Shaker Oval Boxes (Various Years)
What a cool and fun project! These boxes were made from a kit purchased from John Wilson in Charlotte, MI. They are from thin strips of cherry with the distinctive finger pattern cut into the ends. The wood is soaked in boiling water for several minutes, then wrapped around a form. They're then tacked with copper tacks and placed in "shapers" to hold the oval shape while they dry. Once the bands are dry, the lids are carefully fit into the bands.
These make great display pieces. We’ve made quite a few of these boxes and even given a few sets away as well-received gifts.
Update 6-5-2006:
In the spirit of cleaning out a number of partially completed small projects, I finally finished the Shaker oval boxes that I used in the SEMIWW demo last December.
The boxes bands are maple, the tops are birdseye maple, and the bottoms are pine. Materials are from John Wilson. Finish is danish oil.
Related Links:
John Wilson's Web Site with catalog
Starter kit from Woodcraft
© Copyright 2006 Chris Billman