Lightning Box

I made a box.
Yay!

Some American Oak has been loitering around since the person that I was building something for gave up on waiting for it to settle and stop bowing and went to Ikea or something instead.

My dice box has become too small and I wanted something that would hold a notepad and more pencils. This is for Dungeons and Dragons style gaming. And a wizard can never have too many D6.

So I made a box and then attacked it with 8000 volts.
Trying to give the impression of a background wall in the presence of some sort of wizardly battle.

I think all pieces of the box have a slight bow to them. Instead of flattening them, I tried my hand at cutting straight lines and not so straight lines for the joinery. Base is as thick as the lid and sides, just rabbited.
Penetrol straight from the can is the only finish on it. It came out alright I think.

The lid is too heavy for the hinges. Either the screws will rip out or the hinges will bend in unhealthy ways after not so much time.
Someone at my Men's Shed gave me the idea of a tether/holding strap. I've had this length of leather thong following me around since the '70s when I used it for the stitching of a rugby ball. Tied some knots, twisted it so it bends inwards, out of the way and screwed it in. Bonzer!

Box must weigh 8 times what the contents will weigh, but it'll do the job fine.


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Very nifty box, and nice effects on it. One of my sons who used to be a high voltage electrician tells me to do that effect is pretty dangerous. There is a name for it, escapes my mind at present. ,..........................well done,

Paul

Interesting box with character not just from the joinery!

They are very interesting those patterns that are created by electrical burning. It's called Fractal burning or Lichtenberg burning as shown here. Like your son says Paul, it is quite dangerous and you really need to keep your wits about you or else you might end up as Sunday roast. I have seen a demonstration of it done and the guy couldn't emphasis enough how careful you need to be.
Nice to see a box done with something different adorning it.

Treecycle speaks the truth. Lichtenberg/Fractal design and potential death.

Many people use the transformer from a microwave oven. I was going to build one, actually have everything I need still, including an light to tell me it's active.
Shop bought Neon light transformers are very low amperage (25-35mA) with a huge voltage. Mine has a switch on the cable leading to the transformer and cables going from that to alligator clips so I can be 5 feet away from the project when I turn it on and off.
I'm no electrician and not willing to test my theory; I believe it would hurt like hell, but not kill you. (the microwave transformers will kill you and has killed people)
I'll not use it around people that I don't know are smart enough to stay away from it. I'll not use it at my Men's Shed.

I found a source for 15kV unit. Higher voltage should give finer, more intricate burns. I'm just too broke to get it right now.

I'll try to put some pics up later of the process.

I come across a site somewhere, where some bloke I think over in a european country makes boxes with this technique. His patterns are amazing, but his boxes are,................hate to say it, terrible. However he sells thousands of these. He seems to just use what we would call radiata pine and stains it. One of his reviews said something along the lines that his 12yo son could do a better finish than this. However, I am staggered by the number he sells.

Paul

As I was saying one of my sons was a high voltage electrician, used to build substations, now in a different career path. I don't even want him to make me one. I hope to be over visiting with him next week.

Paul

Attachment 461182 Attachment 461183 Part of the process here.

In my younger days I trained as a marine radio operator, then worked in broadcasting and later, the power line industry. Working with high voltages was common back then and the one piece of advice us trainees were given that I still remember when working on something "live" was "keep one hand in your pocket at all times". Wearing thick rubber-soled shoes was common back then but it gave another layer of protection.
Just remember that if the current has nowhere to go you are almost safe, hence the old technician's motto: "Keep one hand in your pocket".