Spalted Paper Birch box

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I've been busy with making a few boxes and scoops and some other smaller stuff, but no time now to post them all, got to run and drive 2 days to go to my son's place, leaving in a few hours, won't be around for a couple of weeks probably, unless I can use my son's computer ;)

Here's one, a Spalted Paper Birch box with a bone cabochon I turned and glued in the lid.

It is about 2.5" X 4.5"

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[David E Keller]

That's a good looking box from some nice looking wood.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Beautiful work Leo! Great job on matching the lid and body! Sure like all the spalt lines!

Have a safe and enjoyable trip Leo!

[John Keeton]

Leo, hope you enjoy your family time! Really neat little box. Is that a walnut inset inside? That is kind of a slick way of doing a lidded box, if it is how I think.

[Tom Sherman]

Very nice Leo, love the Paper Birch.

[Steve Vaughan]

That's a great little box. I had the same question too about what's inside. Great way to create a ring for the lid to sit on.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Beautiful piece, Leo. Is the dark wood insert in the bottom a sleeve that is surrounded by the spalted birch, or just a collar of some sort?

[Harvey Ghesser]

Love it, Leo!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful Leo. I really like the cabochon. Really sets the box off.

[Tim Rinehart]

Great job on that box and the hidden seam!

[James Combs]

Awesome box. That's definitely one to add to my to-do list.

[Mark Hubl]

Leo,

That is a good looking box, that birch is sure interesting. Have fun on your trip.

[Baxter Smith]

Nice looking box Leo. Did you twice turn this? I have roughed out a couple using green wood but have no clue if they are going to work out. I have only seen people using dry wood but I thought I would give it a try as a way of using up some green without making a bowl.

[steven carter]

Very nice box Leo, the cabochon really sets it off. I hope you have a good trip, stay safe!

Steve

[Thomas Canfield]

Leo,

Glad to see your post. I have the back of my pickup loaded with "River Birch" or something like that cut down in the neighborhood that I am taking to our local East Texas Woodturners club meeting tomorrow. I had asked for some, but thought that it had been cleaned up while I was out doing an errand. The next morning, the owner knocked on my shop door and said the wood was in his back yard to pick up. It was 3 trunks with one base. I thought at first there might be a large solid section at the base, but the bark inclusion made it unstable. I am giving most away (hopefully) since my wood stash is out of control, but have kept a few pieces for both face and end grain work. It is definitely wet which I found out turning a small goblet for a test and also rought turning a bowl blank to see the end and face grain characteristics. It will be interesting, especially if it will spalt some.

Yes, I know - no picture.

[Bob Wolfe]

Leo, Nice box!! I especially like the elegant shape of the box and the wood...fantastic, the bone is a nice touch, but a dark cabachon would have really set it off much better IMHO. Thanks for sharing.

[Matt Hutchinson]

Nice work! Excellent grain matching, and I really like the highly spalted wood!

Hutch

[Van Huskey]

Gorgeous wood and great execution.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

That's a good looking box from some nice looking wood.


Beautiful work Leo! Great job on matching the lid and body! Sure like all the spalt lines!

Have a safe and enjoyable trip Leo!


Leo, hope you enjoy your family time! Really neat little box. Is that a walnut inset inside? That is kind of a slick way of doing a lidded box, if it is how I think.


Very nice Leo, love the Paper Birch.


That's a great little box. I had the same question too about what's inside. Great way to create a ring for the lid to sit on.


Beautiful piece, Leo. Is the dark wood insert in the bottom a sleeve that is surrounded by the spalted birch, or just a collar of some sort?


Love it, Leo!

Thanks guys for all the kind replies, yes it is been a while, but wanted to answer the questions raised.

The boxes have always this problem of the grain not lining up after taking the amount of wood that is needed to get the shoulder for the lid to fit onto, plus the parting off area that is lost as well, very plain straight grained wood has the least of that problem, but any interesting wood with the grain whirling around or like with spalted wood, where the lines run any which way , this is a problem.

I decided some years ago to reduce the amount of wood that had to be used/removed for the shoulder, and so I made a very thin cutoff tool (thin hacksaw blade) and also to make the shoulder from a separate piece of wood.

So I will hollow the box and make the top part of the opening thinner with a square shoulder for a insert to sit on, then make a insert/sleeve that fits and glue that in, and turn inside of the sleeve the same size as the box is on the inside, then make the lid to fit the sleeve.

It is a bit more work, but worth it IMO :)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Leo,

That is a good looking box, that birch is sure interesting. Have fun on your trip.


Nice looking box Leo. Did you twice turn this? I have roughed out a couple using green wood but have no clue if they are going to work out. I have only seen people using dry wood but I thought I would give it a try as a way of using up some green without making a bowl.


Very nice box Leo, the cabochon really sets it off. I hope you have a good trip, stay safe!

Steve


Leo,

Glad to see your post. I have the back of my pickup loaded with "River Birch" or something like that cut down in the neighborhood that I am taking to our local East Texas Woodturners club meeting tomorrow. I had asked for some, but thought that it had been cleaned up while I was out doing an errand. The next morning, the owner knocked on my shop door and said the wood was in his back yard to pick up. It was 3 trunks with one base. I thought at first there might be a large solid section at the base, but the bark inclusion made it unstable. I am giving most away (hopefully) since my wood stash is out of control, but have kept a few pieces for both face and end grain work. It is definitely wet which I found out turning a small goblet for a test and also rought turning a bowl blank to see the end and face grain characteristics. It will be interesting, especially if it will spalt some.

Yes, I know - no picture.


Leo, Nice box!! I especially like the elegant shape of the box and the wood...fantastic, the bone is a nice touch, but a dark cabachon would have really set it off much better IMHO. Thanks for sharing.


Nice work! Excellent grain matching, and I really like the highly spalted wood!

Hutch


Gorgeous wood and great execution.

Same here, thanks for all the the kind replies :D :D

The box wood (Birch) I got in the spring from my son's place, I removed the bark to stop the rotting/spalting and let the wood dry a little, then parted off the pieces to be turned and hollowed it some, let it sit and dry till now, turned it and made the sleeve and let it sit a few more days, then final finish turned to size and sanded and finished it.