Wedding gift for a friend

[brian zawatsky]

Friends of my wife and I are going to be married in May. After seeing the envelope box that I made for our wedding 5 years ago, they asked if I could make something similar for them as a commission. I decided I’d do it as a gift instead, they just don’t know that part yet.

They left wood selection up to me, so I set out in search of some KD figured walnut. The box is just a basic dovetailed box in curly walnut. The base is quartered walnut, and the frame for the lid was also cut from the straightest-grained stock that I had left. The straight grain was necessary since all the profiling was done with molding planes and scrapers. Pics in just a minute...

[brian zawatsky]

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I have found that folding a piece of blue tape over the board before I mark up for tails & pins has increased my accuracy in both marking and sawing dramatically. So much easier to see the line. Sneer if you want, it works for me lol


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A few process pics of sticking the moulding for the base.

[brian zawatsky]

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Box & sticks for base

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Cut some arcs into the base sticks to give it the look of a bracket-footed base. *POWER TOOL WARNING: I cut the rabbet for a piece of 1/2” plywood that will act as the bottom of the box with the table saw, and used the table saw to cut the miters. Also used a 23ga pin gun to tack the miters together. Don’t tell anyone.

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Next task was to cut a wide cove for the frame that will hold a figured panel for the lid.

[brian zawatsky]

I should mention that I cut a scraper to match each profile to clean up any grooves or scratches left by the moulding planes. Both profiles had elliptical elements to them that required the use of 2 different size round planes that were then blended together. To complicate things a bit, the base’s profile transitions from an outside radius at the top to an elliptical inside radius approaching the foot. I’m just not proficient enough with hollows & rounds to blend that all together without leaving a stripe or digging in here or there. Hence the need for some custom ground scrapers to match. Worked a charm. Good thing I have a pile of old saws laying around.

Once the sticking was cut for the lid pieces & a groove was plowed on the inside edges, I selected a piece for the panel and cut a tongue on the edges.

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Heres the box as it sits. The frame miters aren’t glued yet, and there is still some detail work to clean up before finish goes on. If life cooperates I’ll Have this thing totally wrapped up by the end of the week.

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[Phil Mueller]

Beautiful work, Brian. That walnut is spectacular.

[brian zawatsky]

Thanks Phil. The walnut really is beautiful, I am excited to get some finish on it. It came from Groff & Groff Lumber in Lancaster county PA, one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in the area.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Brian, absolutely gorgeous. They will love it. Patrick

[Bill Carey]

Wow. Wonderful box Brian. Great gift and great work.

[Jim Koepke]

Great work, it will be a gift they will treasure for a long time.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

Beautiful wood and workmanship. Look forward to seeing it with finish on it.

Derek Cohen has been demonstrating the use of blue tape with dovetails for some time. I haven't tried it yet. But I'm glad to hear of another satisfied user of that technique.

[Patrick Whitehorn]

That is beautiful!

I agree with the use of the blue tape - the contrast really makes it easier to see the lines. I am just conflicted about all the waste from it, but that is something I will have to come to terms with.

[Kim Gibbens]

That is awesome.

[Bill Carey]

Beautiful wood and workmanship. Look forward to seeing it with finish on it.

Derek Cohen has been demonstrating the use of blue tape with dovetails for some time. I haven't tried it yet. But I'm glad to hear of another satisfied user of that technique.

I've been using his idea for a bit now, and it works well. I like what Brian shows here - adding tape to the sides as well as the end grain. Put the tape on, use the marking gauge, and tear off the upper portion of the tape. Should make the cut stop line MUCH easier for these old eyes to see.

[Bill McDermott]

That is going to be spectacular when finished.

Open Question: In the photo where Brian is selecting the panel for the top, that board has a diagonal streak of figure in it. What causes that? Specifically, is that where a branch joined the trunk? Was that tree leaning over? Is that the sort of thing that a sawyer can imagine is going to appear? How unusual is that? Thanks.

[brian zawatsky]

Beautiful wood and workmanship. Look forward to seeing it with finish on it.

Derek Cohen has been demonstrating the use of blue tape with dovetails for some time. I haven't tried it yet. But I'm glad to hear of another satisfied user of that technique.

Thanks Fred. I stole the technique from Derek and adapted it somewhat to fit my workflow.

[brian zawatsky]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

[brian zawatsky]

That is going to be spectacular when finished.

Open Question: In the photo where Brian is selecting the panel for the top, that board has a diagonal streak of figure in it. What causes that? Specifically, is that where a branch joined the trunk? Was that tree leaning over? Is that the sort of thing that a sawyer can imagine is going to appear? How unusual is that? Thanks.

The figure in that particular board occurs at a crotch, where two large branches or trunks split off the main trunk. Walnut is especially known for its beautiful crotch figure

[michael langman]

Thankyou for posting your work Brian.
The box is beautiful workmanship, and the recipients will be delighted I am sure.

