latest bits for critiques...

[NikNak]

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Hi all,



not had much of a chance to do much lately, so have been busy in the shed for a week or so, and here's the results. Hope you like...?? :?

a small eucalyptus hinged pot...

a small purple heart 'ring box' with brass screw thread

a pair of spalted silver birch boxes

a box made with bark left on, and a simple 'plug' top (wood unknown - can you help?)

as always your comments are most welcomed....




Nick

 

[frugal]

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I love the spalted boxes.

Did you put a collar into the lid? The collar of the lid looks completely unspalted, but looking at the far side of the inside of the lid it looks spalted again... I am curious because from the photos it looks like there is something very thin and pale around the outside edge of the lip.

 

[Bodrighy]

I also like the spalted boxes. They look to be well aligned and fitted. Not a fan of the bits you buy in so the others aren't my scene but no deflection on the workmanship etc, just personal taste

pete

 

[loz]

The spalted Birth are stunning, lovely pieces of work ( and wood ! - Nature did a job there ! )

great job on the hinged box also - i can never get them to work very well. Nice hinge, much nicer than the "stay bright plastibrass " ones most commonly seen.

 

[Ad de Crom]

My choice, the spalted lidded boxes.
They are really wonderful.
Ad

 

[miles_hot]

Another vote for the spalted ones, the purple one looks pretty special too.

Don't like the one with bark on - these always feel like a bit of a cop out when you see them in craft shows - take branch, forster bit out the centre, call it a pot... Maybe if the bark had been on the lid as well... not sure

The one with the studded belt hinge seems to be cinched in by the hinge loop - was that your intention?

The spalted ones are great, really like them.

Miles

 

[gasmansteve]

Very nice Nick like them all. Must have go at some small boxes! Had a demo at the club last Friday with some ornamental engraving
on small boxes with a home made rig reay finished them off.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Paul.J]

Nice looking boxes Nick.
Love the Spalted Birch ones

 

[NikNak]

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Many thanks guys....


to try and answer a few questions/queries:-

Yes, the hinged box is 'cinched' (waisted?) slightly, and yes this was intentional, in fact i was after a rather more barrel shape to the bottom but got carried away with the chisel.... :?

Agreed, the bought in parts i.e. the hinge and screw threads are a bit of a kop-out... but as i work with a lot of women who crave something a little different, it makes them easy to sell. (what about pen kits, they're a bought in part too...? without them they kinda wouldn't work).

The spalted boxes..... Frugal, yes, there is a small band of masking tape around the top of the plug on the larger box, i will be swapping this for Kapton tape soon (purely for colour matching purposes). The wood for the larger of the two boxes was almost at the point of 'burn it' as parts were so soft, however i gave it a go, and this was the outcome. The lid was a lovely snug fit when i'd finished, but after about a week indoors it had shrunk to a fairly loose fit. So... one wind of masking tape takes up that slack. The insides of the base and lid i've then lined with green (sticky back) felt, as it was almost impossible to achieve a decent finish on the inside. The larger box is approx 135mm dia & the smaller 100mm.

The box with the bark left on..... wellll..... it is definitely 'Marmite' here. You either love it or hate it :lol: :twisted: although the picture does not show it too well, the hollowed middle has been deliberately made off-centre (to try and give a bit more interest). I was going to make a lid with the bark left on, but to try and then make a lid off-centre... and to match up the bark grain.... beyond my brains capability i'm afraid, so didn't even try, and opted for the 'kop-out' of just a plug top. The box is approx 160mm dia and the hole is approx 105mm dia, and as i don't have a forstner that big it was hollowed in the normal way.



Thanks once again for all your comments.




Nick

 

[Happy amateur]

To make a bark box off center lid. I would suggest that you mount the branch between centers and turn a chucking point on both ends. Part off the top. This should allow you to match the top and bottom.

Fred

 

[Davyboy]

Fabulous, among the best I've seen in a long while, looks like Marble.