Corrugated Box?

[Richard Madison]

My local gallery wanted a few small pieces for a weekend Mothers' Day display next month, which seemed like a good excuse to try to make a box. This one is mesquite, about 4" diameter, walls probably a bit too thick, finished with lacquer-based sanding sealer and buffed a bit. The lid is a loose but not sloppy fit, so it can be removed without picking up the box.

Comments/critique welcome.

[tim mathis]

i think it looks great. nice job.
tim

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks great Richard. Well done.

[Gary Herrmann]

I like it. It just begs to be picked up. Well done.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice design Richard! Beautiful wood! Should look great in the gallery! Nice work!

[Bill Bolen]

Wish my bead work was as good as yours! Very nice,,,they should sell well...Bill...

[Don Eddard]

Wish my bead work was as good as yours! Very nice,,,they should sell well...Bill...
That's exactly what I was going to say. Great job Richard.

[Fred Conte]

Very nice Richard! , I like the design...:)

[robert hainstock]

Very nice work, form and finish. :):)
Bob

[Ben Gastfriend]

Really nice box, and some great beads!

[Jon Lanier]

That's really nice. Something to keep in mind when trying to do a variety of products.

[Geoff Hanha]

Nice little box, love to make boxes an don't take a fortune to make. Reminds me of cocertina chemical bottle i used when doing photography years back.

http://www.shapewood.co.uk

[Richard Madison]

Thanks to all for your kind words! Just for that, I'm going to make another box.

Geoff, some great looking boxes on your site.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Yes, I too like the bead work done to perfection. I'd like to try boxes like this. What tools do you use to hollow it out? Thanks Alan

[Richard Madison]

Alan,
Wish I could give the coherent answer of a skilled and experienced turner. In my case it's a combination. Usually dig it out with straight conical grind bowl gouge and home-made boring bar with 3/16" HSS tool bit, round nose, about 10 degree (80 included angle) scraper grind, used at a somewhat shearing angle. Clean up the bottom with 3/8" Hunter bit in home-made tool, and clean up the sides w/ Ellsworth grind bowl gouge.

This probably sounds goofy, but that's my story. Angle of tool bit in aforementioned boring bar can be set anywhere from 90 degrees left to about 45 degrees right with one set screw, so is a versatile tool. Sometimes can make a clean/smooth pass across the bottom with it also.

[Mike Henderson]

Richard - you inspired me to go try a box like that myself. It's not close to the quality of yours but I'm just a beginning turner. I carved a simple flower on the top. It's some glued up walnut scrap that I had in the shop.

Mike

[Richard Madison]

Mike,
I think your looks great, and the carved flower is very cool. Gives it an elegant look. Those would sell. Maybe we should both do a second box. Gotta envy your carving skill. I carved a toothpick from a stick once.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike,
I think your looks great, and the carved flower is very cool. Gives it an elegant look. Those would sell. Maybe we should both do a second box. Gotta envy your carving skill. I carved a toothpick from a stick once.
That reminds me of a story - if you don't mind. When I was in the army in OCS, my good buddy was an ex-E5 sergeant who had served in Vietnam and had been wounded in the arm by a machine gun bullet. He told me about his rehabilitation when he came back to the US.

The rehabilitation center had a wood shop so they gave him a piece of a 2x4 and a plane and told him to make something. He put the 2x4 in the vise and went to work on it with the plane. After a while one of the rehabilitation people came by and asked him what he was making. He answered, "I'm making a toothpick!"

Then he said to me - "What did they expect me to make with a 2x4 and a plane? But they were satisfied because I was using my arm."

Mike

[Carving that flower is easy. You rough it out on the lathe and only have to cut the lines between the petals and round off the petals. Most of the hard work is done with lathe tools.]

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Alan,
Wish I could give the coherent answer of a skilled and experienced turner. In my case it's a combination. Usually dig it out with straight conical grind bowl gouge and home-made boring bar with 3/16" HSS tool bit, round nose, about 10 degree (80 included angle) scraper grind, used at a somewhat shearing angle. Clean up the bottom with 3/8" Hunter bit in home-made tool, and clean up the sides w/ Ellsworth grind bowl gouge.

This probably sounds goofy, but that's my story. Angle of tool bit in aforementioned boring bar can be set anywhere from 90 degrees left to about 45 degrees right with one set screw, so is a versatile tool. Sometimes can make a clean/smooth pass across the bottom with it also.



Richard, I have to be honest and tell you that sounds complicated. Maybe I'll just stick to bowls. Thank you for the info. I'm going to re read it a couple more times. Alan

[Richard Madison]

Allen,
It's really fairly simple. I just put in too much detail. And a skilled turner could easily hollow a small box with one Ellsworth grind gouge, I think.

Am still learning what can be done w/ aforementioned style gouge. Best I can tell, you can cut almost anything in almost any direction. But when arriving at the point of "Please don't let me screw this up now", I usually reach for that home-made tool.

Appreciate your question. Made me feel good to be asked, even if my answer was goofy.

[David Newson]

Richard, That's a very nice interesting box.

David
__________________________________________________ ___________
Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained

[Richard Madison]

Allen,
Forgot to mention, if you have speedy connection, might want to watch Cindy Drozda's video on the Woodworking Channel under the AAW tab. She's a whole world better example to follow than anything I might write.

Can't find the address right now, but if you google "woodworking channel" it will turn up.