Boxes from Uluru

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I recently returned from a couple of weeks in Alice Springs and Uluru (the Aboriginal name for Ayer's Rock). This is at the very heart of Australia, both geographically and spiritually.


This is Uluru ...

There does not appear to be much around ...

But it is filled with gorges ("gaps") and canyons and mountains, which one only recognises when you visit ...

I would not say that it is teeming with wildlife, as this only comes out at night. There are waterholes ...

.. and incredible beauty in the desert ..

We climbed many trails. The surrounds and Uluru are steep and rocky ...

For many millions of years, the many Aboriginal groups have learned to live off the land, recognising the medicines in bushes, food under the grass, and hunting Kangaroos, Wallabies and Emu.


Simple but startlingly beautiful wild flowers ...

The desert oak, most common tree ...

Uluru had a magic, at times hypnotic ...

For the first time I began to understand Aboriginal art, its symbols and stories. Much of this is about maps ... landscapes. The circles are usually about women. There are streams and mythical creatures, such as a snake. There are flowers and trees. All symbolized ...

The symbols adorne more ...







What I would like to do is incorporate the essence of Aboriginal symbols in wood (not in colours, however), in boxes for example. In other words, using texturing in the wood to illustrate the symbols.


Regards from Perth


Derek

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The first box is complete bar any texturing. Frankly, as much as I want to add symbols, I am not sure whether this is appropriate in this particular case as the figure is interesting enough to stand on its own merits. I leave it to you to share your thoughts in this regard.

The box is a mini-chest ... single drawer chest. Small - this one is 190 x 175 x 70mm. (7 1/2" x 7" x 2 3/4". Case sides are roughly 1/2"). My thought was that could go on an entrance hall table to keep keys inside. Just an idea.

I scrounged about the workshop for small sections of timber. Pieces of USA Black Walnut scraps. One piece was large enough to waterfall the figure from the top to the drawer. The other two sections were all there was.

Work done over three days. Finish is hard wax oil and wax. All hand tools following machine thicknessing.

The case is mitred through dovetails. Rebate at rear for drawer back. Dovetailed drawer.

One side ...

Turned Ebony drawer pull.

Other side ...

Rear ...

Good extension for the drawer (good fit) ...

I managed to save a thin slice from a resaw, and this became the drawer bottom ...

Drawer with half-blind dovetails at front and through dovetails at rear. Drawer bottom held with a groove at the front and slips at the sides ...

Rear of drawer showing the slips and expanded bearing surface. The drawer front is 12mm and the drawer sides 6mm.

This is how I imagine one use of the box might be ...

In the end I decided that any texturing of the wood would be overwhelming, and so have chosen to leave it off this time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The first box is complete bar any texturing. Frankly, as much as I want to add symbols, I am not sure whether this is appropriate in this particular case as the figure is interesting enough to stand on its own merits. I leave it to you to share your thoughts in this regard.

The box is a mini-chest ... single drawer chest. Small - this one is 190 x 175 x 70mm. (7 1/2" x 7" x 2 3/4". Case sides are roughly 1/2"). My thought was that could go on an entrance hall table to keep keys inside. Just an idea.

I scrounged about the workshop for small sections of timber. Pieces of USA Black Walnut scraps. One piece was large enough to waterfall the figure from the top to the drawer. The other two sections were all there was.

Work done over three days. Finish is hard wax oil and wax. All hand tools following machine thicknessing.

The case is mitred through dovetails. Rebate at rear for drawer back. Dovetailed drawer.

One side ...

Turned Ebony drawer pull.

Other side ...

Rear ...

Good extension for the drawer (good fit) ...

I managed to save a thin slice from a resaw, and this became the drawer bottom ...

Drawer with half-blind dovetails at front and through dovetails at rear. Drawer bottom held with a groove at the front and slips at the sides ...

Rear of drawer showing the slips and expanded bearing surface. The drawer front is 12mm and the drawer sides 6mm.

This is how I imagine one use of the box might be ...

In the end I decided against texturing this box. The figure is so nice, and any texturing would confuse it.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Box number 2


Originally I planned to make 3 boxes, one each for the godparents, and a ring box for the wedding ceremony. Then Lynndy, my dear wife, suggested making one for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's parents (who are great people with whom we get on so well). So, now there are four boxes.


I decided to build this box next. And this time to incorporate Aboriginal symbols, as this was not the case with the previous box, where the figure was too nice to disturb.


The wood for the box is West African Macore, which is wonderful to work with, and has amazing chatoyance. It is perfect for this project as it has little figure or, rather subtle figure.


Here are the milled boards laid out for joining. The aim here has been to create waterfall sides to the top, both left, right and drawer front.

Once again, the construction is a mitred through dovetail case with a dovetailed drawer. Overall dimensions are 185mm (7 1/4") wide x 150mm (6") deep and 63mm (2 1/2") high. The case sides are 10mm thick (a little over 3/8").


The completed box ...

Waterfall on one side ...

With drawer extended (a nice piston fit) ...

Half-blind dovetails at front, through dovetails at the rear ...

The drawer sides are 6mm (1/4") Tasmanian Oak. No slips on this drawer. Instead, the 3mm (1/8") solid Macore drawer bottom is attached in a 3mm groove ...

It is free to expand towards the rear, and captured by a round-headed screw in a slot ...

Now let's took at the symbols of the top of the box ...

The two circles (three circles within each other) represent a group, in this case, we have two families. The connecting lines, with circles, reveal the journey each taken by two people to join and bring together these two families.


So, two down and another in the making ...

Regards from Perth


Derek

 

[Adam W.]

It's nice that you've shown the secondary surfaces Derek, but I was hoping that you had found some spectacular, half fossilised wood from the centre that's as hard as nuts and an absolute nightmare to work with.

