Snake Box

Snake Box
07-25-2015

This has been a fun project for a number of reasons. Number one being that I used salvaged material to make my Snake Box. Number two… I used all hand tools. Number three… I made the box hardware by hand. Number four… everyone needs at least one Snake Box!

The wood I used is from a shipping pallet. Looks and smells like oak. I used the best pieces I had but didn’t worry too much about how rough, knotty, warped or twisted they were. I did try to avoid splits. I used a scraper before finishing (no sandpaper)

I edged planed and glued up pieces for the sides and ends.

I cut tails on the front and back and pins on the ends.

I had one piece of poplar off the same pallet and used it for the bottom. I cut ship lap edges and nailed to the bottom with square clinch nails.

I made the bottom band board and cut in a groove with a moulding plane. Then dovetailed the corners.

I cut another band board for the top and dovetailed corners on this as well. I held it down from the top slightly to give a lip for the top to rest on.

The lid was a bit of a joinery puzzle for me but it turned out pretty cool. I tried to make it similar to a tool chest lid.

The finish is a combination of wiping stains, (pecan, mahogany, walnut), and gel stains, (walnut, and spanish oak). I just kept fussing with it until I liked it. Then a very light coat of BLO.

The hardware was fun to make and I would recommend it to anyone for a make-in-yourself experience. I just used flat steel and two sizes of steel rod. I cut out the pieces with a hacksaw and then bent them with a hammer in a bench vise. I drilled the holes with a hand brace. To get the look I wanted I soaked the hardware and screws in water with chlorine and then rinsed with water and oiled.

I still need to make a stop for the lid so it doesn’t open too far. And I am adding some gold leaf lettering on the inside of the lid that says SNAKES. I will post that when it is finished.

So… there it is. A snake box to keep everything SNAKE.

-- Being focused on a project is the best meditation, it allows you to live in the moment"