Thread: A cutlery box in a Georgian style

Although time has passed and little progress seems to have been made it's not as slow as it looks and there's good reasons! There's lots of finicky work in these. The thick crotch mahogany with various states of compression within it has a spirit not easily tamed. The most efficient method of veneering the serpentine front turned out to be to hammer veneer it, which still leaves some areas unbound, followed by a hybrid hot sand bag/vacuum bag method. A sheet of lead beaten to the shape of the serpentine front was used between the hot sand bag and the veneer (and also an oven bag so it doesn't stick). The hot lead transfers heat to all of the surface better than the hot sand bag alone and forces areas that might spring back into the sand bag to remain pushed against the ground.
With all the mahogany veneering finished I embarked on fitting the binding. One box was to have plain silver ash binding and I used 4mmx4mm binding with a finished installed size of 3mmx3mm. To me it now turns out to be slightly too big, especially on the serpentine front where the sloped lid slightly accentuates the size. It's not quite as bad as the photo makes it look. Too, it will age and oxidise to a less stark golden colour. The binding along the serpentine front required special attention to bend and conform it.
It give me hope that the fancy binding, which I thought would be too small, will be just fine. I've cut one rebate and fitted ne piece and indeed it loks fine. Things should go more quickly now

BILD0002(7).JPGBILD0001(10).JPGBILD0001(7).JPGBILD0001(8).JPGAttachment 533738Attachment 533739

This is looking really good.

A sheet of lead beaten to the shape of the serpentine front was used between the hot sand bag and the veneer (and also an oven bag so it doesn't stick). The hot lead transfers heat to all of the surface better than the hot sand bag alone and forces areas that might spring back into the sand bag to remain pushed against the ground.

Something I haven't heard of before. Did you come up with it yourself? Sounds ingenious!

Thanks Alex

Originally Posted by AlexS

This is looking really good.

Something I haven't heard of before. Did you come up with it yourself? Sounds ingenious!

Yes I did. I discussed it with Woodwould who reminded me he once described the use of hot tin as a traditional method but we came to the conclusion that the conforming lead would be better on these tight curves. The use of lead with a hot sand bag and a vacuum bag I haven't seen anywhere else.

Cheers
Michael

Top job! The next ten will be a walk in the park.

Watching with interest your progress, and your ingenuity.

Incidently there were two boxes (antique) similar shapes that appeared on one of our auction tv programs a short while ago.

Originally Posted by jow104

Watching with interest your progress, and your ingenuity.

Incidently there were two boxes (antique) similar shapes that appeared on one of our auction tv programs a short while ago.

Thanks. I hope the remainder of the making is fast. The finishing may take some time though.
The originals do come up for sale regularly, just the other day one sold here in Brisbane on ebay for a hefty price of over $600. Given that it was gutted and a broken-down old thing it was remarkable... Remarkable the stupidity of some people. Just yesterday my recently reacquainted school mate informed me he had been offered a similar complete box, with silver, several years ago for the hefty price of $20000. He declined. Who knows what it would be worth now...

edit.. Woodwould, another 10?! I won't say never, but the would need to be a very good reason!

Cheers
Michael

It's funny how simple things sometimes feel impossible and once you work out how you wonder why you couldn't figure it out/got upset/threw something or hacked the limbs off a small



tree.


I was glueing some binding on, no problems, the last curved bit went in fine, no worries. . This binding is slightly wider than the last stuff I installed, not by much mind you, but it needed to be a tad wider to account for minor variations in the rebate (to do with geometry of a curve truncated by a sloped surface, or in other words human error) It looks a lot wider because the curved piece beside it has been sanded down flush, it was about the same size when it went in. Enough of the preamble.

I couldn't get it to bend around and warming with a heat gun hardly achieved much apart from breaking some glue lines and not others. The answer was a bit of cooking. Take hide glue and warm to 60ºC, break up some binding into convenient sized chunks and sprinkle in heater, cover with hide glue and baste occasionally for 5-6 minutes. Lift out gently on a brush and fit to rebate. The hide glue reactivates the glue lines, so they can slip, without fear of over or under heating or weakening the glue by using water. Ahhh!, big sigh, and I'd have a G&T if I still partook.

edit* Cook only to medium rare, leaving it too long makes it too tender and it falls apart.

Cheers
Michael

Slow progress but sure seems the way you are going.

I've got in mind making a new cutlery box, but mine will be flat.

Originally Posted by jow104

I've got in mind making a new cutlery box, but mine will be flat.

Good idea, make one for me too will you

Cheers
Michael

It is with great relief that I report I've broken the back of the binding, I hope this is the most technically challenging part behind me. Of course lots can still go wrong. I have to submit each one to the bandsaw and chop their tops off, :GULP:
Here are some photos of the three. Two have been sanded to 120g and a spit coat of shellac rubbed on to highlight imperfections that must be dealt with. The silver ash banded box (one for our personal use) has a few spots requiring veneer repairs. The other two are a matching pair. Maybe I already explained that before.

Cheers
Michael
BILD0004(4).JPGBILD0001(10).JPGBILD0002(8).JPGBILD0001(9).JPG

They're a credit to you.

Beautiful work Michael. Looking forward to seeing them finished and stuffed with silverware.

Michael, you have achieved a fantastic result and you should be justly proud

Thanks gents.

Cheers
Michael