My ring boxes.

[jb34]

So when I saw Elizabeth's ring I felt inspired to do it as well. she was cool with me giving it a try to so here is my attempt. After seeing her roof's today I feel quite inferior. Very cool idea on that. I enjoyed talking with you about this Elizabeth as we were both going through it. Very interesting how we were doing something very similar in such different ways and didnt' realize that.

So these are for my beautiful misses and my mother. The one with the cross is for my mom. She is religious and I thought she would like that. I like to use any material I can and not have waste. So the middle section I cleaned out became a little ring holder itself. Just slide a few rings over them or one ring and you have something that keeps the rings standing and displayed when you open the box up. A little easier to take them out that way too.

So I just went with the purpleheart and hard maple with these boxes. I was going to go with some more woods. But when I got to my design stage I thought about my clientel. Mom and the beautiful misses both prefer purple as their favorite color. My mom is also a huge vikings fan. So this seemed like what they would like the most. It was fun doing the small chisel work on these. I sat at the counter in my garage on a bar stool with my 4 year old "helping dad". No loud machines that he could not be around because of noise or danger. I put a little circular thing on top with purple heart and maple. These boxes are about an inch tall and wide. The bottoms and tops are rabbeted. Finished them with mineral oil stain. Don't know if that was the best choice but I have had good luck with it lately.

Despite the small size. That does not mean they take any less time than bigger furniture I have built. Maybe even a little more. Fun project. I am happy with how they came out and so are the ladies I wanted to do this for. thanks to elizabeth for the idea and OK to attempt it. Also nice to BS with you about these while we were both going through it.

[elizabeth]

JOEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I love them. Now I understand what you were saying about keeping the center wood of your excavations to use as ring holders. How exactly did you DO that! I thought you had drilled the insides and then chiseled the corners? And these ring holders kept the pattern also. Way too cool!!! Plus, it's amazing how you were able to chisel those walls out so perfectly considering what tiny space you were working in. And, I love the purple and white combo. Really makes it stand out. I also really like how you made your top pull a ring holder and how you continued your color scheme. Very, very elegant!

On the finish: I thought you said you were using butcher's block oil?

I really love your boxes and I would like to try your technique but you'll have to walk me through it. Who's the third box for?

And, BTW: you don't need my "permission" for anything and it was fun working with you. And, don't be silly about my little roofs. The extremely patient members of this forum have walked me every step of the way. I know squat on my own. This creation is all yours!!!

Great job! and Congratulations!

[jb34]

thank you. but Fantastic no. But if mom and the beautiful misses like them I am happy.

Correct on drilling the insides and chiseling the corners. I used my drill press and a medium-smaller bit. Drilled around until I could use my scrolling saw to remove the rest. I should get some mortise bits, but anyway. So I had 2 big ugly pieces. A middle section and also the guts of the block. I chiseled both. The block until it was perfectly square. The middle section until it was round. Then some sanding on the drill press, some sanding with the hand sander, and then sand by hand and I had a round ring holder to go inside the boxes.

It was a butcher block mineral oil for the stain. I had that or poly on hand. poly yuck. I don't know if I made the best choice of using that instead of buying new stain. I would be fine with suggestions. Like Joel wrong stain you moron. I have had good luck with that stain lately though and I didn't want to go buy new based on that. It does take a little longer to set it seems. It will work. Just don't know if it was the best choice. Every project is a learing experience.

I will be happy to tell you all I know Elizabeth. I don't know how much that is though. I made 3 boxes because that is how much material I had. The beautiful misses got 2 and my mom got 1. I had another 3/8th inch piece left over. which I made a ring out of yesterday. I was going to send that ring to my mom. But the beautiful misses seemed to really want it. I am planning on working on some more rings tonight. Or maybe wednesday when I can again. Perfecting my methods on making rings this weekend. Did some tests pieces out of pine and made one real one which was the one the beautiful misses grabbed.