[Rob Luter]

Loving the figure on the top! I have a number of slabs of walnut crotch wood like that and hope to use them as well as you did here.

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=407084&d=1554257365

[Christopher Charles]

Beautiful work that honors a beautiful piece of wood! I doubt it is often that blended moldings are left straight off the plane; that's to say no shame in a scraper. And I too think blue tape is super helpful, especially for dark woods.

Thanks for posting and will look forward seeing the finished piece-your friends will be thrilled.

Best,
Chris

[Mark Rainey]

That is a beautiful box and quite a wedding gift. What are you thinking of using for a finish Brian? I have used boiled linseed oil in the past but thought it made my walnut too dark.

[Kris Cook]

That is a beautiful box, and will be an awesome gift.

Thanks for sharing.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Your wood selection and grain placement is magnificent! Oh, and the other stuff (that assembly thing) is pretty good too.:cool:

Recipients will be proud, I'm sure.

[brian zawatsky]

Thanks a lot guys, I do appreciate the comments!

[brian zawatsky]

That is a beautiful box and quite a wedding gift. What are you thinking of using for a finish Brian? I have used boiled linseed oil in the past but thought it made my walnut too dark.

Thanks Mark. I’m not 100% sure on finish yet. At the moment I’m leaning towards Waterlox XL-89, thinned 1:1 with turpentine and wiped on. May or may not put a coat of dark walnut danish oil underneath it for depth. I’ll make a couple samples before I do something irreversible lol

Any suggestions?

[Steven Mikes]

Really nice work Brian, the moulding work is impressive. I just finished another dovetailed toy storage box a few minutes ago, so far have not tried using blue tape. Maybe I'll try it next time, your dovetails certainly look crisper than mine. I took a basic joinery class with Roy Underhill a few weeks back and he made a derogatory comment about blue tape users though ;)

[brian zawatsky]

Really nice work Brian, the moulding work is impressive. I just finished another dovetailed toy storage box a few minutes ago, so far have not tried using blue tape. Maybe I'll try it next time, your dovetails certainly look crisper than mine. I took a basic joinery class with Roy Underhill a few weeks back and he made a derogatory comment about blue tape users though ;)

Thanks Steven. The blue tape makes it much easier to see your cut line, hence much easier to saw straight and get a tight fit right off the saw. Looking at computer screens all day at work has destroyed my near-vision, so I’ll happily announce that I am a blue tape guy. Maybe I should just get a script for glasses lol
As far as Roy goes, there’s a saying that has to do with opinions, how they are very similar to a certain bodily orifice that is responsible for the excretion of (ideally) solid waste, the proliferation of this orifice throughout the species, and the olfactory essences of said orifices. :)

[Jerry Olexa]

Nicely done, Brian and I love the wood you chose....Great work!!!

[Andrew Gibson]

Beautiful work! Gifts like this will be the things that mean the most when the toaster dies, and the towels are worn out. My sister loves to cook (and is good at it) for her wedding I pieced together a set of vintage Wagner ware cast iron skillets, and made her a cutting board. As an afterthought I made a crate to transport the Gift from Florida to Indiana for the wedding and then on to Wisconsin a couple months later. She kept the crate and uses it as a hope chest. She also uses the cast iron and cutting board as intended.

[Tony Shea]

There is def nothing to sneer at in terms of the blue tape method. I personally have not used it yet but I think it's an amazing idea. I have been meaning to try it out specifically for transferring the tail board to the pin board. Instead of cutting a small rabbet on the inside of the tail board I have been meaning to use blue tape instead. Slap a piece of blue tape on the inside of the tail board before scribing the baseline and leave the tape on the outside part of the line to act as a tiny ledge when lining up the tails to pin board.

BTW, the box is stunning. I love the wood choice and the execution of those mouldings is amazing. I typically don't like this style of box but this is an exception. Great work and look forward to seeing the finished piece.

[Malcolm McLeod]

...Any suggestions?

With that grain, it won't need much 'in the wood' to pop - and I bet it will have plenty of depth with virtually any finish with even a little oil in it .

My favorite for B.Walnut is(was) Formby's tung oil, but it has changed(?) in the last few years. I haven't kept up with the corporate side of the product line, so not sure of the cause. This is if you want it to finish dark!

To get a lighter color finish, but nearly same depth, I've taken to just using clear shellac.

[Christopher Charles]

Hi Brian,

I like a coat of oil followed by clear shellac with wax on top for both appearance and feel. Here's a desk I made for my son with that finish combo and it has held up pretty well.

Best,

Chris

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[lowell holmes]

Show Off:)

[brian zawatsky]

Hi Brian,

I like a coat of oil followed by clear shellac with wax on top for both appearance and feel. Here's a desk I made for my son with that finish combo and it has held up pretty well.

