Project Information
It has been a while guys…
They say we're never too old to learn, and I learned a lesson last month. I got a call from a local fellow saying that he had a nice pile of lumber in his barn that he had to move immediately. He indicated that the lumber had been there for many years, and in fact his father had brought it from Pennsylvania when they moved here over 50 years ago.
"Primo stuff" he said," Mostly cherry with some fantastic oak. I don't want to let just anyone have it, you've been recommended as someone that could really do some amazing work with this wood." My head swelled a bit, and I immediately envisioned beautiful clean, figured boards worthy of a master craftsman. "Sure" I told him, "Bring it over!" He came, and had a pickup about half full. The boards looked decent, and I started looking through the stack. Lots of cracks and some splintered boards. Still though, were some really pretty cherry 1×6's and several 1×12 oak planks. When I didn't jump right on it, he said, "I'll tell ya what… just make me four things out of it and we'll call it even. I have three brothers and sisters, and I'll give it to them for Christmas." He said the wood had great sentimental value. The family would cherish something made from it.
I agreed, and we unloaded it. That's when I saw that lots of the wood was split. Kindling at best. Still, I had already made the deal. He went home happy, and I stickered the pile… shopping for boards to make him some boxes. Needless to say, the best wood in the pile went into his four boxes, and I will scrounge the rest to make a few of my own. There is still some nice oak though, and I'll have a lot of cherry for splines and detail work.
Here are the resulting boxes. They are made 100% (except the plywood bottom) from the wood he brought. Cherry sides, cherry tops, and oak splines. All from his father's wood. They came out nice. The cherry has a darker appearance than my usual stuff and will look even better with age.
I usually put suede in my boxes, but I figured these were already repayment enough, and the furniture grade plywood bottoms were finished like the rest of the boxes with tongue oil and three coats of wipe on poly. I used brass piano hinges and brass chains.
So, here they are. My trade for a pile of memories. I hope they enjoy the boxes. That's really why I make them anyway… to make people happy. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome!
They say we're never too old to learn, and I learned a lesson last month. I got a call from a local fellow saying that he had a nice pile of lumber in his barn that he had to move immediately. He indicated that the lumber had been there for many years, and in fact his father had brought it from Pennsylvania when they moved here over 50 years ago.
"Primo stuff" he said," Mostly cherry with some fantastic oak. I don't want to let just anyone have it, you've been recommended as someone that could really do some amazing work with this wood." My head swelled a bit, and I immediately envisioned beautiful clean, figured boards worthy of a master craftsman. "Sure" I told him, "Bring it over!" He came, and had a pickup about half full. The boards looked decent, and I started looking through the stack. Lots of cracks and some splintered boards. Still though, were some really pretty cherry 1×6's and several 1×12 oak planks. When I didn't jump right on it, he said, "I'll tell ya what… just make me four things out of it and we'll call it even. I have three brothers and sisters, and I'll give it to them for Christmas." He said the wood had great sentimental value. The family would cherish something made from it.
I agreed, and we unloaded it. That's when I saw that lots of the wood was split. Kindling at best. Still, I had already made the deal. He went home happy, and I stickered the pile… shopping for boards to make him some boxes. Needless to say, the best wood in the pile went into his four boxes, and I will scrounge the rest to make a few of my own. There is still some nice oak though, and I'll have a lot of cherry for splines and detail work.
Here are the resulting boxes. They are made 100% (except the plywood bottom) from the wood he brought. Cherry sides, cherry tops, and oak splines. All from his father's wood. They came out nice. The cherry has a darker appearance than my usual stuff and will look even better with age.
I usually put suede in my boxes, but I figured these were already repayment enough, and the furniture grade plywood bottoms were finished like the rest of the boxes with tongue oil and three coats of wipe on poly. I used brass piano hinges and brass chains.
So, here they are. My trade for a pile of memories. I hope they enjoy the boxes. That's really why I make them anyway… to make people happy. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome!