Roger Chandler
06-25-2013, 2:05 PM
I am not one to throw much wood away..........especially when it is given to me in a gesture of friendship, and I have a real appreciation for the good will that some folks have sent my way with some nice little pieces of wood.........different varieties that I would not likely get a chance at, that came from other parts of the country from where I live.
Such is the case of this piece of pacific northwest redwood........given by Scott Trumbo.......it was filler material in a flat rate box that had a gouge in that I had ordered a few months ago.
My first compromise with this one.......not having another piece of redwood to make a lid, and the blank is too small to do much with otherwise than a shallow box or bowl...........I decided to add a piece of elm.....the contrast was better with this elm than a piece of walnut I had on hand.....but the elm was even shallower than the redwood.
Compromise no. 2 is that because of the shallowness of the elm, I had to make a smaller knob than I wanted. Not as tall and a little smaller in diameter than is preferable.......but wider would have made the thing look like a step more than a knob.......so.....a compromise was in order.
Compromise number 3......just the design....using what is on hand vs. only turning something from special wood to meet a certain design.....given that I wanted to utilize as much of the blank as I could, and then the size of the piece of elm.........the design is not the best I could have done with a little more wood to work with...........but it is still okay. and useful.
I could have just made a different style lid without a knob, but the width of the redwood meant that this was a box that one should be able to lift the lid off with just two fingers while the box remains on the table.
This has a couple coats of shellac to pop the grain [which the grain is another compromise.......the redwood is not end grain like most boxes, but face grain and that limits the grain matching, etc, ......not ideal, but it will work] and then a couple coats of WOP....once it cures out, I can go back and sand back a bit, and then get some real shine on this.
There is nothing wrong with the turning of this..........just the elements I had to work with leave a piece that fails to have a lot of pizzazz! :D I think it is not my best work, for sure, but when one utilizes what he has been given........a stewardship responsibility is met, which I think is a good thing! ;)
265085 The box is 4-3/8" wide and 2-1/2" tall to the tip of the knob.
265086265087265088 Comments welcome.
See post #6 below for an updated pic with changes to the lid.
Such is the case of this piece of pacific northwest redwood........given by Scott Trumbo.......it was filler material in a flat rate box that had a gouge in that I had ordered a few months ago.
My first compromise with this one.......not having another piece of redwood to make a lid, and the blank is too small to do much with otherwise than a shallow box or bowl...........I decided to add a piece of elm.....the contrast was better with this elm than a piece of walnut I had on hand.....but the elm was even shallower than the redwood.
Compromise no. 2 is that because of the shallowness of the elm, I had to make a smaller knob than I wanted. Not as tall and a little smaller in diameter than is preferable.......but wider would have made the thing look like a step more than a knob.......so.....a compromise was in order.
Compromise number 3......just the design....using what is on hand vs. only turning something from special wood to meet a certain design.....given that I wanted to utilize as much of the blank as I could, and then the size of the piece of elm.........the design is not the best I could have done with a little more wood to work with...........but it is still okay. and useful.
I could have just made a different style lid without a knob, but the width of the redwood meant that this was a box that one should be able to lift the lid off with just two fingers while the box remains on the table.
This has a couple coats of shellac to pop the grain [which the grain is another compromise.......the redwood is not end grain like most boxes, but face grain and that limits the grain matching, etc, ......not ideal, but it will work] and then a couple coats of WOP....once it cures out, I can go back and sand back a bit, and then get some real shine on this.
There is nothing wrong with the turning of this..........just the elements I had to work with leave a piece that fails to have a lot of pizzazz! :D I think it is not my best work, for sure, but when one utilizes what he has been given........a stewardship responsibility is met, which I think is a good thing! ;)
265085 The box is 4-3/8" wide and 2-1/2" tall to the tip of the knob.
265086265087265088 Comments welcome.
See post #6 below for an updated pic with changes to the lid.