Seeing those roofs you did on your 2nd set of boxes elizabeth. I have to say I am a step behind you. It would be cool to see a little log cabin one. Glue up a stack of walnut or something put a little roof on it. That would be cool. I am probably retiring from boxes for a bit though. Doing the rings and then I need to get back to a bed I am making. Too much to do in the summer though. If you keep doing these I will be excited to see your progress. I have enjoyed your 2 post on them. So much that I even made some.

If someone does something I like and I want to take a stab at it I always ask permission. I don't copy the work and do my own take on it. But its still the courteous and right thing to do. I have got to talk to some very famous woodworkers because of that too. Pretty cool to have a Neil Scobie critiquing you work and talking to you. Very nice guy too.

[Knotty_Pine]

Very impressive project. I'll have to try one of those myself.

[gomer]

Beautiful boxes, Joel. That maple looks almost like inlaid ivory. One helluva job bud.

[TDHofstetter]

Good JOB, Joel!

Dang, seein' all these li'l boxes, I'm tempted to feel inspired to do s'more miniature work. I've done some mini stuff, but it was all on the lathe (

...except for the padauk eyeglasses nosepiece my ex gave back to me last time she dropped by for help... I carved that to fit a pair of eyeglasses I had nost the nosepiece for. Looked like it was cast in orangish plastic, kinda' WEEEERD on my face, but it was a snap-fit on the glasses & fit my face like a ... not a GLOVE, exactly, nor a pair of pantyhose, but it fit comfortably...

); I haven't done any mini flatwork at all. Got lotsa' material for it, since I hate to throw anything away 'less it's got a knot in the middle of it, which explains the heap of hundreds of paint stirring sticks in the barn...

[Knotty_Pine]

May 24, 2010 16:19:40 GMT -6 TDHofstetter said:

fit my face like a ... not a GLOVE, exactly, nor a pair of pantyhose, but it fit comfortably...

Tim..............................

Pantyhose?

I'm getting the feel were in the neighborhood of Way Too Much Information, nearing Please Say No more BLVD.

[boodrow]

Very nice Joel , quite creative and great project. Luv the colors
Boodrow

[jb34]

thanks all. Elizabeth as far as a chiseling lesson. First thing you get is a 4 year old, then a miller lite. Everything else falls into place after that. I really like doing chisel work. Especially with my little helper. Someone asked in another discussion what the worst part of project was and I mentioned the final coat of finish especially when poly is involved. But most other parts I find very satisfying. Chisel work is one of those satisfying tasks. Before I got a router (now I have 2 -hand and table) I spent year and years rounding out my corners on large furniture with a chisel and hand sander. This takes a lot of skill and patience but also good for more of the rustic furniture and add to the charm of that kind of piece. I even had a guy request that I not use the router and use chisels on a piece because he thought it look much better in the rustic style with the hand tools. He even told me try to not be too good and beat it up a bit. That was actually hard to do. Mess up on purpose and not try to do as much to fix it. But it turned out great and he was very happy. So i have done a lot of chisel work and no complaints there. The size of the project never bothered me actually. One very nice part of small projects is when your using more exotic and more expensive wood like purple heart you don't have to use a lot of material. So not much cost in material and still do something that hopefully looks good. I did mess up on one of my bottoms when I was chiseling. Keeping one eye on the 4 year old and one on my chisel work caused that. Now mitering the corners with these small pieces that would be a challenge and very impressive that you pulled it off and they look good.

[jb34]

Tim, during the night last night I found myself checking out the beautiful misses legs. She didn't know I did. But why not. A usual task for a man to do with his woman. But today I have the mental image of you in panty hose after reading this. Hmm mark up last nights experience as much much more enjoyable.

[dburkhart]

lizabeth i finally got to see you and your hub great pic and all the boxes were great too. jb i am scared to try something that small but you all turn them out at a drop of the hat

[Gecko]

Those are really pretty! I love the design with the ring holder inside.