Orkney Box WIP1

**fletty** · 16th January 2012, 02:02 PM

Yesterday I got a little impatient (alright, a LOT impatient) and posted a WIP pic of my current box project. I promised a WIP and here it starts....

Last year I went to the Orkney Islands north of Scotland, to trace my family. For those interested in the LONG story have a look at www.flettrek.wordpress.com but for those with less time the short story is that I was very kindly loaned some precious family documents to read and copy. I decided to return the papers in something more solubrious than the shirt box I received them in so I have made 2 identical boxes, one to return the papers and the other to stay here, store the copies and be passed down the family. I have long wanted to make a very organic box. all curves and soft to the touch but, as there will still be some straight lines, I have decided to call them androids ... some natural curves and some mechanical edges.

I needed to do something special to give the wall enough thickness to be able shape the curves and have an inside radius so that there wouldn't be a weakness at the back of the outside edges so here's how I did it...

pic 1, 2 and 3 show how I machined a deep channel section to make the box sides (pic 2 is when I lined up the radius cutter as the workpiece is already behind the cutter)

pic 4 is the 4 sides of the first box and...

pic 5 has the 2 boxes clamped but not yet glued

pics 6, 7 and 8 are after the box glue up and show the splines being cut, glued into place and then planed flush (and a gratuitous opportunity to show off my newish toy!) and...

pic 9 is both boxes after routing the heavily radiussed edges, sanding to 400, the first coat of Ubeaut white shellac but the lid not yet separated from the box

**fletty** · 16th January 2012, 02:20 PM

So, by the time I had woken this morning, the reality of what I had done had sunk in and I was faced with the potential disaster of an embarassing failure if I messed up cutting off the lids. I felt as though there were half a dozen forumites in the shed ... watching ... munching ANZAC biscuits and shuffling around to get out of the firing line!

pic 10 is how I set up the table saw to separate lids from boxes, it gives me a good vertical locating surface which is important for a curvy android and a zero clearance slot for the thin kerf blade. I cut right through the long cuts but leave a web in the short cuts to be removed later by handsaw after the noise has gone

pic 11 shows the final cut on the first box

pic 12, after finally separating the lid with a handsaw and ignoring the cheering of the assembled forumites (I discovered later that the cheering was only because claw hama had found the ANZAC he'd dropped) I sand the mating faces on sandpaper taped to a heavy glass plate

pic 13. 14 and 15 show the completed boxes after waxing with Ubeaut Traditional Wax and 0000 steel wool but not yet fitted with hinges.

I'm back in the house now with my shaved and swollen post op knee looking remarkably like Winston Churchill, and looking for an ANZAC bicuits ... but the boys and girls ate them all

fletty

**wheelinround** · 16th January 2012, 02:33 PM

Now I can post knew I had to wait a bit.

What hinges will you be using Hoppie?

Will the box/s be lined?

Will there be a name plate attached?

**Sawdust Maker** · 16th January 2012, 04:12 PM

lookin real good

I like the curvey bits

what are the dimensions?

**artme** · 16th January 2012, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by fletty

I ... watching ... munching ANZAC biscuits and shuffling around to get out of the firing line!

NEVER!!! Who would do such a thing Fletty!

Besides , some people munch Lamingtons.

Great WIP young fella!! Neat recovery too!!

**groeneaj** · 16th January 2012, 08:51 PM

Fletty, brilliant work!

Some beautiful timbers there - arn't we lucky to have some great timbers to choose from?!

Andy

**Scott** · 16th January 2012, 09:37 PM

I love stuff like this, great WIP fletty. I would have been as nervous as you cutting those lids, great job.

**Christos** · 16th January 2012, 10:24 PM

You comments are nice to read. Brings a little smile to my face, just before I totally crack up laughing on the floor.

Edit added.
I completly forgot to mention anything on the box construction. I think I will go with good thinking 99.

**fletty** · 17th January 2012, 03:41 PM

I looked at recent posts re box hinges but decided to stay with what I know ... and what I have .... so I fitted barrel hinges. As I knew that the box and lid were exactly the same size, I used a marking gauge to set a position 7mm from the back edge and 50mm in from each end. I then drill a pilot hole, lower the 10mm forstner bit onto the top face, set the depth stop by putting a barrel from the hinge between the depth stop and the nuts on the depth gauge, and drill the hole.
I have a little bit of cleaning up to do and possibly a discreet inscription inside ... and finished.
Many thanks for your comments and Andy, yes we are indeed blessed to have such timbers available to us.

fletty

**Ruddy** · 17th January 2012, 04:51 PM

Lovely box Fletty. You have made the most from some great wood.

**wheelinround** · 17th January 2012, 06:56 PM

Fletty great seeing you today and you did well fitting those since this morning must have been those huge pieces of Raisin Toast and super coffee.

That Cedar looks brilliant grain is outstanding, I would not line it either.

I need lessons in your finishing method.

**Paulphot** · 17th January 2012, 08:44 PM

Great looking boxes Fletty, the family over the other side of the world should be honoured to receive such a gift.

**dr4g0nfly** · 18th January 2012, 09:26 AM

I've never seen box sides made like that before. What gave you the idea for it?

**fletty** · 18th January 2012, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

I've never seen box sides made like that before. What gave you the idea for it?

Hi dragonfly, it was the only way I could think of getting contnuous grain on the top side and bottom for such a curvy shape. I could have made it out of a solid piece of timber but that would result in a wall thichness of 90 mm at the lid opening, a much smaller box inside and been too heavy. Another unintended benefit is the resulting curves inside the boxes which look very smooth and make it easier to clean out.

fletty

**Sculptured Box** · 18th January 2012, 06:16 PM

Well done Fletty, are these one of the benefits of retirement?

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