Grandpeanut's Toy Box

[ken hatch]

Is in the short rows. I've maybe one more coat of the 'Brick Red' undercoat before I start on the 'Federal Blue' final coats.


I love the look and feel of milk paint. Both Art (with a capital 'A') and craft need to show the hand of the maker. When it does not, is too perfect, it loses its soul and no mater how beautifully made I lose interest in it very quickly. A OF's cultural reference....It is like looking at Sandra Dee vs. Sophia Loren. Ms Dee was very pretty but....Ms Loren moved your soul. Or maybe, if you are not a DOM of a certain age, it is like looking at an Ansel Adams photograph vs. a Roy DeCarava photograph. One you think is very nice the other you can come back to forever. Art is like that, it should grab you and never let go.


Damn that was a tasty rabbit...As I was saying, Milk paint feels organic, it invites touch to feel the surface of the wood under it and as it wears, which it will, it exposes the paint and wood underneath. With milk paint the piece of work becomes more as it ages and is used.


A couple more days of painting, putting on the lid hinge and I can do the Omni, Omni, VOR over the toy box and move on to something else.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/leviToyBoxUndercoat170501_zpsw3piuwoc.jpg

ken

[Christopher Charles]

Art is a slippery beast for sure and, oddly, perfection seems to detract. Perfectly timed music is the same way, a bit of variation imparted by a master moves the soul.

Box looks great, sure to be treasured for a generation or more.

Best,
Chris

[Michael J Evans]

Looks great ken.
I still want to build my boys a toy box, but at the rate I'm going with the bench build they may be grown up before then =')

What did you build yours out of? I was just thinking pine and after seeing your paint job, maybe trying my hand at milk paint.

[Jim Koepke]

Looks like a fun project.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

NEATO!!!!! Paw Paw, could you make one for meeee? :)

[ken hatch]

Thanks guys,

The box started life as carrying box for a charcoal cooker so we could use the cooker during the motorhome trips. As normal I over did it, instead of just a simple box I had to over think the build. A week or so ago I noticed the box was a perfect size to fit at the end of a twin bed, The peanut will soon be sleeping in a twin bed....twin, box....Yep time to re-purpose. Hello toy box.

The timing was perfect, we are meeting the girl child, hubby, and peanut in Balmorhea, TX weekend week for a couple of days of camping. The box will be finished by then and I can send MsBubba and the box on to Houston with the kids.

ken

[ken hatch]

Looks great ken.
I still want to build my boys a toy box, but at the rate I'm going with the bench build they may be grown up before then =')

What did you build yours out of? I was just thinking pine and after seeing your paint job, maybe trying my hand at milk paint.

Michael,

As it was going to be a utility box I made it out of pre-dimensioned pine, the same kind you can find in Home Depot. Almost any wood would work, just pine is lighter than some others. BTW several woods like Tulip Poplar would have been cheaper and almost as light.

ken

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Looks great Ken. I am sure he will enjoy that a lot.

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

I like the box, and for what it's worth, I think it was absolutely neat that you decided to convert it to a toy box for your grandchild. Good decision, and some of the rest of us grandpas are with you 100%. Charcoal cookers come and go, but grandkids are beyond putting a value on, there isn't that much money.

One more +1 on the milk paint.

Neat story and project.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Jerry Olexa]

Is in the short rows. I've maybe one more coat of the 'Brick Red' undercoat before I start on the 'Federal Blue' final coats.


I love the look and feel of milk paint. Both Art (with a capital 'A') and craft need to show the hand of the maker. When it does not, is too perfect, it loses its soul and no mater how beautifully made I lose interest in it very quickly. A OF's cultural reference....It is like looking at Sandra Dee vs. Sophia Loren. Ms Dee was very pretty but....Ms Loren moved your soul. Or maybe, if you are not a DOM of a certain age, it is like looking at an Ansel Adams photograph vs. a Roy DeCarava photograph. One you think is very nice the other you can come back to forever. Art is like that, it should grab you and never let go.