Best,

Chris

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Chris, the depth of the finish on that desk is outstanding!

[brian zawatsky]

With that grain, it won't need much 'in the wood' to pop - and I bet it will have plenty of depth with virtually any finish with even a little oil in it .

My favorite for B.Walnut is(was) Formby's tung oil, but it has changed(?) in the last few years. I haven't kept up with the corporate side of the product line, so not sure of the cause. This is if you want it to finish dark!

To get a lighter color finish, but nearly same depth, I've taken to just using clear shellac.

I liked Formby’s a lot too, but it definitely has changed in consistency recently. I stuck with the cut down Waterlox over danish oil, will apply a few coats and finish by rubbing out with wax after it is fully cured.

[brian zawatsky]

Almost done, will take some time now since I need dry time between coats of finish. This is oil & 1 coat of wiping varnish. Will build 3 coats and rub out with wax. Next update when complete. 407510
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[Mark Rainey]

Wow! Nice Brian

[David Eisenhauer]

Very nice work Brian. I have never thought of creating a base out of moulding and will gladly rip your idea off at the drop of a hat, sorry to say :). What size rounds did you use for the various coved shapes? I am just jumping into moulding planes and you are inspiring me to move ahead. What sizes of hollows/rounds are the most used? I'm good for rebates and corner beads, now need to figure most useful sizes for hollows/rounds used primarily on 3/4" material.

[brian zawatsky]

Wow! Nice Brian

Thanks Mark

[brian zawatsky]

Very nice work Brian. I have never thought of creating a base out of moulding and will gladly rip your idea off at the drop of a hat, sorry to say :). What size rounds did you use for the various coved shapes? I am just jumping into moulding planes and you are inspiring me to move ahead. What sizes of hollows/rounds are the most used? I'm good for rebates and corner beads, now need to figure most useful sizes for hollows/rounds used primarily on 3/4" material.

Thanks David. The base moulding is basically an ogee with a fillet at the top. The convex portion was shaped with numbers 6 & 8 hollows, and the concave portion used numbers 6 and 10 rounds. The majority of the convex shape was made by the 6, with the 8 forming the top of the transition between the convex and concave portions. Again the 6 round did the heavy lifting on the concave, with the 10 forming the elliptical little flare towards the foot.

For the cove moulding that forms the frame for the lid, the majority of the waste was roughed out with a series of rabbets of various depths, and the cove was cut with two rounds, a number 18 down towards the edge and a number 16 up by the panel.

I also ground a few custom scrapers to match the profiles & clean up all the tracks that were left by the various planes.

[Rob Luter]

Hubba Hubba!

[Christopher Charles]

I'd say that finish worked out well! As did your selection of grain orientation.

Best,
Chris

[brian zawatsky]

As as usual, life has intervened and prevented me from wrapping up this small project. Here’s a look at the finished lid (video works better with the figure)

https://youtu.be/LdiTcMIM2kU

[brian zawatsky]

I'd say that finish worked out well! As did your selection of grain orientation.

Best,
Chris

Thanks Chris! I paid a lot of attention to grain orientation in this one. It’s usually an afterthought for me, regrettably lol

[Dave Beauchesne]

Spectacular! You are letting the wood talk, but there is some serious talent in hearing it's full voice.

Once finish is applied, well, I can only imagine. Well done ( so far )

Dave B

[Barney Markunas]

Brian - beautiful wood and beautiful work. What kind of oil and wiping varnish did you settle on? I've just started to work on a walnut coffee table for my younger son and it is my first real project in walnut (sadly not quite as spectacular as yours). I'm leaning toward Waterlox since I've had pretty good luck with it but have not really made up my mind.

[brian zawatsky]

Brian - beautiful wood and beautiful work. What kind of oil and wiping varnish did you settle on? I've just started to work on a walnut coffee table for my younger son and it is my first real project in walnut (sadly not quite as spectacular as yours). I'm leaning toward Waterlox since I've had pretty good luck with it but have not really made up my mind.

Thanks Barney. The finish is simple, just a drawn out process. First coat is dark walnut danish oil, then 2 days to dry fully. The wiping varnish is Waterlox XL-88 and turpentine, mixed at 1:1. The first 2 coats went on with a rag, sanded in between. 3rd coat was applied full wet with a foam brush, the thinned out consistency allows it to level very well and 90% of the air bubbles pop before it starts to dry. The only drawback to this was that only 1 side of the box could be brushed at a time, since it won't hang on a vertical surface without running. Once everything had been built to 3 coats, everything was rubbed out with gray scotch brite, followed by white scotch brite, followed by a vigorous rubbing with a clean cotton cloth. Then Minwax "special dark" paste wax. The wax buffing really brings out the depth of the figure.

Edit: Have to make sure to allow time for the urethane to cure before rubbing out. I let it sit for 4 days.

[Jim Koepke]

The video of the top is gorgeous.

jtk