Six of One

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  • Woods Used: curly sycamore, spalted maple, purpleheart, holly
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 3.25"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

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We were going to do a show in Boston so I thought making a few more boxes to sell would be a good idea.

These are all pretty much the same, in that they're dovetailed, have knife hinged lids, have the same handle and similar interiors. But they're different, too, as you can see.

Wood's like that.

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  • Woods Used: boxwood, spalted maple, curly maple, black palm
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 2.75"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

I finished them at about the same time as CJWA's Christmas meeting. One of the segments at these meetings is a member leading a discussion of one of his completed projects. It occurred to me that a report on these boxes might be entertaining.

  • Contact me re: price & availability
  • Woods Used: curly sycamore, thuya burl, black palm, holly
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 3.25"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

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So, off I went, Powerpoint slides in tow. Photos of techniques: How to cut veneers on the bandsaw - the top panels on each box are arrangements of bandsawn veneers.   How to duplicate pieces on the tablesaw without measuring anything - when you're doing a lot of cuts that are similar sizes (as the pieces in this project are) - it helps to be able to duplicate things without too much fuss.

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  • Woods Used: satinwood, verawood, ebony, chatke viga
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 3.25"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

It seemed to go very well and I was proud of my performance. I've done lots of presentations in my life (probably more than a thousand - but not about woodworking) so I'm pretty sure of myself in front of small audiences like that. I know how to be natural, and when to be serious and how to tell a funny anecdote or two.

A few days later I received an email from one of the members thanking me for doing a good job. But he also mentioned that he felt that I had "lost" the audience, somewhat, when I tried to explain the duplication technique. He didn't mean it as a criticism, just an observation, but I was pained by his remark.

  • Price: $550
  • Woods Used: boxwood, spalted maple, panga-panga, chatke viga
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 2.75"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

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You should be able to sense when people are no longer following your words. You can tell by the expression on their faces, their posture, the way their body moves while they're sitting there, listening. And I'm supposed to pretty good at sensing these things. At least I thought I was.

  • Price: $550
  • Woods Used: european pear, spalted apple, curly maple, african blackwood
  • Size: 10" x 12" x 3.25"
  • Storage type: Valet, Keepsake

I wanted to make sure about this, so I mentioned it to another one of the members, a guy who's opinion I value. He corroborated the first guy's impression. So now I have this wonderful vision of myself, blabbing away, blissfully unaware of the fact that many people in the audience didn't understand what I was talking about at all.

Great. Just great. Might be better if I stick to doing it, and not talking about it.