Replies

1. 
   rhagenstein | Jan 13, 2007 09:54am | #1

   I have recently gotten into this fine world of shaker boxes and the one-stop location for supplies, instruction, articles, wisdom, etc. is http://www.ovalshakerbox.com, web home of John Wilson.  I have just finished a run of about a dozen boxes for Christmas gifts for family.  One of the gifts included cherry strips - some assembly required - for my neices (11 and 13).  We had a couple of great sessions in the woodshop doing the trimming, boiling, bending, fitting tops and bottoms, sanding and finishing.  Came out great (much credit due to my neices) and they were overjoyed.  But I digress.

   The 3/8" thickness seems way too thick.  Are you sure its not 3/16 or less.  John Wilson's articles and whatnot have appropriate dimensions.  I have had no trouble with the boil for 10-20 minutes and bend approach, except when doing very small boxes using kiln-dried maple.  I highly recommend using non-kiln dried wood.  I have not had to use strapping to bend without splitting.  One thing that has proved crucial for me is to use distilled water instead of tap (the tap has enough impurities that the cherry was getting black spots that were hard to sand out.

   Good luck, hope they turn out well.  Again, look to John Wilson's web site.  It has great info and the forms, supplies, tools, templates, instructions, etc available for sale are a great bargain and give you all you need to know.

   Randy

1. 
   gmoney | Jan 13, 2007 05:49pm | #3

   i have those kits too and haven't tried them yet. i think it's because i have to make the molds first and i just don't get to that part.  the distilled water is a great tip that i'll remember when i do get there. 

   nice gifts!  i would be thrilled to get those as a gift.  a few years ago when i went to hancock shaker village i was overjoyed to buy a mass produced shaker box.  i built some shaker style candle boxes as gifts this year.  they went over quite well in the family.

   greg

1. 
   rhagenstein | Jan 13, 2007 07:45pm | #5

   It is a bit of an investment in time to make the molds and the 'corks' to use to hold shape while drying, but once you make them, you are set and don't have to do it again.  I made hardboard templates of the different sizes and used them as templates on a router table to make the pieces for the molds out of MDF. 

   Now I find that I can bend up half a dozen boxes and lid bands in 1/2 day in the shop.  Then maybe an hour per box for making and fitting bottoms and lids.  So bite the bullet on making some molds and then have lots of fun making lots of boxes.

   Good Luck!

1. 
   gmoney | Jan 13, 2007 09:46pm | #6

   man that's great too!  so just to understand you correctly.  you inintially cut a pattern out of hardboard, use that and a pattern cutting bit to rout mdf for the molds?  then you stack the patterned mdf cuts to get the depth needed for various sized oval boxes?

   do you buy the stock as in the original kit from john wilson or do you now re-saw your own stock?

   thanks greg

2. 
   user-263695 | Jan 13, 2007 10:20pm | #7

   Thanks for the tips.  Yes, on re-measuring, the stock is about 1/4 inch.  OK, I'll boil some distilled water and give it a try.  Thanks again.

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Jan 13, 2007 10:48pm | #8

   What size box are you making? When I make #2 size, for example, the sides are 0.062" (about 1/16")

2. 
   Roger99 | Jan 13, 2007 05:41pm | #2

   Hi; I had some bad luck bending small pieces of wood after soaking the white oak and walnut in water and then steaming them. I heard that you need to use green wood because it had water in it. Since I did not have green wood, only dry wood, I tried making it absorb more water by soaking it in a long black plastic sewer pipe filled with water and a little fabric softner. The fabric softner decreased the waters surface tention and the water soaked in and the wood sank after a few days with the pipe sitting out in the sun. The seaming went much better and I did not have any trouble with the wood snaping during my bending. Try the fabric softner and the soaking in the sun till the wood sinks. Good luck, Roger

1. 
   gmoney | Jan 13, 2007 05:51pm | #4

   alright, that's another good tip to remember. thanks