Cherry Fly Box

[SteveJ]

It has been ages since I posted anything here, the evils of proper work etc. eat up far more of my time than I'd like
This is a project I finished a little while back to store my fishing flies. It's made of cherry and beech and involved quite a few firsts for me, not least the first time I veneered anything (interior). In coming to finish it I couldn't quite decide on feet / top decoration or handles, I think the feet are ok but in retrospect I don't like the lozenge thing on top. Rather than handles I settled on paring just each from each corner to get a finger tip in to lift the lid - it works well enough. The finish is the closest facsimile to french polished as I could muster and it was all done with hand tools. Comments etc most welcome.

All the best
Steve

 

[marcros]

i like that. what was the finish- brushed shellac?

I like the "lozenge" on top- tie the internal to the external and looks contemporary- also ties in well with the lack of handles.

when you say you veneered the inside, are you going to have problems with the lack of a balancing veneer, I am not sure on quite how these things work.

All in all, a great box, well done

 

[Corset]

I quite like the lozenge its breaks it up a bit!
I am always interested in the fine dividers people have.How did you get the panels so thin and how did you cut the grooves i am baffled by how this is done.
Owen

 

[SteveJ]

Appreciate the kind words guys.

marcros - the shellac was applied with a rubber but it has had a couple of coats of wax to knock the shine down a little. The veneer applied to the thin wall / slide sections was a bit of a worry but I think it'll be ok. They are mitred at the corners and a very close fit but not glued wholesale into place, I think they should work to keep each other straight if you catch my drift. The floating bottoms are fairly stout, made from strips comparable in size to the box sides so I don't think they should move dramatically.

Owen - the dividers are what's called structural veneer (I think) - 2mm beech. Cutting the half-lap grooves damn near drove me mad, I had a big pile of scrapped bits and the ones pictured are not so good in the flesh. I used an offcut to figure out the correct groove size and then gang sawed the rest - very hard to clamp it all together accurately, I found that if the individual leaves through which you are sawing can flex they tend to cause the saw blade to wander / twist in the cut. I think a finely tuned band saw with a thin kerf blade would be the ideal tool, if only I had one!


Steve.

 

[woodbloke]

Nice looking job, but I agree about the lozenge...doesn't work for me. if I could be a tad critical about the veneer on the top...it needs to be chosen and matched with greater care...look at the skewed pattern that's been created. Having said that, you've made a decent job of joining them, which isn't the easiest thing to do, which begs the question...what's the join like under the lozenge where the four bits meet in the middle? - Rob

 

[Teckel]

Beautiful box Steve. All done with handtools..nice one.

 

[JonnyD]

Nice looking job, but I agree about the lozenge...doesn't work for me. if I could be a tad critical about the veneer on the top...it needs to be chosen and matched with greater care...look at the skewed pattern that's been created. Having said that, you've made a decent job of joining them, which isn't the easiest thing to do, which begs the question...what's the join like under the lozenge where the four bits meet in the middle? - Rob

It never ceases to amaze me how you can find fault with anything that doesnt fit within your very blinkered views on how something should be done.

Very nice box by the way

cheers

Jon

 

[devonwoody]

I like every detail of the box and it would suit me down to the ground, if there is satisfaction on your part, there is no need to be anxious about its lovely appearance.

 

[Blister]

Hi Steve

Lovely project , looks to be well made

Just a suggestion re the lozenge on top , maybe it would look better with a hook dressed as a fly Pyrographed on it

 

[woodbloke]

Nice looking job, but I agree about the lozenge...doesn't work for me. if I could be a tad critical about the veneer on the top...it needs to be chosen and matched with greater care...look at the skewed pattern that's been created. Having said that, you've made a decent job of joining them, which isn't the easiest thing to do, which begs the question...what's the join like under the lozenge where the four bits meet in the middle? - Rob

It never ceases to amaze me how you can find fault with anything that doesnt fit within your very blinkered views on how something should be done.

Very nice box by the way

cheers

Jon

I suggest you seriously get a grip! The OP ASKED for comments and himself mentioned that he didn't like the lozenge. The comment about the top veneers is absolutely valid...they don't line up and it's something that the maker can take into consideration the next time something like this is done, which is the reason why I made the comment in the first place. That said, the box is well made, fit for purpose and has been well finished.

I've also stated countless times on the forums, unless it's escaped your attention (which clearly it has) that anyone can offer a critique of anything I make, provided it can justified or they can give a reason for their comments...so that I can learn!

I get sick to death of the banal pleasantries (it's a very nice box :roll: ) that are offered on work posted on this forum...I really wish that constructive criticism were offered (good or bad) so that the maker can actually learn from others viewpoints, which is the sole reason that I make the comments I do.

Finally, anyone who post pictures of work on a public forum MUST expect to have comments made, good, bad or indifferent - Rob

 

[Mr Ed]

It's a very nice box.

The internal compartments look well made and if it's your first go at veneering it's a very creditable result.

Ed

 

[andersonec]

Steve,

If your dividers are so thin that they flex when cutting the slots you should brace them up with a piece of mdf or some such stuff on both sides, it will also keep your saw straight and the two outside pieces of divider will have nicely cut edges.

Book matching a veneer on the lid would have done it for me too, trying to match four pieces on a compound mitre would be difficult.

Andy

 

[Tony Spear]

Very nice box Steve.

I see you must be a bit like me - more flies than you could ever use in a lifetime. I've gottem in fly boxes, 35mm. film canisters, mini jam jars etc.

And when I actually go fishing, all the flies I actually use fit in me posh Wheatley box!

 

[SteveJ]

Really appreciate all the kind words gents.

Rob - the top is solid, not veneered. It took some seriously painstaking planing to get those joints to close up. You found me out with the lozenge thing though, there is a small gap in the centre which it hides!

Tony - I swear the things must breed when your not looking, still the box holds plenty, so much so I might have to tie a few more to fill it out a bit... (hammer)


Steve

 

[woodbloke]

Rob - the top is solid, not veneered. It took some seriously painstaking planing to get those joints to close up. You found me out with the lozenge thing though, there is a small gap in the centre which it hides!

Steve

Apologiies for that Steve, I thought the top t'were veneered. Just for future ref in case you do another one like it, a diagonal top is quite hard to get 'right' as you want to try to ensure (note the 'try'...and that's the difficult bit) to get all the grain patterns to line up and it's not easy. If it's done with veneers, you need to either use one leaf that's dead straight or try and match the best bits from four consecutive leaves (taking each piece from the same part of the leaf) Even so, you can never (or rarely ever) get a 100% match :evil:

The lozenge...I guessed as much :lol: It would have been better to insert a lozenge for a flush finish rather than 'plant' one on the top. Rack up the experiences from this job to remember for the next one and try not to repeat them (like wot I do ) - Rob

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

I'd hate it if no-one offered constructive criticism, a bunch of 'yes men' get you nowhere. However, saying that, I like it mate . I quite enjoy how the grain doesn't exactly line up with each other, but I see what you're saying about the "lozenge", I reckon it would complement the top better if you put a bevel on it.

I'm no good when it comes to fiddly little things, so well played that man.

Cheers _Dan.

 

[SteveJ]

Rob - it is safely filed away as something I can improve upon, right up until I try the next one I try and manage to forget everything!

With respect to veneers - does anyone have much experience of using hot glue / hammer veneering? I seen a few clips and it looks doable (doesn't it always), some advise from someone who's had a bash would be very welcome.

Dan - the fiddly stuff ain't my forte either but I'm quite keen on these smaller projects lately as I can pack as much technique into something small as possible without a big outlay on timber or time in processing it with hand tools.