Tin' Maker

[David N. Cox]

I have just joined the forum. I practice the Nordic craft of tine’ (pronounced tee-naa) making.

A tine’ is a bentwood box formed by boiling thin wood in water, then placing it on a form to dry.

Side overlap is laced with natural materials reed, root, or rawhide.

Bottom is fit and held with wooden pegs.

Latching posts are fit and pegged in place.

Lid is cut to fit and a handle attached.

No glue, nails or screws are used.

I am hoping to pick up information here to add to my wood working skills.

David

[Rob Lindquist]

Welcome, and very cool stuff you have there. Another thing I need to add to my list of things to try. Thanks alot!

[Bruce Volden]

:D What---you need to learn more!!! Guy's like you make guy's like me want to throw away my "arn" and pick up a crochet hook. :p I really like the way you have put things together here---right down to the finish.

Bruce

[Lee Schierer]

Very interesting work. Perhaps some photos of the handle attachments to the lids. I take it the lacing uses multiple holes. The viking motiff is neat.

[Bruce Page]

David, welcome to SMC. Beautiful work & beautiful photography.

[Bob Glenn]

David, those are really nice looking. I've make a few Shaker boxes, but these are over the top. Thanks for sharing. Bob

[David N. Cox]

Thank you for your kind words, warms this old box makers heart.

Lee - Have included some pictures of the authentic way to attach a handle to a tine’ lid. The handle is made from the same wood as the side and formed and bent when the side is. Slots are cut in the lid for the handle ends. A wooden dowel holds the handle in.

I work a lot with Siberian Burch bark, and try to keep a rustic look so I carved the dowel out of a walnut twig.

The handles in my original post are held on by 2 or 4 small wooden pegs driven up through the lid and into the bottom of the handle.

I drill 1/8” holes when I lace the side overlap.

Bob - We build boxes the same as the Shakers, only we lace instead of using copper tacks. Some Scandinavian boxes even use the bottom of the box as a form to bend the side strip for an overlapping lid.

David

[Jim Finn]

VERY nice work. I have made a few myself in the past.

[Lee Schierer]

I would have guessed that the lacing shown in photo # 1 would have started at the left and ended at the right. The stitch would come up through the hole and go back under the previous stitch and then back down through the hole it came up through, moving to the next hole on the back side. Apparently you make loops and then go through the loop with the loop from the next hole. How do you start and finish, with a simple overhand knot?

[Kevin Adams]

Hi David,

Really beautiful work, thanks so much for sharing. How did you learn this...through someone else or are there any good resources/books out there? I do have the Celebrating Birch book and will need to check tonight if it goes through one of these projects. Do you harvest your own birch bark or where do you get your wood?

Take care,
Kevin

[Rich Greinert]

Hi David,

Truly beautiful and unusual work! Thanks for posting it and welcome to the "creek".

Rich

[David N. Cox]

Jim - Beautiful tiner. Do you also paint them? I have to have others paint for me. About all I can do is select interesting wood grain and think of new designs.

Lee - Here is how the boxes are laced.

Use cane, root or rawhide for the lacing (spruce root was the traditional material).

Soak the cane in water over night.

Start by cutting a point on one end of the cane.

The unpointed end goes in from the front in the first hole a short way.

The pointed end goes into the second hole, then up through the first hole and down through the third hole. Draw the cane up tight.

Then using an awl, split the cane that is bridging the second hole.

The pointed end, which is on the inside of the box, goes through the second hole and through the split and is drawn up tight.

Then you continue doing the same thing all the way down until the end of the line of holes.

At the very end you take an extra stitch with out taking an extra hole. Slip the end underneath the previous loop on the inside, securing the cane.

Trim.

Set aside to dry.

Note: Don’t use a sharp awl. If you use rawhide, pull two pieces through, it is easier than piercing the rawhide.

Lay out your holes on 1/4” centers, drill 1/8” holes and lace with 1/8” cane.

Kevin - I need bark that is 1/8” thick to make a free standing box side. Siberia is the place to get bark that thick.

John Lindman’s “Bark Canoe Store” is here in Spokane. He imports bark and has thinner domestic bark. If you look at his web site you will also see bark on panels for furniture building. He is very easy to work with and has a world of experience with bark and canoes.

If you want to make a box with thin birch bark look at the box on page 114 in “celebrating Birch”. Fun box to make and very “bush craft”.

David


　

[Jim Finn]

[QUOTE=David N. Cox;. Do you also paint them? I have to have others paint for me......"
Traditionaly Tines are painted and then decorated. I am not an artist so I paint them and either have others decorate them or, more often, I decopage on them. The fist photo is done like that. Decopage over paint. I use 1/8" oak and just soak, over night, and bend onto a form to make the body of the tine. Oak bends well.