brown bowl is a timber native to the Souther Flinders - again retrieved form a pile of firewood, so any ideas on identity would be welcome. It has the most wonderful spicy, aromatic aroma. Yoyu can smell it from a metre away and the smell when you pop the lid off is intense. It could be an acacia or a myrtle and the piece was about 200 mm diameter. I have a small bowl blank and some other small bits and will post images when turned.

I have since rough turned about a dozen box blanks in silky oak, liquid amber and pohutukawa (all from locally felled trees) and have some more seasoned box stock to do some more.

Cheers,

Geoff (7th Wood)

[Ad de Crom]

Hi Geoff, a couple of very good looking lidded boxes.
I don't can tell you anything about the woodspieces.
My only remark is, but that's just my opinion, to bring the joint between the box and lid a bit higher.
I like it too to make sometimes lidded boxes, always a fun, but not at this time as it is to cold in my shop for doing glue work or anything else, despite my heater, it's just brrrr here, so I'm waiting for better warmer times, don't like high electricity's bills.
Overall you did a great job.
Ad :2tsup:

[lubbing5cherubs]

very nice indeed
Toni

[powderpost]

Geoff, they look really good to me. You are on the right track, rough turn them and let the blanks stabilise. You will not stop the timber moving with the change in weather, but you will minimise it.
Well done... :2tsup:
Jim

[artme]

Nice work Geoff! :2tsup::2tsup:

As Ad says take note of proportions between lid and bottom.

[TTIT]

Excellent work on the boxes Geoff :2tsup: Personally I don't mind the 'tall' lids - have done a few that way myself.
Your description of the aroma and the colour and grain make me think False Sandalwood but it isn't supposed to grow down there - maybe one of the other eremophila family - all that I have tried smell fantastic.

[munruben]

Good effort. nice work.:2tsup:

[tea lady]

Nice. :cool:I haven't done lidded boxes yet. Making a few lids for some ceramic vessels out of turned wood. Still a work in progress though.

BTW I don't mind being one of the guys.:U