Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 34

Thread: Boxes from Uluru

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467

    Boxes from Uluru

    I recently returned from a couple of weeks in Alice Springs and Uluru (the Aboriginal name for Ayer's Rock). This is at the very heart of Australia, both geographically and spiritually.


    This is Uluru ...





    There does not appear to be much around ...









    However it is filled with gorges ("gaps") and canyons and mountains, which one might not suspect unless you visit ...










    There is incredible beauty in the desert ..







    For many millions of years, the many Aboriginal groups have learned to live off the land, recognising the medicines in bushes, eating grubs and lizards in- and under the grass, and hunting the local wildlife.


    Simple but startlingly beautiful wild flowers ...






    Uluru had a magic, at times hypnotic ...







    For the first time I began to better understand Aboriginal art, its symbols and stories. Much of this is about maps ... landscapes. The circles are usually about women. There are streams and mythical creatures, such as a snake. There are flowers and trees. All symbolized ...














    The symbols are everywhere.

    What I decided to do is incorporate the essence of Aboriginal symbols in wood (not in colours, however), in boxes for example. In other words, using texturing in the wood to illustrate the symbols.

    My aim is to build 2 or 3 boxes before mid-September, which is not far away. More realistically, just two. The reason is that son Jamie is getting married then, and there will be some visitors from overseas and interstate. I would like to make a gift of a box to Jamie's godfather (travelling from New Zealand) and godmother (visiting from New South Wales). As well, Rob Lee suggested a ring box, which I think is a terrific idea. So that will be three boxes.


    Regards from Perth


    Derek

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    The first box is complete bar any texturing. Frankly, as much as I want to add symbols, I am not sure whether this is appropriate in this particular case as the figure is interesting enough to stand on its own merits. I leave it to you to share your thoughts in this regard.

    The box is a mini-chest ... single drawer chest. Small - this one is 190 x 175 x 70mm. (7 1/2" x 7" x 2 3/4". Case sides are roughly 1/2"). My thought was that could go on an entrance hall table to keep keys inside. Just an idea.

    I scrounged about the workshop for small sections of timber. Pieces of USA Black Walnut scraps. One piece was large enough to waterfall the figure from the top to the drawer. The other two sections were all there was.



    Work done over three days. Finish is hard wax oil and wax. All hand tools following machine thicknessing.

    The case is mitred through dovetails. Rebate at rear for drawer back. Dovetailed drawer.



    One side ...



    Turned Ebony drawer pull.

    Other side ...



    Rear ...



    Good extension for the drawer (good fit) ...



    I managed to save a thin slice from a resaw, and this became the drawer bottom ...



    Drawer with half-blind dovetails at front and through dovetails at rear. Drawer bottom held with a groove at the front and slips at the sides ...



    Rear of drawer showing the slips and expanded bearing surface. The drawer front is 12mm and the drawer sides 6mm.



    This is how I imagine one use of the box might be ...





    Your thoughts now on texturing? If I did, my idea was to add texture to the sides and rear only, leaving the top and drawer as is. This is what I have in mind ....



    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Last edited by Derek Cohen; 07-31-2022 at 10:20 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    330
    All of the images are gorgeous! I look forward to seeing the fully decorated boxes. I find myself becoming more interested in surface decoration, changing the focus from the beauty of the wood itself.
    Thanks.- Howard
    Last edited by Howard Pollack; 07-31-2022 at 10:08 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    Thanks for the beautiful pictures Derek. Looks like an amazing place to visit. I recently learned that Australia is a huge continent with a population about the size of Texas, just never thought about it in the past. Lots of wide open spaces. I would texture the entire box, it is more important a feature then the wood in this case.
    Last edited by Keith Outten; 07-31-2022 at 10:21 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Beautiful Derek, many Americans have likely only have heard of Alice Springs from seeing the movie, Kangaroo Jack.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #6
    Great photos Derek. As for the box, my experience is that carvings and surface decorations work better on woods which are not highly figured. I would save the texturing for more "bland" wood. JMHO
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Fairbanks AK
    Posts
    1,566
    I am in the same aesthetic camp as Dave on this one. What you have there is an artistic use of scrap, excellent execution, and I would have chosen oil and wax as well.

    The folks who would have chosen high gloss polyurethane for that piece aren't wrong, they just have a different aesthetic than me.

    But we as builders also have to consider the aesthetic of the intended recipient, the future owner, and I got nothing on that one. What would make the intended recipient happy.

    As far as the carvings, neat stuff, and with some background info about what I am looking at it does sort of come alive.

    What about a very discreet area of carving on the box top in the dark area - with the small piece on the top duplicated and possibly even expanded on the visible surface of the drawer bottom? With the keys in the open drawer as a scale guide, maybe a single woman perhaps 20mm diameter on the top, somewhere artistically off center, and then a family immediately below in the drawer bottom? Or a single man and a single woman on the box top repeated as parents with a village and kids in the drawer floor?

    Just throwing them out there. If the drawer is already glued up that could be a serious pain in the neck.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2021
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    652
    Beautiful box and photos Derek! I’ve had some trouble planing walnut grain like that. Did you use a smoother after thicknessing or something else?

    Australia is definitely on my bucket list to visit. Thanks for the great pictures.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    3,222
    Thanks for sharing the photos, Derek. Probably a part of the world I will never see first hand.

    I’m in the camp to do some texture. Perhaps an inset of texture on the lid. I believe the wood grain will translate through the texture. The pattern you’ve chosen is a nice complement to the circular wood grain. Either way, beautiful box execution.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Quote Originally Posted by Keegan Shields View Post
    Beautiful box and photos Derek! I’ve had some trouble planing walnut grain like that. Did you use a smoother after thicknessing or something else?

    Australia is definitely on my bucket list to visit. Thanks for the great pictures.

    Keegan, the Walnut was planed with a Veritas Custom #4 Plane, in other words, with a close set chipbreaker. This had no difficulty with the grain.

    The other plane I used was a Veritas Small Smoother, a BU plane with a 62 degree cutting angle. This was great for taking down the dovetails - like a large block plane. Notably, it did not leave as fine a finish as the #4 (which has a 42 degree frog).

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Mueller View Post
    Thanks for sharing the photos, Derek. Probably a part of the world I will never see first hand.

    I’m in the camp to do some texture. Perhaps an inset of texture on the lid. I believe the wood grain will translate through the texture. The pattern you’ve chosen is a nice complement to the circular wood grain. Either way, beautiful box execution.
    Thanks Phil, and others who responded.

    As I mentioned at the start, I had doubts that this was the box to start with textured patterns. These are intended to enhance a plain surface, and the figure does not need it. The next box, which is underway, is Makore with some lovely pinks and browns but otherwise plain. A much better choice.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  12. #12
    Derek, great looking box. And looks like an amazing trip. As far as the texturing goes, I think texturing the drawer front would really look nice.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    1,363
    Breathtaking. If only I could have explored places like that during my short visit... as for the boxes, they're beautiful; not sure if I'd carve them though.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    Hi Derek. Very good pictures of your home-place. Excellent work on the box, as I have learned to expect. The only question I have, which I find difficult, is the carving of regional artwork. I find it difficult to research enough to be sure that I am accurate in the meanings of the work. I always try to make sure that I don’t do something that is disrespectful to the original work. Just wondering about that.
    Jim

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Hi Jim

    That is a good observation. I have been reading books on the topic, and will play it safe anyway by using a few common symbols.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •