More About Our Boxes
You
may click on any of these thumbnail images to see a larger picture.
Images are important here so please be patient. All of our work
is one-or-a-kind, dictated by the shape and characteristics of
the wood. Each round shape you see is the end of a drawer and
each drawer is opened by means of a finger hook under the front lip.
Each
chest is made from only one piece of wood. If you could examine each
drawer, you could follow the knots and old nail holes through the
side walls and into the drawers. The principal cutting is done on a
bandsaw. After the cores are cut and removed, they are then recut to
become the drawers.
After
the drawers are cut, they are carefully lined with fine fabric of the
rich dark colors of claret,
blueberry and pine. We
carefully shape each piece to reveal the fine figuring in the wood,
often incorporating sliding trays and curved dividers to enhance the
usefulness and highlight the beauty of the wood. We then sand using
a series of four different grits.
We
use absolutely no stain--only pure blonde shellac.
The cedar is surprisingly dark and rich in stark
contrast to the rough, weathered and gray exterior of the old posts.
We do nothing to the exterior. After applying three coats of shellac,
we finish each piece by hand rubbing, applying a fine quality carnuba
based wax.
The
bristlecone pine is gray and highlighted by the darkened remains of the forest
fire to which it was exposed nearly 120 years ago. The fire killed the
trees and burned off the smaller branches. Over time, the environment
weathered the blackened wood, leaving a silvery patina which contrasts
to the yellowish, very dense and resinous interior. Everyone loves
to inhale the aroma of the cedar, but the bristlecone also has a deep
rich aroma, reminding one of high mountains and dense pine forests.
You
can also see our work in Tony Lydgate's book,
The Art of Making Elegant Jewelry Boxes.
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