I've had one of the spring assisted Milwaukee knifes like that for going on two years now, crazy how well it still works for no more than I paid. It's been in salt water and the surface rust has just worked it's way off and given it a nice patina
Wow! I have never seen any creation process as detailed as this. Such a zen-master level of calm and dedication. The end product may look simple, but the perfection is worth the effort
Great job! I make wood turned pens and wanted to make my own boxes. I'm so glad I found your video, I learned so much. You are an artist, such attention to detail. You also have a very nice workshop, thanks for sharing your work with us. Dave
Marty, I really like your presentation style! Informative, educational, calm and quiet! Thank you! Methinks I'm going to be learning a lot! Best regards, Dan
Hi Marty, Loved your level of workmanship. I can appreciate your level of expertise due to me being a tradesman learning my trade commencing in the 70's but i was in the metal trades. The presentation box was fantastic and I'm building a hobby workshop....I need all the help I can get seeing that I haven't worked in the trade for 25 years so I really appreciate you guys being here and helping us old guys find our Mojo again ;-) Allan
Decisive and intentional, way to enjoy a fine project. Thank you for the tip on using a bandsaw to cut foam rubber. I purchased a bandsaw this past fall, about 2 weeks after my daughter made new cushions for our old comfy couch. Had I known about this, I would surely have switched the order around and saved some cut fingers. Best regards, - Bill
Marty, I hope the folks who received these beautiful boxes recognize how much effort goes into making a “museum” quality container for a very inexpensive knife. I enjoyed watching you very much.
Love the use of the Carpet Samples/Rugs for a working surface. I have damaged a few gift boxes finished the up and putting hardware on them. Great attention to detail.
After posting my comments I took the time to read what has been said and I was astonished. My past would indicate that woodworker are the kindest lot I have ever worked for and never have i seen such rudeness. My only response would be that the rudeness comes from a total lack of ability and the need to fault those with very special skills. I did see one craftsman bring up the subject and the comments he wrote almost killed his desire to share. Such a shame. I thought you were right on. The video was done at the speed of true workmanship and while the voice may have been low, an I am hard of hearing, it created an atmosphere of quiet and piece which removed all distractions and made everything crystal clear except for what followed the shellac and I saw the response that in the comments. As a teacher at the college level I think you did a great job and would like to see more. Seems like my comments are a little late to the party but that is alright.
beautiful, I've made these sorts of things for years, i find jewelry boxes the most fun. also i find them the easiest to sell. making things more tallord for woman is definitely easier to sell in my experience.
Very nice, I like your blend of modern and traditional tools using the right tool for the job. Do you (or anyone) know what would be a more traditional material then foam for the French fitting?
Thank you. I believe one of the more traditional techniques is to use wood padded with leather. A wood panel would be cut/shaped to conform to the outlines of the object and then it would be wrapped in leather. I originally read about French Fitting in a very old issue of Fine Woodworking (from the 70's I think) and have been intrigued with the technique ever since.
+dtpazz Thank you, and good suggestion. Unfortunately it's hard to find the perfect foam - thickness, firmness, color, etc. So you have to work with what you have sometimes.
+Darrell Moerch Thank you. The cork used here was bought at my local big box store. Generally, self-adhesive cork is widely available, including online. Likewise with foam, although the foam used here was 'recovered' foam - taken from shipping box.
Nice work on the boxes - would a scroll saw be as effective for cutting out the knife shape as the band saw is for cutting the foam block in the first place?
That's a good question. I don't own a scroll saw, but if I did I'd give it a try. I didn't know if the band saw would cut foam or tear it to pieces, so I experimented and discovered that it worked great. If the scroll saw does cut foam as effectively as the band saw, it would be the perfect tool for cutting complex shapes in foam.
I used Staples (the wax brand, not the store) Dark Brown wax. I bought mine at a local Woodcraft store. You probably missed the section in the video where I applied the finish: one thin coat of shellac (for the color) and three coats of a water based wipe-on finish. Thanks.
