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Thread: Mitered Pick Box

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Mitered Pick Box

    I finished up a couple jigs for box making (shown here) and needed to give them a road test. I'm a long time guitar player whose skills have waned to more that of a guitar enthusiast. Like many, I have a collection of picks acquired over the last 40 or so years. The Altoids tins are getting old as storage containers.

    I had an oak offcut with some interesting grain and some other stock suitable for a lid so away we go. It's 5 1/2 x 4 x 2. Mitered corners with three cornered grain match, oak splines, sliding lid, walnut "knob" on top. I may use a rare earth magnet as a keeper to keep the lid closed tight. Finish is 6 hours in ammonia fumes followed by natural Danish oil and Johnson's Paste Wax. It functions well.



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  2. #2
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    Great looking box, Rob. Love the “handle”. Perfect for the application. Nice job on the jigs as well.

  3. #3
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    You know, they're best stored in vinegar - with a little salt.

  4. #4
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    nice box Rob! impressed you have been able to save the picks over the years! easy to lose!

  5. #5
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    Oct 2015
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    SW Florida
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    That's a great looking box and a wonderful use of a cutoff. Great job.
    A wannabe woodworker!

  6. #6
    Nice work, Rob. Had you not said you just made them, I would have thought them decades old. That fuming really works!
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  7. #7
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    Thanks Julie. I've grown very fond of the results I get from the fuming process. To your observation, it winds up looking like old wood. That said, it's always different. As Forest Gump one opined about a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get.

    Here's a little Japanese style box I did with White Oak for carving tools. It's almost chocolate brown with pale streaks where the wood was lacking in tannins.



    Here's another one (Red Oak I think) that got the same treatment, but turned out very differently.

    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  8. #8
    Great looking boxes Rob!

  9. #9
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    Thanks Tim. I enjoy the smaller scale of box projects. My schedule doesn’t usually permit lots of shop time so the shorter time to complete them keeps things fresh.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  10. #10
    That grain on the side reminds me of a school of sea creatures, there is definitely movement there. I’m late replying because when I saw the
    shape glued to top I thought it was for Superman and you just had not gotten to painting his logo. Good to indulge yourself with fine
    things that get daily use.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 04-24-2021 at 7:07 PM.

  11. #11
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    Beautifully done Rob. I particularly enjoy the care you took in selecting stock to display grain with maximum effectiveness. I LOVE the fumed ammonia finish! Can you provide any direction/guidance about how to do that?

    Thanks for posting!

    Cheers Mike

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Allen1010 View Post
    Beautifully done Rob. I particularly enjoy the care you took in selecting stock to display grain with maximum effectiveness. I LOVE the fumed ammonia finish! Can you provide any direction/guidance about how to do that?

    Thanks for posting!

    Cheers Mike
    Thanks Mike. The fuming is really simple. I had a small (18 x 9 x 6) plastic storage container with a tight fitting lid. I placed the box inside along with a butter tub that had a few ounces of household ammonia in it and sealed the lid. It sat for about 6 hours. I pulled it out and let it air out for an hour or so prior to applying the danish oil and wax. It's a real "can't fail" finish for White Oak.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  13. #13
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    Jan 2004
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    All three are very nicely done! Thanks for the information on the fuming technique!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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