My first box - Maple and Paduk

**dugn8r** · 1st May 2007, 10:44 AM

Here is my first box. I just ordered an Incra an decided to see what I could do... after messing around with cutting strips (Unbelievable accuracy!), I made this design. For the top, I wanted something other than boxy, so I made this stepped design. It was a real pain in the rear to sand it.

The Incra allowed me to make my box joints and have each lamination strip of paduk match up.

If I had to do it all again, I would change the wood combination. The Paduk wood bleeds all over the maple and makes a horrible mess - you have to sand REALLY carefully and try to minimize the red dust on the maple. I sealed it with a vinyl sealer, sanded it, topcoated with several coats of laquer and rubbed it out with a felt block and rottenstone.

For the top, I think I will do a handle out of Wenge, as well as the hinges.

**Boxinator** · 1st May 2007, 02:34 PM

Wow, that's your first box? Nice work! Yup Paduak can be a problem with maple and other light colored woods. You did great, nice job!

Corey

**BobR** · 1st May 2007, 03:02 PM

You sure gave your new toy a workout. The box looks great.

**jaym** · 1st May 2007, 05:20 PM

I've come across the same problem, a seal coat of shellac before sanding did help me some.

**Poppa** · 1st May 2007, 10:53 PM

And that's your first box. Makes me weep. And want to give up box making. Fine work, looks like you've been at it for years.

**dugn8r** · 2nd May 2007, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by Poppa

And that's your first box. Makes me weep. And want to give up box making. Fine work, looks like you've been at it for years.

I have to give credit to the Incra. It seems that anyone who possesses the math skills to add and subtract fractions can be made into a "expert" overnight. It's like racing your whole life in a Ford police cruiser and then switching to race in a Lotus. The change in precision is just amazing!

I think my next challenge will be a humidor. That's just a box with some added feature, right?

Anyways, I have a lot of inspiration from thiss site. I'm glad I found it!

**Sculptured Box** · 2nd May 2007, 08:21 AM

dugn8r

Nice work.

Welcome to the Box Making forum. Heres to seeing more of your work published here.

**ciscokid** · 2nd May 2007, 10:17 AM

I'm still looking for the smiley with the dropped jaw...

That's really, really nice.

**Gecko** · 2nd May 2007, 01:13 PM

Wow! The precision of those box joints are incredable. And that design is pretty cool. Either the Incra is a good piece of equipment or you really have some talent there. I am guessing both as I know what my first box looked like. And my second. and my third.....

**Gumby** · 2nd May 2007, 01:51 PM

Super effort.

**AlexS** · 2nd May 2007, 03:50 PM

That's amazing for your 1st box - looking forward to seeing many more.

**R. McCarthy** · 3rd May 2007, 07:56 PM

If that's your first box, I don't want to see the third one !
Beautiful work......

**zenwood** · 4th May 2007, 01:46 PM

Very very nice. The stepped lid and the red stripes do work well together. The stripes in the sides also seem to interact nicely with the grain. Even the steps in some of the stripes on the sides where they 'bump into' the finger joints seem to echo the steps in the lid. The bold strip where the sides meet the top interact nicely with the strip on the base.

Lots of thought went into this, and the construction is crisp.

There are some discolorations at the boundaries of the fingers: did you have to fill some gaps?

Photos might have looked better with a plain white table, rather than the incra manual...just a thought.

Well done and thanks for posting. Look forward to seeing it with its handle and hinges.

**Hardenfast** · 4th June 2007, 04:30 PM

Very impressive work, Dugn8r. Having now dabbled a little in woodturning I am also thinking about making a couple boxes to expand my range, so to speak. I came across your post and would like to ask a couple of questions:

How did you achieve the stepped finish on the lid, and what part did the Incra jig play in this process - if any?
Are the red stripes actually thin laminates of Padauk, or just coloured stripes?

Again, well done and most inspiring!

**martrix** · 4th June 2007, 04:50 PM

great effort for your first box.

God I love Maple. Wish it was native here. Which one is it, Rock Maple or Western Big Leaf Maple?

Looks like Rock to me.

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