 

[CMax]

Really lovely work there, Derek. Thanks for sharing your pics!

 

[toysandboats]

Thank you Derek for the woodwork, history and geography lessons.
I'll never get to see Uluru for real but your photos show us the area around it and I hadn't realised that there were trees.
A fascinating post
David

 

[foxbat]

The story makes those really special Derek, thanks for sharing

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

It's nice that you've shown the secondary surfaces Derek, but I was hoping that you had found some spectacular, half fossilised wood from the centre that's as hard as nuts and an absolute nightmare to work with.

I did consider this, Adam, but abandoned the box after the first corner as the chisel was dulling too fast on the fossilized stone.

What a fun idea!

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Adam W.]

I did consider this, Adam, but abandoned the box after the first corner as the chisel was dulling too fast on the fossilized stone.

What a fun idea!

Regards from Perth

Derek

I read once about someone from America who was making spoons from ancient timber he found in the desert and giving just the interiors of the bowls a high polish, they were very beautiful objects.

I'll try and find some photos or a link.

 

[rafezetter]

Fun fact - Uluru is actually a mountain, buried. Underground it's another 2.5km deep

 

[CoolNik]

Box number 2


Originally I planned to make 3 boxes, one each for the godparents, and a ring box for the wedding ceremony. Then Lynndy, my dear wife, suggested making one for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's parents (who are great people with whom we get on so well). So, now there are four boxes.


I decided to build this box next. And this time to incorporate Aboriginal symbols, as this was not the case with the previous box, where the figure was too nice to disturb.


The wood for the box is West African Macore, which is wonderful to work with, and has amazing chatoyance. It is perfect for this project as it has little figure or, rather subtle figure.


Here are the milled boards laid out for joining. The aim here has been to create waterfall sides to the top, both left, right and drawer front.

Once again, the construction is a mitred through dovetail case with a dovetailed drawer. Overall dimensions are 185mm (7 1/4") wide x 150mm (6") deep and 63mm (2 1/2") high. The case sides are 10mm thick (a little over 3/8").


The completed box ...

Waterfall on one side ...

With drawer extended (a nice piston fit) ...

Half-blind dovetails at front, through dovetails at the rear ...

The drawer sides are 6mm (1/4") Tasmanian Oak. No slips on this drawer. Instead, the 3mm (1/8") solid Macore drawer bottom is attached in a 3mm groove ...

It is free to expand towards the rear, and captured by a round-headed screw in a slot ...

Now let's took at the symbols of the top of the box ...

The two circles (three circles within each other) represent a group, in this case, we have two families. The connecting lines, with circles, reveal the journey each taken by two people to join and bring together these two families.


So, two down and another in the making ...

Regards from Perth


Derek

Beautiful work and the symbolism is lovely - a inspirational take on the native culture. I love the second box in particular.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Box #3 - what would you do?

Last Saturday I built the case for another drawer-box out of Hard Maple. These photos do not do it justice. The wood here is just planed (and needs a little more planing), but already it shimmers and glows. The dovetails seem to float in three dimensions. Very promising.

I was aiming for waterfall sides, but there was very little interesting figure, and this was at the edge of one side. The side below is engineered to appear as a waterfall. The figure is hard to see in this light. It is subtle and very pretty ...

The waterfall was possible on other side. With regards figure, the wood is rather plain, but keep in mind that the aim has been to use the wood as a canvas for texturing.

Unhappily, the board cracked as it went together. I was all glued up already, and no way to reglue the crack. Lynndy noticed it pretty quickly ...

So, what would you do - toss the box and build another, or use it regardless of the fault?



Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

We left of with an incomplete Box 3, with a split in one side. I knew that I could not make a gift of this box, and the next day built another case, also in Hard Maple.

However, it was always the plan to complete Box 3, and now I would use some art to disguise the split. This is an afternoon's work, which included machining, sizing and dovetailing the drawer parts.

It occurs to add that, although small, these boxes are essentially about the same work as building a simple cabinet ... just less material. Here is the completed box ...

The disguised split ...

Rear of box ...

Drawer in West African Makore ...

Thanks for looking.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[imageel]

Hi Derek,
Only just read this thread - simply stunning photos and as usual similarly stunning work from yourself.
Uncoloured the circular dot patterns on the last box reminded me of some sort of science fiction film - 2001 Space Odyssey ??
Maybe not your thing but I think that box would come alive even more if the patterns were coloured maybe with some sort of high gloss resin, however tbh it is beautiful in its naked form too!
Cheers
Ed

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Ed, I did begin the last box with the intention of colouring the dots. One row was to be black, the next dark brown, and the last tan. I had also considered black, red and yellow, which are the colours of the Aboriginal flag, but that just seemed too strong. I am still toying with the idea of the first set, but it is the delivery of the coloured epoxy resin that is the issue - it reason needs a eye dropper, or something similar to prevent epoxy ending up all over the show (as in an early trial).

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Adam W.]

Could you not use an earth based pigment instead ?

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

How would you apply these?

My concern, from the little time I tried, is that the epoxy colours the grain broadly, and sanding it back does not take it all out.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Adam W.]

I've no idea, but experiment may take you in the most unexpected direction.

I'd be inclined to ditch the epoxy and go full on "Earthy Crunchy ™."

 

[Inspector]

Derek is the hole size something common that you can get as a rod, solid plastic or translucent acrylic? You would then be able to cut little plugs to glue in the holes that you could sand flush. If you really want to add a new dimension dome each plug on a lathe (or just a few of them) for a bumpy surface. Same could be done with a sheet material if a little plug cutter is available. Even contrasting wood plugs would look good too.

Pete