box presentation.

The box. 

The box exercise has finally come to an end. Last week I finished this piece and it turned out really well. I presented the box to the class followed by our "elephant," which is our weekly gathering to relax.

Presenting my box, big night.

This box represented a big step in my learning process in the school, it has been carefully executed with every litttle detail getting taken care of. It sounds easier than it really is, but I'm really happy with it. I remained faithful to the original design, which included the tray, that really brings the box to another level.

Tray on box.

Carcass dovetails detail

Making decisions is what woodworking is all about, just as in life, and making them at the right time is very important as well, so with this project I guess I learned from that lesson. It helped me complete this box, but also decide over other issues. 

I decided to apply for the Resident Craftsman Program at the school and this week I received my acceptance letter, that made me very happy, a second year at the school consists on personal work through the year, with some advanced exercises as well. I am honored for having this opportunity, and for having my family to support me, thank you Monica and Nicolas!

So I will stay around for some time in here, and keep on learning on this neverending world of woodworking, I have started to work on my next project, I will present someof the advance on the following days. 

Enjoy! 

Snowday view from my bench

Nicolas enjoying his time at the school. 

   

"the" box

As we are learning our techniques, we are moulding our character as well. We started our first project in december. This project consisted on reproducing a jewlery box Mr. Krenov made back in 1969. We had the opportunity of chosing the wood for this project out of five options: maple, ash, black walnut, white oak and sipo. This box is a gift for my wife Monica, which by the way is a jewelry designer. We decided to make the box out of sipo, which in an African wood, that looks very similar to mahogany. 

This wood has been a challange to work with, it had to be handled with so much care during the dovetailing process, due to its lack of compression and the open grain on it. I guess the most intimidating part of the process were the dovetails, which require  patience, patience, and more patience. 

Wood Selection 

Dovetailing Process

Pieces ready for assembly

glue up time

zoom into dovetails

lid fitting

The process of creating a piece of furniture of this quality requires to be going back and forth, making and remaking, testing each part of the process. Sometimes you might get "greedy" as Mr. Krenov quoted, and might not get the results you want. Wood is a living material that needs to be treated with extreme care. take extra considerations, study the possibilities of success on a process, and very important be very careful at each of this steps, that might take you ahead if done correctly or take you several steps behind if you are not focused. 

I guess I didn't have an idea on how much work a piece of furniture can take, its process could be compared on executing an engineering project, I kind of relate this with engineering processes, so much to be careful with, the importance of following the process in the right order, micro-tolerances, and no room for mistake. 

My family is supporting me in this project, I am a very lucky man to have them with me. 

Monica and Nicolas

Snowshoe Sunday

All of this combined turn out in a lifestyle that I'm just passionate about, that is giving me the "rythm and balance" that I was looking for, this with the support from my lovely family. I will be looking forward to finish this box in the next week, and deliver as promissed. 

See you next time!