Pre-Project Critique

[Ed Sallee]

When I was on my trip to MN, I ran across a couple of nice pieces of Bird's Eye Maple at about 1/3 the cost of what I'm use to paying..... and on top of that, when I got back to Atlanta, I got a great deal on a piece of Morado (Bolivian Rosewood).....

I spent last night drawing up what I'd like to do with this wood..... and came up with this Humidor. The dimensions are going to be 20" wide x 12.5" Deep x 9" high.

I took close up photos of the wood to use inside the sketchup file so, the coloring should be pretty close to what the end result might be....

So, instead of building it, then getting some critiques.... I thought, "Why not throw it out here and get some critiques prior to the build"....

I plan on bevelling the top at about 9 degrees and adding a few splines. Splines for sure on the Bird's Eye portion, not sure about splines on the base.... And probably a couple of trays on the inside.... I didn't do the bevels or splines in SU.

What do ya'all think? Any suggestions?

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SU.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SUOpen.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/MNBEM.jpg
I plan on using the bottom piece..... that figure will wrap nicely around the box and it has a lot of Bird's Eyes....
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Morado.jpg

[Stephen Musial]

Personally, I like it exactly the way you drew it - without the splines. Why distract from the beautiful figure of the wood? I like your design - simple and elegant.

[John Keeton]

Ed, several comments -

First, your level of accomplishment on Sketchup is amazing! Very nice rendering.

The wood selection just WORKS! It is going to be a beautiful marriage.

I know it is a function of the line drawing in SU, but I find the dark line at the mitered corner very attractive. Wonder what a thin vertical inlay at the corners would look like? May not be a good plan, but as I said, it just looks kind of neat in the pic.

Another vote for no splines in the corners - on this piece I think it would be distracting.

And, finally, there is something just a bit disproportionate about the box, and I can't quite put my finger on it. I think it is that the base seems too heavy for the plain rectangular top, but I am not sure about that. I tend to like a little overhang on the top when the base projects - perhaps that is it. Or....maybe if the rosewood showed a little less thickness at the edge of the top, and was slightly chamfered like the wrap on the base?

Just some rambling thoughts. BTW, had you been able to stop for a visit on your way back, I was going to send you home with some wood that I brought back from Jamaica a couple decades ago. Still willing to ship it to you. What do ya' think?

[Ed Sallee]

Thanks Guys.... That's two comments about NO for the splines... But, I was thinking along the lines of function versus decoration. I could put a hidden (vertical) spline in there, but it will be a bit tricky since I am going to laminate a 1/4" piece in to the BEM marking the split from the lid to the box - and can't quite figure out how to accomplish such a spline without it showing through when you open the box.... might not be a bad thing.

John, The top will be bevelled trimming the edge of the top piece of rosewood down to 3/8" versus the starting 3/4".... that should give a different appearance. I think the lack of the bevel is what you can't put your finger on.... the meat is there to be cut away - same process I used in one of my recent "how to posts"

The base is actually part of the box as well. I looked at other humidors and found 9" to be a pretty good overall depth in terms of capacity. The BEM is 1/2" and the base is 3/4" with a 1/2" rabbet for the BEM. I can only yield 6" from the BEM.... The bottom will sit in a groove 3/8" up from the bottom of the base. Giving this box a nice deep capacity. Incorporating the base in to the inside dims of the box gives me another 2" of depth.

I did think about putting a drawer on the front and forgoing a couple of inches of depth.... still sitting on that one... I think a drawer would actually take away from the flow of the rosewood - with the seams and all... But, certainly a possibility at this point....

If ya'all will tolerate it.... I'd be more than happy to do another PIP post on this one.....

[John Keeton]

A quick NO vote on the drawer - would take away considerably from the piece.

[Mike Wilkins]

That would look nice filled with some nice Padron's or H. Uppmann Vintage Camaroons. Forget the splines on the edges; let the wood speak for itself, especially some nice birds eye or figured wood. Hope you don't mind, but I might swipe a few ideas for a humidor of my own.

[Ed Sallee]

Nope - don't mind at all.... and if you want the sketchup file (when I'm done with it) I have no problem sharing.....

I do think that I'm going to extend the lid 1/4" all the way around to provide the lip that John had mentioned..... I may even try bevelling it SU - but that's always given me a hard time to do....

[Stephen Musial]

Not sure if I'm following the lid design or not, but I'm thinking it will be all mitered together and the the top panel floating in that?

If so, make your sandwich of rosewood, bem, rosewood first and then make the entire frame from the glue-up. That would free you up to use half lapped miters, interior splines, etc.

[Ed Sallee]

Not sure if I'm following the lid design or not, but I'm thinking it will be all mitered together and the the top panel floating in that?


