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Box 4

5/14/2015

25 Comments

 
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Quartersawn white oak, walnut, Lexington green milk paint, hemp twine
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What a difference one week makes. Unlike box 3, which I still have a hard time liking (even though some of the comments folks made have softened me on it), I like everything about this box. I know this one is fairly different from last week's box, but I see the two as directly related. When thinking about how I'd change box 3, I came up with box 4. This is especially true about the overall dimensions. Box 4 is about 3 in. narrower, but twice as long (if you are reading width across the grain and length with the grain, which is how I do it). It's also much shorter. These are the proportions I had in mind when I first came up with the concept for box 3. I don't know where or why I changed them on box 3.

I also like a particular design leap that I made with box 4: the walnut divider. I have always, without even thinking about it, made drawer dividers from the same species as the case or box. Most of the time, I think that's the right way to do it. But there is something very nice about this walnut divider paired with the white oak box. Perhaps it's the walnut stand the box sits on, or that the divider is a preview of the beautiful walnut drawers inside. (By the way, this is all air-dried and unsteamed walnut. Hence, the rich and variegated color. Steaming walnut destroys what's most beautiful about the wood. I'll never use it again, if I can at all avoid it.) I'll definitely revisit this design detail in the future, on a wall cabinet or large case piece.

The pulls are made from key rings wrapped with a very thin hemp twine. I like them very much, even if there's a bit of a hump where I tied off the twine. I used cotter pins to attach them to the drawer fronts. I blackened them with some chemical from a bottle. I have no idea what it really is, as I got it from Mike Pekovich. It's something used to darken the lead in stained glass. I think it was also used by Sauron when he was crafting the one ring to rule them all. I'm sure it's not all that bad, but I have been referring to the box as my precious. And all of my other boxes are slowly beginning to turn invisible. By the way, I've used gun bluing on metal before, and this looks much better.

The drawer boxes are walnut, mitered at the corners. I know this is a risk, but the drawers aren't going to be loaded down with gold bullion or lead. The painted fronts are white oak, which I chose because I knew the milk paint wouldn't completely cover the open grain of the oak. So, you still get a hint of the oak through the paint. I looks nice. I cut the Lexington green paint with a bit of snow white to lighten the color a small amount. Also, the drawers are inset about 1/16 in., to create some depth and to disguise the box's seasonal movement.

Random thoughts:
  1. Quartersawn white oak is really starting to grow on me. I love it's color when finished with shellac or Waterlox. It especially looks great with walnut.
  2. The base is a mitered frame screwed to the box. To accommodate seasonal movement, the pieces on the sides are cut a bit short (you can't see this unless you really look, because the darkness of the gap blends well with the darkness of the walnut).
  3. Wrapping the twine around the key rings wasn't hard to do when holding the ring and twine in my hands. However, I wrapped the ring several times each in an effort to get the best wrap I could. After the first attempt, I held the rings with my fly tying vise. This made it much easier to get a tight wrap.

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25 Comments
Marty Backe link
5/15/2015 11:45:39 am

Love the commentary / random thoughts.

I don't do a lot of hardware blackening, but when I do I go the non-chemical route. Heat the item with a torch and quench in oil. You can get a more varied appearance with this approach which might be appealing in some circumstances.

Besides the effort that you're applying towards this endeavor, your photography is superb. I keep wanting to click on the image to get a bigger/closer look, but I'm always saddened by the resulting nothingness :-(

Perhaps you don't want to air any of your dirty laundry, but a few in process pictures would be cool, as they could help to show some of the construction details which are hidden in the final product.

Lovely box btw, and I like the inclusion of other materials (the pulls).

Reply
Matt Kenney
5/15/2015 01:26:11 pm

Marty,

Thanks for reading and for your comments. I might try heat the next time I blacken some metal for hardware. I have a torch, so it wouldn't be any trouble.

As for the photography, I am fortunate to work at Fine Woodworking, where I've had to learn lighting, the key to good photographs. It helps that I have good strobe lights and a nice camera available to me (the lights are way more important than the camera). Also, I'll think about some dirty laundry photos. I don't mind showing how I work (I do that all the time for the magazine), but it's hard to get good photographs of yourself working, and, to be honest, I usually just get into a zone and forget about anything but the work. If you have questions about how I've done anything, please ask. I'd be happy to answer. And I might be able to rope in someone to help with some pictures.

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Marty Backe link
5/16/2015 05:34:52 am

Regarding the in-work photos. I wasn't suggesting anything elaborate (requiring another person) or with high production values.

For instance, I always keep a point-and-shoot in my workshop and use it to take periodic in-process photos; parts on the table waiting assembly, glue-ups, etc. Simple photos that show the progression of the build.

I think for the purpose of better understanding how your boxes are constructed, seeing pre-assembly photos would help the most.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Matt Kenney
5/16/2015 08:30:37 am

I'll give some thought to taking process shots as I work. I know I could grab some quick shots with my personal camera or phone, but, to be honest, I'd prefer to maintain a consistent level of photography on the blog, and the shots of the boxes establish that level.

By the way, you can now click not the photos to enlarge them. It turned out to be a very easy feature to activate.

Marty Backe link
5/16/2015 12:37:04 pm

Hey, that's great that you were able to enable the click-to-view feature. Your boxes look even better now that I can see them as if they were in my hand.

Matt Kenney
5/15/2015 01:27:42 pm

Marty,

I forgot to say this about the photos on the site. I don't think the blogging platform supports the "click to get a bigger image" feature. I'd love to have that, too. I'll look into it some more. Hopefully I can figure out how to get it done.

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Jerry Stark
5/21/2015 11:16:32 am

Great box. Love everything about it.