Damn that was a tasty rabbit...As I was saying, Milk paint feels organic, it invites touch to feel the surface of the wood under it and as it wears, which it will, it exposes the paint and wood underneath. With milk paint the piece of work becomes more as it ages and is used.


A couple more days of painting, putting on the lid hinge and I can do the Omni, Omni, VOR over the toy box and move on to something else.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/leviToyBoxUndercoat170501_zpsw3piuwoc.jpg

ken

Ken, you are an artist, a poet and a good grandpa...Well spoken...Good for you..

[Brian Holcombe]

Beautiful work Ken!

[William Fretwell]

Classic look & proportions. I've always regarded milk paint as more of a stain and only applied two coats followed by a coat of Tung oil but I do really like it. I will have to give your method a try sometime.

[David Eisenhauer]

Good stuff all the way around Ken.

[ken hatch]

Thanks again guys, The box is finished....kinda. I started doing the mortises for the hinges late this afternoon. I didn't get too far, the back was yelling "one more move like that buster and you're on the floor". I decided maybe whisky and the computer chair was where I needed to be instead of the shop. Tomorrow I have to spend 6 or so hours sitting in a black box so I expect it will be the weekend before the FSM does her blessing on the toy box. It is painted Federal Blue over Brick Red and the inside has a coat of shellac. If you squint it looks pretty good.

ken

[Christopher Charles]

Will look best with toys spilling out!

[Stew Denton]

Hi Ken,

Good job again! A photo when it done! (Please)

You are wise to listen to your back. I don't have many back issues, but have sometimes failed to listen to other issues, knees etc., until I am forced to take it easy and sometimes have to pay the price for being foolhearty.

Stew

[ken hatch]

The Box is finished....Kind of. I still need to figure out a lid "stay". Once the stores are open I'll run to HD and Woodcraft to see what is available. While I'm at it I'll have the free 'lunch' at Costco. Anyway here is a photo of the toy box with the lid down:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/leviToyBoxFinishedLidDown170506_zpsngzxh725.jpg

And one with lid open:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/leviToyBoxFinishedLidOpenA170506_zpsa5zecbkr.jpg

The box is made from a white pine (who knows which one) with standard construction: Dovetailed box, Rail and stile with panel lid, and tongue and groove bottom. The box has 4 or 5 coats of "Red Pepper" milk paint as a base and about the same number of "Federal Blue" milk paint overcoats. The bottom and inside has several coats of Amber shellac to which I will add a bee's wax and oil finish. The milk paint will rub off with use, displaying along the rub areas layers of paint and wood. By choosing paint colors with the wear pattern in mind the box can change its look as it wears.

We were going to meet the girl child, hubby and peanut in West Texas next weekend but the campgrounds where we were to meet is closed for cleaning. I've not a clue when or how the box will make it to Houston...Bottom line my part is done and it is time to move on to the next project, back willing.

ken

[Frederick Skelly]

Looks great Paw Paw! Sounds like you folks are makin' a road trip to houston soon. (I can hear the Blues Brothers playin in the background already! :D

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

Another +1, definitely nice work Grandpa! The grandkid will appreciate it even more when grown up. Maybe one, or more, of your great grandchildren will use it.

I have never used milk paint, but really like the look. I will need to eventually check out milk paint.

Thanks for finished project pictures.

Stew

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice Ken, did you list the dimensions?

jtk

[ken hatch]

Thanks guys, it was a fun build, some to do with who it was intended for and some because it is a pretty standard chest/box needing little butt scratching other than on sizes and finishing.

Jim,

The box size is 250mm (10") X 910mm (35 3/4") X 280mm (11"). You can add 25mm to each to account the base and dust shield for overall footprint.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ok....this really is the last one. Added a "pull" to the lid and the box is finished and out of the shop.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/leviToyBoxFinishedLidDownA170507_zpssu9zpjak.jpg