Haven't posted in a while...

[Michael Stafford]

I used to frequent Sawmill Creek all the time but in recent years have been more of a lurker than an active participant. I have had some extra time on my hands and have been spending more time lurking and actually participated in a couple of threads.

I decided to try and post a picture since I haven't posted one in years and see if I can figure out how to do it.

So here is a box in bocote a wood with which I have had bad luck over the years in obtaining sound pieces without wind shake or cracks from improper drying. This box is 2 1/4" tall and 3" in diameter.

Comments appreciated....

247543247544

[Doug W Swanson]

Welcome back! That's a cute little box. I like the curves!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Mike! Cool form and you did a great job on keeping the grain aligned! Hope this means you will be posting more often!!

[Jim Underwood]

Nice. Classic Stafford box! Good to see you posting something Mike.

[Ricc Havens]

Mike, as a novice turner/lurker myself - please keep posting. It's a beautiful box and great inspiration. I want to give boxes a try and love this shape. What do you use for hollowing? I only have some basic tools - spindle gouge, bowl gouge, 3/4 round scraper and a 3/4 skew. Do you use specific box turning tools or scrapers? are they homemade or store bought?

Thanks
Ricc Havens
Elkhart, IN

[Michael Stafford]

Hi Ricc! I start the hollowing process with either a spindle or detail gouge ground to a 50 degree angle. It is sort of a blunt grind but this angle allows one to remove wood quickly. I prefer to use a detail gouge ground to this angle because of the extra stiffness provided by having more steel under the shallower flute. I love my Thompson 1/2" detail gouge if I am reaching farther over the tool rest. For shallower boxes such as the one pictured I use my Glaser 7/16" detail gouge. I start the tool with the bottom of the flute at dead center. I slightly raise the handle while pushing the tip forward to engage the wood. Once the tool is cutting I continue to push the tool until I am cutting about 1/8-1/4" deep and swing the handle slowly toward the right which moves the tip toward the left. As I make this swing I rotate the flute toward 10 or 11 o'clock on the clock face and cut to the desired internal diameter. There are other methods of hollowing but I can usually rough hollow a box of this size in less than a minute.

Once I am close to my finished depth I switch tools to complete the hollowing and undercutting. I like to finish hollowing and the undercutting with a #5 swan neck Hunter tool. I love the finish I can get with the sharp carbide cutters on dense hardwoods and exotics. If my tool control is good I do not have much sanding to do and I like that since exotics can heat check if you have to do a lot of sanding.

Of course you can do the same thing with a hook nosed scraper but the finish off the tool will require more sanding. I highly recommend the Hunter tools because of the sharpness of the carbide cutter. I do not have a financial interest in Hunter tools but I am friends with the owner.

By the way in a future issue of Woodturning Design magazine I will have an article detailing exactly how I turn a box of this general shape. The article will provide more information about technique and tools than I can do in this format.

Hope this helps. Jump in there and give it a try. There is no better way to learn than by trying.

Thanks for the comments.

[Roger Chandler]

Welcome back Mike......glad you decided to wet your feet again in the "creek!" The box you pictured is indeed classic Stafford fare........nice job and the bocote really has pretty grain. I have enjoyed your website on more than one occasion, and your comments on some of my boxes......

I have another demo to do on January 15th on lidded boxes, and I guess I need to get tuned up a bit for it.......

[Richard Jones]

I love boxes!! Sweet!

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is one sweet box Mike. Classic style. Good to see ya back Mike.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gorgeous box Big Mike! I like the form and the wood. It's good to see you posting again.

[Scott Hackler]

That's a great looking box.

[David E Keller]

That's a beautiful little box!

I seem to remember you having a quest to complete boxes in as many different timbers as you could acquire... What's the count up to?

[Jim Burr]

Mike, as a novice turner/lurker myself - please keep posting. It's a beautiful box and great inspiration. I want to give boxes a try and love this shape. What do you use for hollowing? I only have some basic tools - spindle gouge, bowl gouge, 3/4 round scraper and a 3/4 skew. Do you use specific box turning tools or scrapers? are they homemade or store bought?

Thanks
Ricc Havens
Elkhart, IN

Mike has an amazing tutorial on boxes Ricc...it is in my instruction binder as was on the bench when I made my first box...the bible so to speak of box making!! Google it and have a ball!!

[Michael Stafford]

That's a beautiful little box!

I seem to remember you having a quest to complete boxes in as many different timbers as you could acquire... What's the count up to?

Thank you David et al. I have now turned 203 different species into boxes of the same general form as the pictured bocote box. I have turned 323 different species into boxes overall and close to 500 species into pens. The reason for the discrepancies between the numbers is that some species are more difficult to find in box sized pieces.

One of the things I enjoy most is turning a new species of wood for the first time and successfully turning a box from it.

Turn a box, you'll like it!

[Michael Stafford]

I love boxes!! Sweet!

And you make nice ones too!!!!

[Jamie Donaldson]

One of my favorite woods Mike, even though it is often hard on sharp tools, and of course the boxmaster's signature style. The spicy/peppery scent reminds me of exotic spices, and as the wood ages turns a much darker color but still shows grain patterns. BTW, your box hollowing process is exactly the same as Ray Key's, as I saw somewhere that a class with Key is still on your bucket list.

[Michael Stafford]

Jamie, I first learned of this hollowing technique from a written description in one of Keith Rowley's books. I did not realize that it was the same way Ray Key hollowed until I saw one of his box turning videos. Interestingly enough I ended up with the blunt grind through trial and error and then discovered that Mr. Key's grind on his signature gouge was almost exactly the same when I was able to examine his tools at a symposium. What a fine gentleman Ray Key is!!!!

[David E Keller]

The spicy/peppery scent reminds me of exotic spices...

Hmmm... It smells like pickles to me... Not even exotic pickles... Just pickles.:rolleyes:

[Jamie Donaldson]

But David, pickles are GOOD!:D

[charlie knighton]

hi'ya Mike, nice box, see'ya down the road

[Mark Cothren]

In the land of boxes, Big Mike is the King.

[Baxter Smith]

Great use of a very pretty piece of wood. Beautiful box Mike!

[steven carter]

Very nice box Mike! I printed a pdf years ago of yours that detailed the steps in making a box. I still have the pdf and refer to it when it has been a while between boxes. Thank you for the instruction!

[Michael Stafford]

Steven, and the rest of you who have responded I can only say thank you.

Steven that tutorial has some age on it now although it is still what I provide my class when I teach. It does continue to describe the techniques for turning a basic box. It is gratifying to hear that it helped you. Thank you.

For those that are interested I have had a couple of box turning articles published in Woodturning Design magazine which describe how to turn slightly different boxes. And a third article is coming in a future issue describing how to turn a box similar to the box in this thread.