Recent project pics

[Charles Harper]

Hi,

Wanted to post some pics of projects I have completed recently.

The first pic is a spalted Eastern maple and jatoba box sitting on one of a pair of walnut end tables.

The second pic is of a eastern maple box with purpleheart legs and a Pacific madrone lid. As you can see I experimented with texture on this one, created with a core box router bit.

Third is also spalted maple, this time local bigleaf maple, and Oregon black walnut, a sort of tray/box, the bottom of which is lined with a handmade paper incorporatiing wood chips. The final photo shows a close up of the spalting in this box, along with a bit of curl figure.

Hopefully, you enjoy these, any constructive criticism is of course welcomed.

[Tim Solley]

Hey Charles I really like those, especially what you did with the second box with the "bubble top". Did you put the core box bit in the drill press or something? Or did you somehow clamp the router in place and plunge to keep it from moving? I really like that effect, it's cool!

Tim

[Brett Baldwin]

Those are good looking boxes. If you look at the Madrone top in the second picture with your eyes slightly unfocused, it looks like water drops on top.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I like the texture on the #2 box, that's totally cool.
Nice use of mixed woods.

Making you own paper huh? That's got to help sales. The very idea sound interesting.

[Mark Pruitt]

waaaaaay cool!

[Steve Clardy]

Very nice boxes!!

[Charles Harper]

How I made the box top with the "bubble" effect was this. I made the top blank oversize then put a 1" diameter core box bit into my small (1 1/4 hp) DeWalt plunge router. I then plunged it into the blank in a random manner, both in arrangement and depth.
The bit left a small "nipple" in the center of the deeper holes, so I just removed those with a quick swipe of a spoon bent carving gouge.
I then cut the blank to size and cut a rabbet in the underside of it so that it would drop into place.
Finally, I sanded the flat surfaces as normal, and didn't worry about sanding the "bubbles."
The finish on these boxes was Deft spray lacquer, the gloss of which really brought out the bubble effect.
Thanks for the positive comments all.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Nice job all the way around. They're keepers!

[Mike Canaris]

NIce work Charles...very unique...

[Jim Becker]

Very nice! I was wondering when someone would do that "bubble" effect after seeing it in an article awhile back. It's a really unique effect and sets the piece off wonderfully!

[James Sweeney]

That Walnut table is great looking. How did you finish that?