Walnut and curly maple box

The second of two walnut boxes that were made at the same time. Walnut box, book-matched curly maple for lid panel. Curly maple also for lid lift. Maple splines. The lid has a 1/4 round-over.

I made a trip to Lee Valley and picked up Brusso hinges, very worth it. Cut hinge mortises with router and jig I made, and used a temple guide on the router for the first time. They were very cheap and off center and almost messed up the alignment of the lid and box.

I finished the box with Watco danish oil and Minwax paste wax. After a couple of soakings I wet sanded with 400, 600, and 1500 grit. Compared to my previous walnut box, much more of the pores were filled during wet sanding and very few spots show white where wax was applied.

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Time for walnut

This weekend I dedicated my time to a log of walnut. I made ??two bowls: One natural edge end one shaped fruit bowl. Hope you enjoy.

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Maple Table with Walnut Drawer and Catbox

This client just bought a place and leaving the world of the renting, and having invested in a home that suited her, she decided to chose furniture that suits her, as well. The first piece she asked me to build was the catbox that you see in the last photo. This box fits perfectly and hides the plastic the liter box the cat is used to.

The pictures of the maple table were take at Tompkins Square Park en route to the delivering it. It was nice to have one of my pieces out in public. Two people stopped and might commission me to do work, and one person warned the person who was with me deliverying the pieces and taking pictures not to take it because it might have bed bugs. She assurred her that the piece was bedbug-free, as I'd just made it. I assurred her that the piece was impervious to bed bugs. This is, of course, a complete lie but would be a pretty good marketing tactic. What am I talking about? What have I become?

The maple was a pleasure to turn after the resinful heartpine. The walnut drawer is edged with maple, and creates a nice contrast.

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Walnut and Olive Salt Mill

 

 

 

 

This is my first salt mill; I made two other mills for pepper. It’s 6 inches high and the kit is from Craft Supplies USA. Although I can get 8 inch kits in Canada, I wanted something smaller for the dining room and cutting the shaft seemed to be a lot of effort.

I have a lot of problems with the instructions – I measure a bazillion times and still get it wrong. The mill was supposed to be all walnut but since I wanted to make a pepper mill to match, the wood wasn’t long enough. I love olive (both the wood and the way it turns) and have collected quite a lot of it so I thought I’d use it for the top. I wasn’t brave enough to drill a 1 1/16 hole for a completely olive mill but the 9/32 was easy.

Mis- measuring made it necessary to drill at the top so the knob would work, and the join between the two pieces isn’t exactly straight. I’m actually pleased that making a peppermill allows for design adjustments for people who are mathematically pathetic like me. Each mill I’ve done has turned out pretty well, although never the same as I initially planned. I expect that I’ll eventually do what I plan.

The mill isn’t perfect but I’m delighted with it. The really scary part is when I make the matching pepper mill; I have a sneaking suspicion that it won’t be quite the same . . .

-- Mother Nature talks, I try to listen

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