How to start fine box building?

[Sean Hughto]

Jim and Patrick, thanks! Glad you like it. I gave it to my Dad last week and he enjoyed it, so success!

As far as your question, Patrick, I'm not sure I understand it. The joint is a pretty standard half blind dovetail, with the spacing set up to hide the grooves housing the blue mahoe top and bottom panels. The last tail at the top is really more or less a half-tail to the extent it has one angled side and one that is much closer to square - very slight angle. Maybe the straight on pic shows it better:



I'm not sure what look like it is curving to you, but if you mean the long sides coming over the short sides, the long sides are untouched natural edges from the tree - ie, this was the surface right under the bark -- nature shaped it!

[Patrick Bernardo]

I think that answers it, Sean. It was the natural edges, in part, that I was commenting on. Man, I am making a mess of describing the detail that I'm seeing, and that I really like. Here's a try:

But also, what I mean, is if you look at that last picture that you posted, there is a delicate curve at top, on the right side, at the top of the half-tail (at the top right corner of the face of the box from this perspective). It looks to me that the very edge of that (closest to the camera) is higher than the rest of the edge as it extends to the back of the box (again, from this perspective). I guess you just broke the corners with a rasp?

Anyway, it's that little detail that I love. It just makes the whole box lighter, and more elegant.

[Jim Koepke]

It is a beautiful piece.

It has me wondering if there is any significance to the 5-blank domino?

jtk

[Sean Hughto]

Thanks, Jim. There are many domino games. The one we tend to play is called "Five Up" though it has other names too, like Muggins.

http://www.dominorules.com/read/56/five-up/

[Frederick Skelly]

Sean, that box is stunning!