Newbie box's

**gwambygine** · 23rd February 2009, 09:00 PM

Gidday all.
I have been lurking assiduously for the last twelve months. Drawing inspiration and delight from all your efforts.
Its time to make a contribution.
Go easy on a newbie.
A little background information first.
I have come to woodworking late, I remember being 13 in 1st year high school and the boys and girls were broken into groups, the boys to do woodworking and technical drawing and the girls to do cooking and art.. I wanted to do woodworking but was promptly told that was ONLY for the boys… So it has taken another 40 odd years for me to get to this place.
Box’s have always held a fascination for me. I collected antique ones for a while but when I met my current partner who is a furniture maker he said ‘ave a go, girl’.. What a gem! And himself with a workshop! Whoopee
So I started, from the very beginning. What do you do with a set sq? How do you use it? Which way is up? Huh? yes that basic..
He is a very clever man you know. He gave me a piece of quarter sawn kiln dried oak. And a smaller piece of yew. I didn’t know squat, but it was like butter to work with and such a joy, damn hard to muck up such a perfect pieces of wood. So it was just butt joints glued together. I made a dozen in different woods, with lids and without. It took ages to get things square, and to learn the sides had to be the same size and the ends had to be the same length. I moved on to mitre joints.. Phew this seemed to be such a leap.. I would point out that although my man makes furniture there are no straight lines and his machinery is set up to take three inch thick burr elm in big slabs.
Calibration seems even now to be a huge hurdle for me. But enough!
I’ll post pics of work in some sort of learning order..
This forum has been such a help, I look everyday for new box’s and help to sort out difficulties. I thank you all.

This post seems to have accepted three photos, others later, when I learn how to post properly!

**watson** · 23rd February 2009, 09:23 PM

You've down well.....with your pics.....your boxes.....and your posting.
And welcome aboard.

**BernieP** · 23rd February 2009, 09:29 PM

G'Day Gwambygine,

Welcome to where we all learn, nice boxes.

Cheers
Bernie

**powderpost** · 23rd February 2009, 09:29 PM

Excellent start... keep going.
Jim

**OakTech** · 24th February 2009, 04:08 AM

You are off to a good start. Doug Stowe (a member of this forum) is "Mr. Box Maker" and has written several excellent books on the subject. You can learn a great deal from them.

I own the following four:
Creating Beautiful Boxes With Inlay Techniques
Box Making
Basic Box Making
Simply Beautiful Boxes

These books really arouse the desire to get to the shop and make something and his techniques are well explained.

Enjoy your journey!!

Bob

**BobR** · 24th February 2009, 09:06 AM

Welcome! You have done well, both in you box making and selection of a partner (owns a workshop

). Look forward to seeing more of your work here.

**RufflyRustic** · 24th February 2009, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by gwambygine

Gidday all.
I have been lurking assiduously for the last twelve months. Drawing inspiration and delight from all your efforts.
Its time to make a contribution.
Go easy on a newbie.
....

Hiya gwambygine

No, you've got it the wrong way round.

You go easy on us!!!

Sheesh! I think my computer near had a lockup when I saw your boxes, the amount of drool that dropped on the keyboard!

Look at the grain in that Yew!! YUMMY!!!

There's no better place to start than with what you have done already, butt joints, learning the basic requirements of a box and you are already on to mitres

If this are just your first boxes, I Can't Wait to see what you are going to design next

Cheers
Wendy

**munruben** · 24th February 2009, 03:43 PM

Yep, nice work. The boxes look really nice. Simple design with good use of nice timber.
If that is your first attempt, you have done extremely well. Keep it up and post more of your boxes when you make them.

**flynnsart** · 24th February 2009, 04:35 PM

Lovely work! Looking forward to seeing some more.

Donna

**Wardy** · 24th February 2009, 07:10 PM

great looking boxes, beautiful timber,a top effort

cheers

**ciscokid** · 24th February 2009, 10:35 PM

Welcome to the forum, Gwambygine.

Your boxes are already looking a treat! Can't wait to see some more. Sounds like you've got a pretty good life partner there with lots of interests in common.

Doug Stowe has a book out called "Creating Beautiful Boxes with Inlay Techniques" and I don't own it???

This won't do! Thanks for the heads up, OakTech. I am heading out to Amazon.com to order it immediately.

**gwambygine** · 25th February 2009, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by ciscokid

Welcome to the forum, Gwambygine.

Your boxes are already looking a treat! Can't wait to see some more. Sounds like you've got a pretty good life partner there with lots of interests in common.

Doug Stowe has a book out called "Creating Beautiful Boxes with Inlay Techniques" and I don't own it???

This won't do! Thanks for the heads up, OakTech. I am heading out to Amazon.com to order it immediately.

Thanks all very much,
Cisco I have been looking at Doug's video's online and check his blog occasionally, not only are his box's fabulous, I like his attitude and politics..

The first box posted was made of spalted sycamore with elm trim
The second was sycamore again but I had collected up all the offcuts from HWMBO'ed and glued them together. I used it as a lid.
The last was a present for my son, it was sycamore with elm and I used a piece of ply end grain uppermost as a lid handle. Love those stripes. This box has problems, in retrospect the feet are far to close together, but heck it is a learning curve.

Your encouragement is very much appreciated.

**David H** · 25th February 2009, 03:50 AM

I like your 3rd pic with handle on lid. Feet make a good contrast in color. Do you have pics of inside and how they are finished off. Have a neice who lives in Edinburgh.
I made one of Doug's boxes last month. Next one am going to try slanted splines in corners just to see how they look.
David

**toolbagsPLUS** · 25th February 2009, 09:53 AM

Hi gwambygine,

I may have taken you 40 years to get around to it, but girl did you hit the ground running

. My guess is the talant was always there just did'nt have the opportunity to break through

But now it has... keep going and don't look back unless it is to see how far you have come.

Cheers

Steve

*Kev · 25th February 2009, 09:37 PM

Hi Gwambygine,

Yep, a big Aussie welcome to the forum. Box making is a great way to begin in woodworking. I'm not very experienced myself and really enjoy making different sized and style boxes. I've only made one that is good enough to post on the forum though.
So keep up the good work

.

While I'm typing this I'm listening to a Scottish friend talking with my wife in the next room. I can't help but smile when I read your posts with a Scottish accent

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