The "lid" will be, initially, just the rosewood. Currently a 3/4" piece will be floating inside a frame of 1-1/4" wide, 3/4" thick mitered pieces. This piece is then glued to the box assembly.... and then the lid assembly will be cut off with the TS at the point where the rosewood was laminted in to the BEM - which at this point is 1-1/16" from the top of the box assembly.

[George Bregar]

I would make the "feet' a little more pronounced. Would give the box a lighter look. Looks a little "clunky" to me.

[Mark Valsi]

Looks good as is !!


NO SPLINES !!!!

[John Thompson]

I like as it also.. if you go with main body splines fine.. if not I would not over-power the base with them as it pretty much is stand alone as it in my eye and all of our eyes see differently. Just boils down to individual taste I would think...

Regards....

[John Keeton]

I think the base is in keeping with the mass of the box itself. Some modification of the lid as previously noted and considered would help the overall balance of the piece. IMO legs would require an even heavier treatment of the lid, and may take away from the overall design.

[Ed Sallee]

Well... After some sound advice from my friends here at the creek.... not to mention a great opportunity to "figure it out" with sketchup..... I managed to make the bevels on the lid... what a chore that was as you can see all of the guide lines I had to draw to get there (and I needed every one of 'em).... Oh, and the "hide" function is a wonderful thing....

...But, it was fun and a challenge. Thanks for the motivation for me to improve on the SU.... Phew!

Here's what we'll hopefully wind up with in a few weeks....

Note: I'm not messin' with it no more..... We'll see what happens, eh?

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SU0.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SU1a.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SU2.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/V-SU3.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/VGuides.jpg

[John Keeton]

Looks like a go to me!! I like the changes.

[Tom Sontag]

Hi Ed,

This is going to be a nice looking box. You may wish to interpret my comments as more personal taste than actual fact; these aesthetic choices are certainly open to interpretation. But my first opinion might actually be more factual: you do not need splines for structural purposes. With a laminated bottom glued in all around and the base as you've drawn it and the inner liner, you have plenty of integrity unless you plan on giving this thing a Samsonite test.

Secondly, I think the base looks somewhat heavy too. Either the feet are too shallow or the base goes up too far or both. The overall shape has a definite vertical element so the tiny feet look like an afterthought. I suggest changing a dimension or two and saving the variations for study.

Thirdly, and this is the most subtle one, the whole thing is very much shoe box shaped without much violation of the borders that shape defines. Consider more overhang of the lid and a more pronounced jutting out of the base as ways to add interest. Or how about shaping the feet somehow, perhaps with an ogee or flair of some kind? Maybe it is all the straight lines without any curves. Maybe the top needs more depth, I am not sure. But the wood is pretty and deserves some experimenting with these ideas.

I do not use SU because it takes me way too long to draw out these kinds of variations, but if you can play with a few of these ideas and look at the results side by side you can refine your thoughts very nicely.

[Stephen Musial]

Ahhh - you're a better man than me. I'm always afraid I'll screw up the cut, forget to take the sawblade kerf thickness into account, etc. so I make my lids separately.

[Ed Sallee]

Thanks to all for the sound advice. I started cuttin' in to the wood tonight.... and decided to blog the build over on my blog page (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/blog.php?b=91) here in the creek..... stop in from time to time.... :rolleyes:

[John Thompson]

Good luck on the build, neighbor. I prepped about 80 bd. ft. yesterday and rough cut down to size. Jointed today and did two side glue ups.. a top and about 11:30 PM will do the bottom shelf glue up on a modified Limbert hall table that will serve as a fish tank table...

Planing down tomorrow and from there so.. may not be able to follow the blog. We finally got the humidity didn't we.. Whoa Molly....

Regards from down the road...

[Ed Sallee]

Well.... I've been playin' around and so far everything is working out....

Since ya'all gave input ....I thought I'd toss out a sneak peek...

So far, so good...... thanks ya'all!

Sketchup:

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/DSC09180a.jpg

Progress:

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/Project%2013-V/DSC09180.jpg

[David Christopher]

looking good ED, the BE maple is beautiful

[John Thompson]

Looking good neighbor... drive some bent 16 penny nails in it and call it a day.. :D And that BE maple looks really good.. when did you say you were going for the visit to Minnesota and do you have a gaurd-dog?

Back to the shop to burn the mid-night oil... that's enough fun pokin' for one day... :)

[John Keeton]

Ed, that mineral streak in the BE maple really adds a lot - particularly with the inlay strip above it. Very, very nice!! The overhang on the lid looks good, and the overall balance of the box is great.

[gary Zimmel]

Another sweet looking box in the making Ed!
I too really like the way the birds eye looks.

Great job and thanks for the sneak peek....