Ambrosa maple BS box

[Popeye]

Very nice work, Pat.

Where do you find the knobs with a guy in a blue shirt taking a picture? I can only find ones with a guy in a red shirt.

I wondered if anyone else would catch that, good thing the picture isn't clearer
Brian like alot of other folks here I started with this book. http://www.amazon.com/Building-Beaut...1427109&sr=1-1
The lady does a good job teaching from start to finish. Pat

[mater]

It looks very nice Pat.

[softop41]

Pat,
That is beautiful. I admire the time and patience involved in making a bandsaw box. When I got my bigger bandsaw, I planned to make them and, after one, I haven't had the ambition to do another one. The next one would probably be easier, but that will have to wait 'till the fun of making square chunks of wood into round things wears off. Before going back to BS boxes, I will get the book you refer to.
Jerry

[Pappy]

Fantastic!

[John Hunter]

Very nice.

[radhak]

Can't bear to toss even small pieces of nice wood. This is laminated ambrosia maple from cutoffs that went into my nephews wedding present. Finish is 5 coats of Deft lacquer.
Pattern is from The Ultimate BS Box Book. Thanks again Donna.
Pat

Pat,

As already said - beauty-and-beholder, but the striking color-variation in the wood and that nice, shiny knob (tiny? small? large? huge? humongous? sorry, never been good on proportions ) is what caught my eye first - really brings out the figure on the wood nicely.

You have inspired me to start thinking of learning about BS boxes (If you read that sentence carefully you'd know how far away in skill-terms an actual box is for me ). Would you say Donna Menke's book a good one to start with?

Also, while they are called 'bandsaw box', can a scroll-saw be used?

And do you have pics of the box opened? What are it's dimensions?

[Popeye]

Pat,

Would you say Donna Menke's book a good one to start with?

Also, while they are called 'bandsaw box', can a scroll-saw be used?

And do you have pics of the box opened? What are it's dimensions?

IMO Lois Ventura's book is a better starter book. http://www.amazon.com/Building-Beaut...1490273&sr=1-1 While I really like the designs in Donna Menke's book. Ventura's book provides direct copyable (sp) plans that would make it easier to get started.
Most if not all of the boxes I've done couldn't be done on a scroll saw because of the thickness of the wood. Smaller boxes might be done on a 9" or 12" BS if it had the grunt to resaw the backs. This one could easily be done on a smaller saw. Mine is a cheapie HF 14".

This box is 6" long, 3 1/2" tall and 4" deep. I think I got all the ?'s If not fire away. Pat

[Jim Boyd]

Wow, I guess I've missed out on a few threads Anyone who thinks the knob is out of proportion needs to have the distance between their eyes checked. The yahoo who doesn't know about ambrosia maple doesn't warrant a comment.

Pat I have not seen your other boxes but this one has to be one of the best I've seen anyone make The shape is very pleasing to the eye.

[Donna Menke]

Wayne,
That blotchy gray is one of the hallmarks of Ambrosia maple. It has every sort of coloration in it, and that is what makes it so attractive. Heck, you may even think the holes made by the Ambrosia beetle were a problem. Ya gotta learn to love 'em.
Radhak,
You may use a scroll saw as long as there are 2 dimensions that are within the capability of your scroll saw. For example: you could make a snake band saw box that was 30" long; but one 3" x 3" x 3" would not be possible.
Jim,
I'm glad you like that design. Coming up with 30 designs that were all very different from one another was quite a challenge. This one was going to have carving in the scroll areas on the front, but the wood, Big Leaf Maple Burl, was just too beautiful to mess with.
Pat did a great job with his rendition, and I've received photos of another one in walnut, by another member of this group.
If you guys aren't careful you will all get bitten buy the band saw making bug! (I sure hope so. )
Donna

[Donna Menke]

When I made the last post I hadn't realized that there were 3 pages here, so I missed some questions.
Brian and Jerry are both looking for some simple projects to start with, so I went ahead and made a link on my band saw boxes page to two pages of simple instructions for making the first band saw boxes I ever made. These are the Nested Oval Boxes, (in the book as Earth Boxes). Click on the gift boxes for the instruction sheets and plan. The plan is an old one and was redone later, but it is essentially the same. To make it a lot easier make the boxes larger than the dimensions given.
This was how I first started to figure out how to make the boxes, and I hope it helps you as well. Donna

[lrogers]

Excellent work as always, Pat.

[vaking]

funny how thin skinned woodworkers are.

Jay,
There are 2 type of people. Most members of this forum are hobbyist woodworkers. They spend days doing something unrelated to wood. Evenings and weekends they spend trying to make something usefull and/or beautiful out of wood. Sometimes it actually is beatiful, sometimes it isn't. That is not important. They don't do it for money - most people here don't sell what they make. In fact - most never recover the cost of tools and supplies they buy for this hobby. People here work with wood because they are creative people and they have the urge to create.
The other type are people who know perfectly how things are supposed to be made but have zero personal creativity. The only thing those people are good for is to critisize the work of others. There are several words in english language for such people. Sometimes they are called "critics", sometimes "reviewers" but I always think of them as "impotents" and feel sorry for them.
Creative people prefer giving constructive advice rather than unsolicited critique.
From you Jay so far we have seen examples of your impotent side. I personnaly question whether you have creative side at all.
Prove me wrong.

[Crash2510]

deleted in respect for moderators

[Stytooner]

Jay, your criticism might be taken as such if you were to actually post something that you have made or explain what qualifies you (other than grumpyness) to give such critically negative comments. If you are just having a bad month or year, you could tell us about it. The two or three members that haven't put you on their ignore list might have had a similar experience and may even have some positive or helpful input for you.
If you are receptive to a little of your own medicine, I suggest you tone down some of the negative attitude or at least find some threads that you know something about or even share some feelings or experiences that are your own. If you decide to continue in the same rut you have been in, you will likely start to feel even less liked around here.
I think you are important too, but can you tell us why we should value your opinion or at least why it is the way it is? Otherwise, you should not feel the need to waste the key strokes.

[Brian in Dawson Creek]

Well after reading some nasty critiques this weekend I’d like to offer my 2 cents. Nicely proportioned with a great finish. The knob is perfect as is the blotchy area in the corner. Wish I had a piece of wood like that to work with.

Nice job

Brian