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Thread: Origami Lightning boxes
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22nd May 2020, 07:53 PM #1
Bonsai Lightning boxes
I haven't put anything up here for a while so I thought I'd show off some of the batch of boxes I made to take to the Maleny woodshow this year but it was unfortunately cancelled due to the lockdown. There is 11 boxes in all and they are all the same style in 3 different sizes. The bigger ones are 255 x 170 x 95mm high. The timbers are Red Cedar, Southern Silky Oak, Mackay Cedar and Peltophorum with Jacaranda for the lids as it burns so well. The hinges on the 3 large ones are the $20 jobs from McJings that I was very impressed with for the price - not quite the quality of Smart hinges but at the price you can't go past them. The smaller boxes have brass plated cheapies which I hate using but I can't find anything of in-between quality. Used a variety of catches to see what looks/sells best - still undecided on most of them. I thought I did really well getting them all done in time for the show but now it looks like they will just have to clutter up the gallery until next year
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22nd May 2020, 09:31 PM #2
Very nice collection of boxes. Fit and finish looks spot on and the McJing hinges also look the part. Your splines look very fine and just wondering how the grooves were cut for them?
Do you have your own fractal burner?
I look forward to getting to the Maleny show one day.Dallas
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22nd May 2020, 09:40 PM #3Senior Member
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Hello TTIT.
The timber you have used in the mitred corners is very thin.
Mind telling me what it is.
And can you point me to how you did the burnt style on the top of the box.
I have seen it before and can't find it on the forum.
Very nice work by the way.
Regards,
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23rd May 2020, 10:43 AM #4
Hello Vern, Lovely batch of boxes , Dorothy took a liken to a couple of them. cheers John.
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23rd May 2020, 02:18 PM #5
The mitre splines are cut on the bandsaw and then run through the drum sander to get them down to 0.75mm. The dark ones are Desert Oak and the white ones are Norfolk Island Hibiscus. I cut the slots by hand using the jig pictured in this thread - quicker than setting up a jig on the router or tablesaw. A bit embarrassing though - I didn't have the jig down square on the box for one cut but didn't actually notice the key was angled until I was applying the finish - gluing, trimming, sanding! - didn't see it! - one of the downsides of batch production I think is that you don't pay quite as much attention to detail
The burner I made using a standard microwave oven transformer but I rigged it up in a box as safely as I could - 16 years working in high voltage distribution gives you a healthy respect for the stuff and I've seen some very scary rigs 'made' by people experimenting with the Lichtenburg fractals . Not advisable unless you really know your way around high voltage behaviour.
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23rd May 2020, 11:33 PM #6GOLD MEMBER
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Nice boxes there TTIT, very nice. And I know what you mean about the dangers of that microwave oven transformer. My second son used to be a high voltage electrician and when I told him about them, he warned against making me one.
There is a bloke over in Europe or somewhere, I come across his site. He has sold thousands of these type of boxes, dunno how he makes so many. Well I do actually, the quality of his boxes is,.....well,..very very ordinary. Stained pine timber. I was reading his reviews and one said his 11yo son could have done a better finish. BUT, he is selling heaps of them, amazing.
Paul
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25th May 2020, 05:31 PM #7Senior Member
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I was watching this Carl Jacobson video this morning and this guy is releasing a 240v machine. Apparently no one has ever been hurt using it.
Would be $500+ I'd imagine to get one delivered.
Beautiful boxes by the way!
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25th May 2020, 08:26 PM #8
Saw the same video - higher voltage and lower current which makes it slightly safer but I'm damned if I know how anything with exposed high voltage probes can pass any safety standards and be sold on the open market. Says a lot for their standards . . . . but then look at what they chose to lead their country!!!! They don't seem to value human lives much
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26th May 2020, 09:17 AM #9
Vern, very nice boxes. The lichtenberg figures look good as you have shown restraint in the extent and placement of them on the box tops. I will leave the "fractal burning" to those with the electrical knowledge and training to be able to construct and use such units in relative safety. In skilled knowledgeable hands I do believe they have a place as a "tool." Unfortunately, there are not many persons about with the electrical background, HV training, and hazard management skills to use them "safely."
Stay safe mate, as you are one person who probably does have the skills and knowledge to employ these techniques.
I agree with your assessment on the units. I actually asked our Australian Electrical Safety Office if "Lichtenberg Burners" could ever achieve "certification" in Australia. The response was not a direct "No" but inferred that it was most unlikely that they would.
I also made enquiries at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) RTP, NC (the UL certification) about the inferred certification of the Conestoga unit in its original advertising - /
'At least one small manufacturer is commercially marketing such a device and uses the words "Tested IAW UL Standard # 814, UL Standard for Safety Gas-Tube-Sign cable" in the units technical specification. I believe this is misleading at best.'
The response from UL was
"We have reviewed the literature with the reference to UL Standard 814 and this reference does not infer or suggest that the product has been tested and or certified by UL.
We cannot comment on if this unit would be capable of meeting UL Class 3 requirements as the unit has not been evaluated by UL. Further we cannot confirm if this unit meets the requirements and codes of the countries identified."
I believe that the UL reference (for the leads only) has now been removed from Conestoga's advertising materials and now only says "36" insulated leads."
Conestoga, to their credit, include the following safety warning in their manual
Safety notice: The output voltage and current (12,000 volts @ 35 mA) from this burner can cause serious burn, injury, or death if these instructions and safety precautions are not followed. The safe use of this burner is entirely the responsibility of the purchaser. If you have any electronic implant, consult your doctor before using. If you do not agree with this, do not use it and immediately return the unused burner for a full refund.*Mobyturns
In An Instant Your Life CanChange Forever
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17th June 2020, 10:01 AM #10GOLD MEMBER
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I was just browsing through facebook, one of the woodwork groups in there and noticed this recent post. I immediately thought of this thread on here.
Death of Milton man prompts awareness of dangers of fractal burning | Milton Courier | hngnews.com
Paul
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17th June 2020, 05:00 PM #11GOLD MEMBER
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17th June 2020, 06:47 PM #12
mcjings hinges?
These ones? Strap Hinge (Solid Brass)
Need some decent hinges that don't cost a kidney.
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17th June 2020, 07:01 PM #13
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17th June 2020, 07:07 PM #14
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17th June 2020, 07:27 PM #15
There is a link in post 7.
They may not have realised quite how dangerous it was but the article did say that it was an equipment failure that got him. We had a demonstration at our wood club on fractal burning and the operator couldn't express it often enough how dangerous it could be. He never went near the probes while the power was on but switched it off and then unplugged the power supply before touching the clips. He used the small nails in the timber method so there was no need to touch anything while burning was happening.
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