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Oak box to hold a birthday present. Actually, the box was meant as the birthday present, but my grandson was more interested in the truck.

A couple years ago, I pulled a fireplace log out of a dump truck at a West Virginia gas station. The guy was selling a load of oak firewood, but he gave me the one piece I had spotted when I told him about it, and what my plan was. Most of the logs, because of how they are split, are somewhat pie shaped in cross-section. This one was more rectangular, and I thought I could cut some little boards out of it that would be more or less quartersawn. So that's what I did. I believe it's white oak, and it has those medullary rays as part of the figure.

I built this box to fit around the little F-150. Handcut dovetails. I cut the first few with my Japanese Dozuki saw, but then used a little Zona saw (made in USA) for the rest because I hadn't really used that one before. Chiseled out the sockets with a couple of 1/8" chisels (Narex and Lie-Nielsen). Things went together well, but what I had planned for a Saturday morning project went well into Saturday night, and then most of Sunday morning.

The box bottom is a piece of poplar captured in grooves, and oriented so that any expansion would be in opposition to the dovetails. Considering the time of year and the fact that I have no air conditioning, I imagiine it's at its greatest expansion now.

I brought it home to apply some finish, and to figure out some kind of handle for the lid. Not using hinges. I cut a rabbet around the underside of the lid so it sits into the box about 1/8". The box is about 9-1/2" × 4-1/2" × 4" deep.

Edit: someone asked about the finish in the comment section. I'm inclined to rub some boiled linseed oil on it, and then come back with shellac after a few days.

Gallery

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Nice box and the dovetails very well done. What finish is going to be used, the flecks in the oak will pop.
 

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The BLO will pop the ray fleck nicely. For something going to a young Man I think I would consider something more bullet proof than Shellac though for a top coat. Poly would fit the bill. Or you can do an all in one like Arm r Seal from General Finishes.

Nice looking box from a stick of firewood. :)
 

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Awesome rescue from a piece of fire wood- the grain on it is amazing.

Excellent work on the box- hand cut dovetails are a nice touch. You going to post pictures after the finish is applied?

Thanks for posting.

Bill in MI
 

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When they are really young, they seem to prefer the box 8^)

You are too late!

Looking forward to the finished unit, I love the white oak and tidy DTs!
 

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Good looking box, someday he will appreciate the box more than the truck?
 

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Nice job on the rescue oak. Those are some tight looking dovetails. Well done!
 

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Did I read "oak firewood"correctly??
 

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Did I read "oak firewood"correctly??

- AHPDEB
You know, bucked and split. Probably partially seasoned (I didn't ask how recently it had been cut, so I let it sit in my basement for about a year. Probably should have waited another year to cut it, but I'm sometimes impatient.). Ready for someone's fireplace soon. High heat content. Burns for a long time.
 

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It's essentially done, but I'm thinking about adding a handle. Carved from the same piece of wood. I already rubbed down the lid with BLO, so if I go with this I'll have to drive a couple of little screws from underneath. I hate to put a couple holes in the lid, though.
 

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I totally admire the dovetails - The box is nice but the DT's are great !
 
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