If you are still concerned bout the extra bulk where you tie the cord off around the rings, glue might work. A macrame craftier might be of some assistance here -- or a 19th-century seaman. (Sorry) Using a needle to thread the cord back under the already-wound layers might also work instead of a knot.

Alternatively, one might darken the metal rings as well as the cotter pins using metal conditioner to remove the zinc coating. Then the uncovered metal rings would represent another variation on this box hardware. I think I am going to try this based on the inspiration from your box. Thank you for that.

JASCO Primer and Metal Prep works great for removing zinc plating from steel. It's cheap, easy to use, and doesn't take long to work. The result is a dark, almost Parkerized finish. The stuff Mike Pekovich gave you is probably chemically similar to this. (It's what body shops use to prevent bare metal from oxidizing beneath layers of putty, primer and paint.)

Continued good luck with your 52-box project. You are off to a great start. BTW -- Really liking the blog, too.

Jerry Stark
Jurgen01 (FWW ID)

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Matt Kenney
5/21/2015 02:51:29 pm

Jerry,

Thanks for the observations and advice on how to deal with the knot. I say that I knotted the twine after wrapping, but that's not quite correct. I actually did something similar to the needle trick you suggest. However, instead of a needle, I used a separate loop of the twine. I wrapped over the loop, working toward the closed end. I then threaded the wrapping twin through the "eye" of the closed end. Next, I pulled the open end until the wrapping twine was pulled back under itself. It's a clean way to end the wrap but does create a bit of a bump. I think that if I work on this technique a bit, then I'll get rid of the bump. However, I do plan on looking into the knots used by sailors.

I also plan to use a plain steel ring as a pull in the future, but instead of a key ring, I think I'll make the rings by wrapping thin wire around something round. At any rate, thanks for reading.

James
5/16/2015 06:52:07 am

How about some photos of the bases, like a upside down shot so we can understand if it's pieces or a slab as the base.

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Matt Kenney
5/16/2015 08:33:13 am

Thanks for the suggestion, James. I'll keep it mind as I move forward. This particular box sit on a four narrow pieces of walnut that are mitered at the corners. They are screwed to the bottom.

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Adam link
5/16/2015 06:53:26 am

It's funny that I just posted a comment about showing more grain on the comments section for Box 3 and here you've accomplished that! That green is a really nice combo with the white oak. I've seen a lot of woodworkers make the mistake of thinking milk paint should be opaque. Bravo.

So, the miters are just glued, correct? Just using titebond II? I've had some success with that approach as well, just interested in hearing your comments about strength (I get that it's not super important on a small box)

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John Jenkins
5/30/2015 02:28:43 am

I really like the contemporary look of this one. It seems like an instant classic.

That it sprung from the last less successful design is a tangible advance is design skill.

Well done & thanks for sharing.

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Barry Targan
5/30/2015 05:06:35 am

Is there any chance that you'd make your box plans available for others to build the boxes?

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Matt Kenney
5/30/2015 05:15:46 am

Barry,

At the moment I don't intend to make plans available. Honestly, I'd rather inspire someone to make a box of his or her own design than give them a plan to copy one of mine. And, also, none of these boxes are complex. All you really need is the overall dimensions. I'll think about supplying those for future boxes. Thanks for reading.

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Marty Backe link
5/30/2015 06:58:45 am

Matt,

I was thinking in lieu of dimensions, which I'm not sure are that important in this context, having at least one of the photographs of a box taken adjacent to a familiar object (coin, pencil, etc) can really help to project the scale of your work.

Until I happened upon a comment that referred to a dimension, I've been under the impression that these were bigger boxes.

Just a thought.

Wayne Willy
6/1/2015 06:22:42 am

Boxmakers eat and sleep box ideas.
This is a great project idea book or magazine idea.
Keep it coming.
Thank you

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Matt Kenney
6/2/2015 03:56:47 pm

Here! Here! I'll do my best.

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Eric
6/18/2015 04:53:45 am

LOVE this box, and loving this series in general. Thank you for sharing this, and please keep it up!

Can you comment on how you did the back on this box? What wood you used, and how you attached it? Is it let into grooves? Is it applied and glued?

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Matt Kenney
6/19/2015 02:28:25 am

Eric,

The back is made from a piece of 1/4 in. plywood with shopsawn veneers (white oak) glued to both faces. It's glued into a rabbet that's slightly deeper than the back is thick. Thanks for reading.

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Josh
6/20/2015 05:52:15 pm

Truly a beautiful box. Is it possible to get the overall dimensions (length, width, and depth) of the box itself?

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Matt Kenney
6/22/2015 03:21:03 pm

Josh,

Here are the dimensions: 2 in. tall by 12 in. long by around 6 in. deep.

Matt

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Dave B
9/3/2015 06:25:26 am

Hey Matt, I think this is my favorite of all of your boxes thus far. The simple and thoughtful design is perfect. I like to make small boxes also, but I've always been concerned about mitered corners, especially with thinner stock. Do you reinforce in some way?

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Matthew Kenney
9/3/2015 10:33:23 pm

I don't usually reinforce the joints. The boxes are small and the wood movement is parallel to the joint, so there isn't much stress. Thanks for reading.

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Jack
11/24/2015 12:58:47 pm

Hi Matt,

I'm enjoying this series. Based on dimension given above, I estimate the board thickness to be 1/4 inch for project 4. Is that correct? I'm just getting started on boxes and that seems amazingly thin.

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Matt Kenney
11/24/2015 01:34:28 pm

Jack,

That's right. The sides are 1/4 in. thick. Very few of the boxes I've made so far have sides thicker than that. In fact, many of them have sides that are 3/16 in. thick.

Thanks for reading, and good luck in the shop.

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    I love furniture design, and smart techniques. This blog is about both.

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