Second Beads of Courage box

[John K Jordan]

This is my second Beads of Courage box (container?)

Made from a big end-grain block of yellow poplar I cut about 10 years ago from a downed tree on my farm. Y.poplar is not the most beautiful wood in the world but it was on the shelf and it was pretty dry.

I decided to try embedding a little wind-up music box in the lid as a surprise. The music box is fastened to a thin cherry disk with double-sided tape and the disk fastened to the lid with small brass screws.

I've been saving the red and white metal pin for years, waiting for a special occasion. I turned the knob, flattened the sides on the bandsaw, then drilled both sides with forstner bits to hold the logo bead and pin. The knob is fastened to the lid with a wood screw and epoxy.

The bottom of the box is rather thick to make it bottom-heavy and less likely to tip over. The lid and container lip are beveled significantly to make the lid easy to take off and put back.

BTW, as an experiment I turned this inside and out with the Hunter large Hercules tool, in the bevel-rubbing mode outside, used exactly like a bowl gouge. I used a curved negative-rake scraper to smooth up the inside a little. Finish is one coat of lacquer sanding sealer and three-four coats of rattle-can satin lacquer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=332462&d=1456439187

JKJ

[Dave Bunge]

Very nice! I like the embedded music box bonus feature. What song does it play?

[daryl moses]

Very nice John, looks great!!
I have a lot of Y Poplar here on my farm as well. Like you said, it's not the most beautiful wood but it does turn ok.
I turned a couple of bowls from YP a couple of weeks ago, they looked ok but the wife said they were lacking in color. Sooo, she heard that you could soak a steel wool pad in vinegar and use it as a stain. For an experiment I agreed to try it. I was expecting them to turn grey but after a couple of coats I swear they look just like Walnut.

[John K Jordan]

Thanks! The music box is nearly the last of a dozen I bought maybe 25 years ago. It plays "Jesus Loves Me."

After I made it I realized I probably could have made the lid a little thinner if I had left off the plastic case and sealed the inside of the wood chamber to keep the dust out.

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

Yes, y.pop takes stain and dye nicely. I wish I would be a little more creative on my coloring and finish.

JKJ

[David Delo]

Like the form and the extras you put into this John. Only thing I'd like to see added is a couple dozen Fig-Newtons sticking out the top!