Ash box...

[Scott M Perry]

Hi, all -


Started this box for my son when he was about 3, as a sturdy rock box. He turns 14 this week. Yow. Started out as a power tool project, but was largely hand tools for the later work. As such, consider it a hybrid project.


As a rock box, I was more interested in resiliency that appearance; I was making a bench at the time, had a surplus of ash, so I planed some down. Mitered the sides, checked the fit with band clamps, then got distracted. The box has sat, in the band clamps, ever since. Planed some walnut a while ago for the top and bottom, summarily lost the pieces, and put it on the back burner again.


About a month ago I cleaned out the garage. The shop's usable again. Decided I'd finish this box. Found some more walnut, but wasn't really excited about it. One afternoon, napping, it occurred to me that the box should be entirely ash (I love ash), and I should find some figured ash for the top. Woke up (seriously) and found a 4x4 cutoff of a bench leg that's been sitting on the bench as long as the box had been. Resawed it, reverse diamond matched the pieces, and the top was born. Resawed a plank for the bottom, got after it this week, and today it's finished.



P1010890 by Scott --, on Flickr


My son has long since moved on from his child's fascination with garden rocks. The box is destined to be filled with Hershey Kisses and Wint-O-Green Lifesavers, and will perch on my desk at work.


So, all ash, splined with ash, finished with lacquer. Knock another off the long-term project list.


Thanks for looking.
Scott

[Pat Barry]

That top is a stunner. Nice work!

[Scott M Perry]

Thanks Pat!

[Jim Rimmer]

That is great figure in the top. Worth waiting for, I guess.

[Michael Mahan]

I love it !
can you show more pix with the top open & maybe a side view ?
I'm gearing up tooling so that I'm keen on seeing other peoples work on making boxes .
How thick is the resawn top panel ? is there a sub-straight ?

[Scott M Perry]

Thanks Jim and Mike.

Mike, I have a picture with the box open, but I apparently didn't put it on flickr, so I'll have to upload it later tonight. The sides are about 5/8" thick, the top ended up probably a strong 5/16" thick, and was rabbetted on the back to fit a 1/8" dado. The bottom was fitted similarly, but was about 3/8" thick, and the dado was on the order of 1/4" to 5/16" thick (I don't really measure a whole lot when I'm cutting joints). Prefinished the panels and interior. The miters are splined with ash, as I didn't really want to call attention to them. Some of them almost disappear entirely unless the light is just right.

[Michael Mahan]

Thanks Jim and Mike.

Mike, I have a picture with the box open, but I apparently didn't put it on flickr, so I'll have to upload it later tonight. The sides are about 5/8" thick, the top ended up probably a stron 5/16" thick, and was rabbetted on the back to fit a 1/8" dado. The bottom was fitted similarly, but was about 3/8" thick, and the dado was on the order of 1/4" to 5/16" thick (I don't really measure a whole lot when I'm cutting joints). Prefinished the panels and interior. The miters are splined with ash, as I didn't really want to call attention to them. Some of them almost disappear entirely unless the light is just right.

WoW ,
I didn't even notice the splines till you said that L O L ! Now I can see them , very subtle , I'm very impressed .

[Scott M Perry]

Thanks Mike. Here's an open shot.

P1010892 by Scott --, on Flickr

[Yonak Hawkins]

Great looking box, Scott. I didn't recognize that the lid panel was quartered from the first pic. That's some flashy grain. I also like the spots in the corners of the panel, as well. I love the grain and smell ash.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Ooops.........sorry. Wrong thread. I thought it was about (a) cleaning out the fireplace, or (b) MIL's final resting place.

Never mind.

[phil harold]

I feel better about some of my projects now...

[Jerry Olexa]

The top is extraordinary !!!!!!! Spectacular......Excellent work!!!!

[Scott M Perry]

I feel better about some of my projects now...

Phil - glad to help.

The top is extraordinary !!!!!!! Spectacular......Excellent work!!!!

Thanks Jerry!

[Floyd Cox]

that is one of the prettiest book matched veneer panels I have seen

[Scott M Perry]

that is one of the prettiest book matched veneer panels I have seen

Thanks Floyd.