Keep Sake Box Revisited.

[Leon]

Almost to the month, 5 years ago, I built a trinket box with a lot of detail inlay pieces that resembled a quilting pattern called Building Blocks, IIRC. Anyway I followed the plans from WoodSmith magazine and had great difficulty following "their directions" and having the project come out correctly. Long story short their instructions had numerous errors and to this day I look back and wonder how I got it to come out right. I built one of these boxes with the expectation of building several. I had several people that wanted to buy in quantities. Swingman ended up with that box and it looks great along with all of his furniture in his home that he has built through the years. One of the persons that wanted a few of these boxes is having a birthday, 7d something ;~), on Halloween. She is finally getting one.

I have been working feverishly for the last 5 days recreating that box, another one, and 6 more. I absolutely had to complete at least one and having had great difficulty 5 years ago I decided to concentrate on one or two boxes. I discovered the serious error in the instructions and discovered that the instructions were also way too complicated. I simplified the shape of some of the parts and it is almost fool proof now. Soooooo

Here is how box number one looked yesterday afternoon. It need final sanding of the little parts and a few coats of varnish.

Box number two in the back ground before I applied a 1/8" radius round over to the 30+ parts on top.

Sides for 6 more boxes

And just playing around with the pieces I think I am also going to make a large framed wall display to hang on the wall and probably larger than this. Oddly this array seems to be floating in mid air. ;~) The pieces are 1/4" thick and actually sitting directly on top on my TS.

Questions or comments?

[Larry Blanchard]

Very nice. I remember seeing instructions for something like this using veneer many years ago, but don't remember one in solid wood.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Nice. I can see why you have five days so far.

[Puckdropper]

Leon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I know that game! You've zoomed too far in, though. The Qbert isn't even on the screen!

Nice job, there's a definite 3D effect going on with the blocks.

Puckdropper

[Michael]

That's some beautiful work, Leon. What kind of hinge system are you using, or do the lids lift freely from the box?

[woodchucker]

Not what I am used to seeing out of you. Looks good.

[OFWW]

My impressions exactly when viewing the photograph. Did it look like that naturally with the naked eye? The photo could be more marketable than the box. I'd try a poster size blowup, or sell it to a magazine for wood workers it would make a great cover, and a cover piece article. There are some avant garde art shops in Montecito that could sell a piece like that. I'd be imprinting my name on something like that.

Not discounting any of the boxes and the art, but that is a KO

[Jerry Osage]

I like this cutting board designed along the same lines and idea.

Jerry O.

[Leon]

Thank you Larry

[Leon]

Thank you. Lots of steps...

[Leon]

Kinda freakey ;~) thank you

[Leon]

thank you. No hinge, the lid lifts off. In fact the lid and box are all the same piece when glued together. There is an inside grove in all sides and an outside grove in all sides separated by the kerf width of the blade. Once out of the clamps I saw the box open between the interior and exterior groves and then they fit together.

[Leon]

A change of pace. ;~) Thank you

[Leon]

No, but then again I had my phone camera directly over head and that apparently eliminated any shadows. Shadows would have change the appearance, I think.

The photo could be more marketable

Food for thought. ;~) I seriously would like to use a couple of hundred pieces to create a piece to hang on the wall.

;~)

[Leon]

Yes! Exactly the same effect. I have seen that video before. Pretty cool.

[dadiOH]

Yes, question please. The shadow lines The ones at the corner blocks look as if they were achieved by cutting a small quirk; not so with the sides of the the edges of the long pieces and the perimeter of the blocks so how did you do it? And, of course, nicely done. As always,

[dadiOH]

Nevermind, I missed the part about the 1/8 radius.

[Lee Michaels]

Looks good/ I am married to a quilter too and familiar with the pattern.

I am tempted to make a joke about all those boxes you built on top of the lid. ;-)

[Leon]

All edges of all pieces were done with the 1/8" radius round over bit. Perhaps the corner pieces look a bit different because they are dark and do not reflect as much light as the lighter colored pieces.

As a side note, all pieces even the smallest triangle pieces in the corners of the 3D pattern were hand held while being fed into the bit on the router table. Per the instructions I build an adapter plate to clamp to the router table that essentially becomes a zero clearance fence. It increases safety considerably and enables me to easily feet the tiny parts through.

And, of course, nicely done. As always,

Thank you sir!

[Leon]