Here's What Happens When Boxes are not Supervised

[Ed Sallee]

They reproduce! lol

No, just kidding.... just threw these together yesterday while I was waiting for the oil to dry on the main box..... I should be able to start lacquering up by Tuesday or Wednesday..... I might let 'em go a little longer, as they are not going anywere until July 17th.....

The side bevels were 9 degrees and I thought I'd see what the splines looked like on at 9 degrees on a couple of the small boxes... not sure I like the way they look after the bevel was cut.... but, they're there.... can't do nothing about it now...

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/2009%20Project%2011/DSC08584.jpg

[John Keeton]

Asexual reproduction!! I knew it occurred in nature, but were you surprised to find it in your own shop!! I see a PBS special in your future.

Ed, have to agree on the splines, though. That bevel does some strange things to the illusion of the angles.

[Ed Sallee]

...well, tried to see what it would look like in my head before I did it... now I know. I thought about trying it out in sketchup first... but, what the heck, I was just playing around.

They did look pretty good before I cut the bevel... should have left well enough alone.... I might just have to keep the two with the funky splines.... Or, perhaps they need to be chopped down to remove 'em altogether.

[Craig T. Smith]

Ed, I think I might like the angled splines but the larger field below them makes them look awkward. Maybe 2 more under them would even things out. Take some fine line tape and lay them out to see, Maybe? Really like the boxes. Craig

[Jeff Mohr]

Ed....you are a good box maker. They look good...wish I could just "throw" something together while waiting for oil to dry! ;)

[sean m. titmas]

i like the Oriental flair that the little ones have. i guess the milk man was Asian.

the splines look a bit confused and i bet they would look better if they were both slanted in the same direction, either up or down.

[glenn bradley]

Lookin' good Ed. The angled splines add an interesting look. I have tried out some things that didn't really ring true for me only to have someone else find them to be their pick of the littler.

[Ed Sallee]

I took Craig's idea and just added another set of splines 3/4" from the bottom... kept 'em at 90. We'll see how they look a little later.... I left the middle one alone.

[sean m. titmas]

Ed....you are a good box maker. They look good...wish I could just "throw" something together while waiting for oil to dry! ;)

hey Jeff,

don't sell your self short by thinking that you don't have the skills to build such a piece. you have the ability to do any kind of woodworking you want to, you just have to dig deep and find your inner box maker.

i use this quote a lot when start thinking myself into a bad decision. "whether you think you can or think you cant, either way your right"

just remember that even the most complex piece of furniture is made by cutting and joining ONE piece of wood at a time. im sure you can handle that? add to that some good design and proper layout and you can build whatever you want.

[Ed Sallee]

...wish I could just "throw" something together while waiting for oil to dry! ;)

I can only echo what Sean said... Making more than one box is easy, if they all have the same dimensions. You can use the same set up.... Didn't take long at all... I spent more time staring at the wood to figure out how I wanted them to look.....

[John Thompson]

I like the funky splines but.. agree you should have added more as if you are going to get "funky"... then get serious about getting "funky". Now... with that said.. I may make a few this summer when I take a break from carcasses which starts July 1st.

It just so happens I have a beautiful young niece who goes the extra teen steps to intentionally try to be "funky" as it is a :cool: teen thang according to her. So.. a hope chest for Xmas in the "funky" look may be on the agenda for the summer.

I have heard of "Funky.. Funky Broadway" but.. how does the ring of "Funky.. Funky Ridgemont Drive" sound? So... all of us somewhat conservatives my not appreciate "funky" in the true sense but... as grand-pap always used to say.. "There's an *ss for every seat" so...... Why not? ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

Your sometimes goofy neighbor who will occasionally let it all hang loose just for fun.. H*ll Yeah... :)

Sarge..

[Ed Sallee]

Well, I liked Craig's idea about putting something more in the field towards the bottom.... I like 'em better now....

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/2009%20Project%2011/DSC08593.jpg

[David Keller NC]

Ed - A couple of comments. To my eye, the ones on the right and left look "wrong", but I don't think that's actually the angled splines - it's that the angled splines go against the direction of the wood grain. My thought is that they'd look better if, when more are made, the boards they're made of are cut on a bias to give you straight grain parallel with the direction of the length of the resulting piece.

I've seen angled splines like this before, and in some cases, I like them. However, they were in boxes that were made of wood with almost no visible grain. I'm not sure if they were just some exceptionally clear maple, basswood, or an exotic that I'm not familiar with.

One other thought - you might try a top that has more of a curve (and more of a slope) on the edge. Again, just to my eye and only based on a photo, but I'm thinking a highly curved profile would fit better with the sides of the boxes.

[Ed Sallee]

David.... thanks for pointing that out. You could very easily have the splines line up with the grain and I'm sure I'll be eyeballin' that on future stuff. Never thought about it..... But it makes perfect sense.

These were just playin' around in the shop boxes...so, not quite sure of their fate.

[Jeff Mohr]

hey Jeff,

don't sell your self short by thinking that you don't have the skills to build such a piece. you have the ability to do any kind of woodworking you want to, you just have to dig deep and find your inner box maker.

i use this quote a lot when start thinking myself into a bad decision. "whether you think you can or think you cant, either way your right"

just remember that even the most complex piece of furniture is made by cutting and joining ONE piece of wood at a time. im sure you can handle that? add to that some good design and proper layout and you can build whatever you want.


I can only echo what Sean said... Making more than one box is easy, if they all have the same dimensions. You can use the same set up.... Didn't take long at all... I spent more time staring at the wood to figure out how I wanted them to look.....

Thanks guys....and nice boxes Ed....I like the new splines at the bottom. Still a little funky at the top with the odd angle look....but very nice nevertheless.

[sean m. titmas]

last night after i finished making the frame for my new work bench i played around with some scraps of Lyptus and this interesting box took shape. it needs some sanding and scraping and a coat of oil.

[Ed Sallee]

That's pretty cool, Sean.....

Always fun to do something "unplanned"....

[John Thompson]

Very nice Sean.. I like the way you softned them with the gentle roll. Nice touch...

Back to fixing mistakes. I intentionally make them so I can fix them as I just love to fix mistakes. :D

Sarge..

[sean m. titmas]

Very nice Sean.. I like the way you softned them with the gentle roll. Nice touch...

Back to fixing mistakes. I intentionally make them so I can fix them as I just love to fix mistakes. :D

Sarge..

thanks John, i was going for the cottage look with a thatched roof that might be seen in a fairy tale or lord of the rings.

everybody is capable of making a mistake but it takes real talent to turn a mistake into perfection.

[Matt Armstrong]

I like the funky splines. It may not be ultimately all that visually appealing but at least it's creative / experimental, right? I would display them proudly.

[John Thompson]

thanks John, i was going for the cottage look with a thatched roof that might be seen in a fairy tale or lord of the rings.

everybody is capable of making a mistake but it takes real talent to turn a mistake into perfection.

I love thatched roofs Sean. Beats sleeping in the rain and I have done that more than I care to do. ha.. ha...

Sarge..

[Chris Tsutsui]

I like the splines. 3 is a good number because it's odd. heh

Those boxes do look pretty neat and I don't know how you beveled the sides round like that to make those wooden mushroom boxes.

If I had to do that I'd maybe use a table saw with tilted blade for an angled recess and then sand it a bunch or something... I'm not quite sure what would be easiest though.