I can see you have done this for awhile, just a tip, maybe you know it or not but when i would make shadow boards for air craft tooling, we would set them in foam, to make it easier to get the object out, after i cut the shape of the object i would take the plug of foam and cut it in half or a quarter of the size and put it back in the bottom of the hole, then the tool or whatever would be proud of the surface of the foam making it easier to get out without jamming your fingers around the object to remove it.
I have used the technique that you are describing. In this case, the foam is very soft so I decided not to. But when the foam used is firm, that's a great suggestion.
+Bonnie & Pete Russell Thanks. Most of the foam that I've used (including for these boxes) came from misc shipping boxes. But I know that thick foam can be bought from big box stores and the Internet. Sorry that I can't be more specific.
MinWax wipe-on poly is actually oil-based. I gleaned this from the "Product Details" page of the MinWax site, which recommends organic-based solvents (mineral spirits, paint thinner) as you'd expect for an oil-based poly.
I can assure you that MinWax makes a water-based wipe-on which is what I used. I live in California and you cannot buy most oil-based finishes here. If you don't live in California you may have difficulty finding the water-based version.
You do a fantastic job! I really enjoy your videos. Quick question..... What happened to the powermatic bandsaw? Did you switch back, or do you run two saws in your shop?
Thanks! Originally I was going to sell my Delta and only use the Powermatic. But it turns out to be very convenient to have two bandsaws. I use the Powermatic, with its large blade, for ripping and resawing. A small blade is kept on the Delta, where I use it for cutting curves and small items. Fortunately bandsaws take up very little floor space.
Several years ago I read the test results for various glues for wood and there was no significant difference among; white, yellow, epoxy, hide. The test was conducted by a US Govt. agency, I'm thinking the Forest Service. I have not learned of any breakthrough in glue technology so I believe the test to still be valid.
If I could I would add to my comment. Was there a reason for using Masonite instead walnut for the inserts. Did you make the 45's on a table saw and did you say there was one coat of she-lac used before the poly. I have now watched 4 times, twice on the computer and twice on the tv. The tv doesn't show the detail the computer does. It is indeed very nice work.
Marty Backe Love the boxes Marty.A question about the finish. I've finished Walnut before with 3 coats of an oil/poly blend then a coat of clear Briwax. The problem is, you can still see white flecks of wax in the pours that i can't get out.Any idea what could solve this?Many thanks from Liverpool England
Kev Bond Hi Kev. Thanks for the compliment. Regards the wax... When you use a wax on any open grained wood (oak, mahogany, walnut, etc.), as you observe, the wax will be embedded into the pores. To avoid the white flecks you need to use a colored wax that will dry close to the color of the wood. In my case I applied a dark brown wax to the walnut. To fix your particular problem you will have to remove the wax. Mineral Spirits is a common solvent in waxes, so it should readily remove the clear wax that you applied. Mineral Spirits is very mild and therefore will have no affect on your finish (but always test first to be sure). Then apply a brown wax.
+Marty Backe Many factors obviously, but a rule of thumb is 1/4" movement for a 12" board; since you have a quarter if that, it would be a 1/16" movement which is enough to cause problems. Please post a follow-up video in a few years times time!
+David Carter I've been making these for years. Sometimes it's better to live by how the world actually works instead of what's printed in a book. My real-world experience tells me that wood movement is not an issue with small boxes like this. Your mileage may vary.
+Marty Backe I think that's the point. Our humidity levels go from 80-90 in a wet winter to 40 in a dry summer. Your boxes are obviously quite locale to you!
+David Carter I appreciate the back-and-forth. It's always interesting to see other peoples perspective. My boxes live in humid and extremely dry locations in the United States. No problems. I'm curious, you've made similar boxes which developed cracks or otherwise fell apart? Are you speaking from experience?
Personal preference. I think it adds a nice contrast, and only fellow woodworkers would know that it's hardboard. Everyone else may think it's some 'exotic' material ;-)
bob ross of woodworking. I dont think falling a sleep is a bad thing, he makes relaxing videos. When im woodworking i use the fine adjustment tool heaps and usually lots of language that would make a sailor blush.
