Walnut silverware chest with carving

[Mike Allen1010]

This is a small box roughly 24” long X 15”deep X 12” tall intended for holding silverware. Roughly modeled after one described in Franklin Gottschall’s book, regrettably I can’t remember the title.

I made this of Black Walnut. The turned pulls and carving on the lid are Holy.

Walnut is as one of my favorite hand tool woods -it works great with all edge tools. Joinery is straightforward: mitered bridle joints for the lid frame and dovetails for the carcass. Finishes his French polish shellac and paste wax.
http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg.html)


I am a novice Carver and the floral carving on the lid took me two days. I enjoy hand tools, but carving is still more work than pleasure for me – which is more of an indication of my lack of talent than difficulty.

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg.html)

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/5_zpsvhssu40k.jpg.html)


http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/6_zpsl3kjmqle.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/6_zpsl3kjmqle.jpg.html)


http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/1%202_zpsguulhvuv.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/1%202_zpsguulhvuv.jpg.html)


http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/2_zpstzl5moso.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/2_zpstzl5moso.jpg.html)

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/3_zps0yxtraf9.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/3_zps0yxtraf9.jpg.html)

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w498/mikeallen1010/Silverware%20chest/4_zpsb36irk9h.jpg (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/mikeallen1010/media/Silverware%20chest/4_zpsb36irk9h.jpg.html)




One significant design flaw; you might not be able to see in the picture, but the inside of the lid; at the bottom near the hinge has a small block for holding knifes.
Once the box was finished, I was “disappointed” to find out that when the lid is closed, the knife handles hit the top of the dividers in the drawer below so the lid doesn’t close completely – I hate when that happens!

Hopefully someday I get around to fixing that, but for now it’s sitting in the dining room without any silverware inside. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that is a design failure.
Thanks for looking,

All the best, Mike

[Andrew Hughes]

I was just thinking about you just the other day wondering what you been doing.Looks cool The holly is just awesome.
Someone needs to change Black Walmart to Black walnut in Mikes Op.

[James Pallas]

Very good looking. If that is your novice carving some experts need to watch their back trail. I don't see anything novice about that work
Jim

[Mike Allen1010]

Thanks Andrew – always great to hear from you! I hope you can make it down for a visit soon.

Jim, thanks for your nice words about the carving. I've gotten better at sharpening and using the carving tools, the biggest challenge for me is trying to translate a two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional shape. I've terrible visualization skills and it takes me forever to figure out what should be in the foreground (The uppermost point of the carving) and what should be in the background layers. Even when I am able to figure this out, I consistently lose track and have to repeatedly stop and try to avoid mixing up the depth of various background layers. I think it would be a lot easier for me if I had a actual three-dimensional model/example to work from.

As it stands now, carving still isn't my favorite part of woodworking, but it is coming a little easier.

All the best, Mike