Thread: RIP Box

Its been a long time between posts, as I was reminded by Fletty and week or two ago.

The brief:
To construct a small box to contain the ashes of much loved family pooch "Jordan".
Materials:
Blackheart Sassafras, Jarrah, Unsub internal wafers. (And no hinges - yay)

Construction:
Dimensions 140mm square X 90mm high with mitred joints reinforced with jarrah splines. Top, bottom and sides cut on bandsaw and thicknessed through my small Jet drum sander which faithfully continues to do everything I need by way of thickenessing without the noise and tensions of a thicknesser . Thickish (6mm) jarrah top and bottom glued to a 3 ply plywood substrate which fits inside the box and provides a little bit of dimensional stability (not really necessary for such a small box, but helped in the glue up process). Blackheart sides a shade over 9mm thick. Box was cut to dimensions, glued up and splined. Then sanded through to 320 grit blowing the dust away and wiping down the surfaces with methylated spirits between sanding grades. I find this helps raise the grain between sandings. I then scored a cut line with a box cutter and used a small tenon saw to cut the box into a lid and a base, with the base slightly deeper than the lid. Some wafers of unknown timber from my small offcuts bin to line the inside sides (grammar?) and then lined the inside of the lid and base with a thin sheet of camphor laurel. After a sanding of the cut edges, put the two halves together to reveal slight imperfections in the fit at the cut line. So added a shadow line with a small mitre to conceal said imperfections. A final rub back with oil (ecowood oil because I like the scent) using 400g wet and dry, then a final wipe down with metho. Waited 20 minutes only (because I am impatient) and sprayed with a can of Mirotone satin (more matt than satin). A final light rub with 0000 steel wool and a blow with air to remove any fine bits of steel wool and wipe over with a nice clean rag.
Now waiting for my sister in law to bring the ashes down this weekend. They are in a plastic bag and this will be placed inside the box and then the top and bottom permanently glued together. The engraved name is a disappointment, my skills with the Dremel are lacking, but at least it personalises the box.
Photos attached hopefully complete the picture.
Cheers all
Shep