| Project by ToddJB | posted 03-19-2019 09:56 PM | 659 views | 0 times favorited | 19 comments |  |
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This was a maddening project, but man, worth it.
My pastor of the last 11 years retired. I owe this man so much. I wanted to do something for him that served as a reminder of the work he’s done in so many people’s lives. So we had folks, from literally all over the world that he has impacted, write letters of how he had played a role in their life. We used the box as a vessel to deliver the letters.
It’s one thing to make something like this out of fresh stock, but I’m a glutton for nostalgia, symbolism, and punishment. So I thought it would be great to make the box out of wood that came out of our church. We had a large renovation project about 7 years ago which required us to remove quite a few large wooden panels and trim pieces. Later, a custodian got sick of moving these panels about and did away with many – this is all that was left and some random trim pieces that I found.
Ugh.
Lots of paint stripper, nail pulling, scraping and planning.
But in the end, I had some pretty great figured Mahogany.
So here are some build shots.
By far the two biggest challenges of this build were getting so many different shades of previously stained wood to color match. My Transfast color mixing skills were stretched. I learned quite a bit here.
The other was using all original profiles. Trying to come up with a cohesive looking box with a limited supply of materials that were not designed to go together was a big design hurdle. There are 5 different profiles of trim on this box: here is a cutaway example of what the lid was.
Okay. Done. Every time I do a project like this I swear it’s my last…. until I do another.
Thanks for looking!
-- I came - I sawed - I over-built
19 comments so far
Dave Polaschek
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3556 posts in 910 days
#1 posted 03-19-2019 10:16 PM
It’s a miracle! ;-) Seriously good work piecing everything together into a coherent whole. It’s a great looking box!
-- Dave - Minneapolis
489tad
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3563 posts in 3339 days
#2 posted 03-19-2019 11:23 PM
Todd you poured everything into that box. A testiment of the respect you have for your pastor. Very well done.
-- Dan, Naperville IL, I.G.N.
ralbuck
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5900 posts in 2594 days
#3 posted 03-20-2019 12:22 AM
FANTASTIC JOB!
Great wood rescue also! That is just a bonus on such a beautiful piece of work though.
-- Wood rescue is good for the environment and me! just rjR
woodcox
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2263 posts in 2339 days
#4 posted 03-20-2019 12:47 AM
Nice puzzle work, Todd. That mahogany looks beautiful.
-- "My god has more wood than your god" ... G. Carlin.
CL810
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3919 posts in 3316 days
#5 posted 03-20-2019 01:26 AM
Wow Todd – beautiful box! I’m sure it meant a lot to your minister.
-- "The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - FDR
WoodSpanker
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560 posts in 3719 days
#6 posted 03-20-2019 01:38 AM
The symbolism is what takes this from a great project, into a truly remarkable one. Well done, well thought out, and I’m certain, well received.
-- Adventure? Heh! Excitement? Heh! A Woodworker craves not these things!
ToddJB
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8410 posts in 2458 days
#7 posted 03-20-2019 02:38 AM
Thanks guys! Appreciate it.
-- I came - I sawed - I over-built
therealSteveN
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2349 posts in 902 days
#8 posted 03-20-2019 07:29 AM
Not sure who to respect more? Your Preacher for so motivating you, or you who has gone far to show a Man your thanks for what he has done.
Either way I’d like to shake both of your hands. Seem to be my kind of people.
Thanks for sharing.
-- Think safe, be safe
HokieKen
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8923 posts in 1466 days
#9 posted 03-20-2019 11:44 AM
Excellent work brother. I know this was a hair-puller but in the end, you pulled it together in high style. A gorgeous box for an awesome purpose. Congrats to both of ya!
-- Kenny, SW VA, Go Hokies!!!
doubleG469
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772 posts in 772 days
#10 posted 03-20-2019 12:08 PM
Excellent job and at a perfect time, my daughter has just asked me to build her a jewelry box and this serves as inspiration.
-- I refuse to edit the photo orientation for this website any longer. It’s an issue they should address and correct. Gary, Texas
PhillipRCW
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513 posts in 1592 days
#11 posted 03-20-2019 12:58 PM
That is so awesome man. I love projects like this.
-- Phillip- Measure twice, cut onc.... Hey look, it's rustic.
Mainiac Matt
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8937 posts in 2656 days
#12 posted 03-20-2019 01:34 PM
A very nice way to honor your pastor. I’m sure he was blown away buy the effort and words of appreciation.
-- Matt -- I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam
ToddJB
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8410 posts in 2458 days
#13 posted 03-20-2019 02:18 PM
Thanks guys – yes, it was received well.
-- I came - I sawed - I over-built
jeffswildwood
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3884 posts in 2305 days
#14 posted 03-20-2019 04:02 PM
The work you did on this is off the charts. But you nailed it. Beautiful job on a worth while project!
-- We all make mistakes, the trick is to fix it in a way that says "I meant to do that".
stefang
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16662 posts in 3662 days
#15 posted 03-20-2019 06:47 PM
Beautiful result. You. got lucky with those mahogany panels. A very nice parting gift that is sure to be handed down.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
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