Thursday, August 25, 2016

Carved box


This is my prototype of a highly detailed chip-carved box reminiscent of a medieval casket or document box. It is 2" x 1-1/4" It is made from pear. I say prototype because it was an experiment to see what exactly was feasible, especially the hardware. I made the strap hinges and hasp from thin brass, then blackened them.


First off I had to make a box joint jig. I decided to make a whole new miter gauge for my small table saw and incorporate the jig into it rather than use the existing miter gauge, because once adjusted, the jig would not stay that way once removed. In the photo below you can see the little key. It is the thickness of the blade which I thought was a nice sized joint.  You butt the wood up to it and make a pass cutting the slot, then put that slot over the key and so on. I just put it on here for the photo, when in use the blade is raised only as high as the size of the joint.


There are mistakes, for example, I drew the design on the sides, then decided to make it a little bigger, but forgot when I carved the other side! So they don't match :)  


I learned a lot. I am hoping to have a limited number of boxes available for next year's 
Chicago International. 


For the new ones, I have refined the design, adding more detail. I will make sure the wood is properly thickness-ed and the hasp will be nicer. Stay tuned!




23 comments:

  1. Hello Linda,
    This little work of art is absolutely stunning. I am in awe of your talent and amazed by your incredible skill. Absolutely stunning!
    Big hug
    Giac

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  2. Wow! I'm so impressed. It's just beautiful. The detail is just incredible.

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  3. Extraordinary work Linda!
    Beautiful indeed....

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  4. Hi Linda. I've posted a small amount on the IGMA forum. Really love your chip carving work. I'll be taking notes on your box joint jig too. :)

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  5. Just beautiful Linda. I love your design, love the style of hinge and hasp/staple. Will you be incorporating the metalwork into the next design so that they don't cover any of the beautiful chip-carved pattern?

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    1. Hi Pepper good to hear from you :) Thank you. I try to put the strap hinges on blank wood on the lid. I have a couple ideas :)

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  6. il est magnifique . je suis fascinée par la qualité de votre travail . ce petit coffre est une merveille. je le trouve parfait .

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    1. Merci Catherine, qui est un tel commentaire doux :)

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  7. Wow Linda, you've done it again: you've outdone yourself once more! What an amazing piece and what incredible detail.. I LOVE it! They will sell fast I'm sure!

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