Two recent projects (w/pics)

[Rob Horton]

Rob,

Is the box design from an American Woodworker article? I've earmarked that issue for Christmas gift ideas this year and was thinking of making a few.

Ditto on the Flexcut tools. I've got a four piece set, plus several carving knives.

Pete

Pete,

Yep, that was from that issue! Guess great minds think alike

[Rob Horton]

Rob. Very nice, and thanks for the pix. Did you find that the pine, given its inherent softness, was hard to carve? So far my only experience is with carvng mahogany, which is a nice carving wood, I think.
Alan

Alan,

I apologize for taking so long to reply. For some reason, the Creek wasn't letting me back in. Anyway, the pine was pretty easy to carve as it is very soft. However, what I did have to watch out for was too much wood coming loose at a time due to that fact.

I've only worked with Basswood for practicing. Which, I'm told by the guys at Rockler, most carvers seem to prefer. Probably because it is also easy to work with.

[Ted Shrader]

Rob -

Those are really remarkable. The relief carving turned out great! Did you sketch it yourself or find a pattern to copy?

Your son will be proud of his box. It will stay with him forever.

Regards,
Ted

[Rob Horton]

Ted,

I just drew the vine-lines out free-hand with a pencil and then carved right over them. The leaves I just put "wherever they felt right" with a gouge.

[Lou Morrissette]

Nice job on both your projects, Rob. Very creative carving.

[Pete Harbin]

Rob,

Did you make the sled they recommend in the article, or did you find you could do ok without it?

[Rob Horton]

Rob,

Did you make the sled they recommend in the article, or did you find you could do ok without it?

Pete,

I made the sled too, and pretty much everything else they recommended in the article. One other thing to note in the articel as far as accuracy goes. I would make the lid out of thicker stock than the 3/8" that they recommend. Probably 1/2" material is what I would use. Then route the rabbet for the lid to fit snug onto the box about 1/8" deep. That would leave you with a nice thicklooking top like you see in their photos.

Because if you look at the photos, they have a nice thick lid on their boxes. If you follow their plans exactly though, they say to use 3/8" material for the lid and then to make that rabbeted edge around it so that the lid sits down into the box a bit.

This works great except that it then leaves your lid looking much thinner than theirs are in the article.

Hope that all made sense.