Thread: Huon Pine And Spalted Peppermint

Very attractive box DD. Nice lining also,

Paul

DD, I know what you mean and suspect we probably all have this "sometimes I like it" feeling from time to time. I've made boxes that I was dubious about which grew on me after a while and I've also made the odd one which I thought I would never want to sell but which I was eventually happy to get rid of. Then there is the odd commission which comes out perfectly and you really don't want part with!

I do like your latest box - with some reservations. The wood is lovely, the colours are great and as far as I can tell the workmanship is superb. My reservations are with the vee shaped cutouts along the bottom edges. That doesn't work for me and I couldn't really say why, but to my eyes that feature doesn't look quite right, at least in the photograph you posted.

I may feel differently about that tomorrow and this goes to the heart of the problem, when proportions can look great from one angle and a bit wrong from another, and that just itches away at you as a maker because it's often hard to figure out just what it is that bugs you. Other people will never tell you of course and that is normally reflected in the comments in this forum, which does seem a pity to me. Encouragement is great but constructive criticism can be useful too and it's only someone else's opinion after all, to be noted or ignored.

Rex

Thanks for the comments Rex. This is only the second box I've done with these upside down V's and i thought only that it would match the chamfer on the lid but it does look better in person.
I must say that i don't put a lot of thought into what i'm making other than the size and getting the most out of the piece of timber available but i try to mix it up so that i never have two of the same.

Anyway i must be doing something right because after a few quit months i'm struggling to keep up with demand.

David

David,

Yep, me too. No plans, no drawings, sometimes not even any ideas.

Sometimes I just feel like making a box and then it evolves, often dependant on the piece of wood that falls to hand. I'm generally conscious of colour compliments or contrasts and the proportions just sort of happen and get adjusted if they look totally wrong. The type of hinge may be decided late in the piece and the same applies to the lift and feet, if I decide to fit any. Sounds pretty hit and miss when it's written down like that!

Like you I make each box individually and mix them up, although if a particular box sells well I will make others based on that design. I would quickly get bored making the same thing over and over and I've tried making small batches so I know that doesn't work for me. If you can't keep up with demand you are doing a lot that's right and I'd like to be able to say the same - I can certainly give them away, there's lots of demand for that, but parting people from their money is an entirely different case.

Keep up the good work.

Rex