# Flatwork...Sort of



## CodyC (Jun 5, 2012)

There's not too many flat places on this project. It is a bandsaw box from Lois Keener Ventura's book "Building Beautiful Boxes With your Bandsaw." She named this box "Lotus" and it was her first original design. I've wanted to make it since the first time I laid eyes on it. It's a challenge, with all the curves and sanding but the results are definitely worth the time. It took me two days to get it ready for finishing after I had glued up the blanks. 

The primary wood is Walnut and the drawer pulls are River Birch. It's actually a three-piece project, two mirror-image flowers and a base. The left-hand flower is 11" x 6" x 4" deep. The right-hand flower is 13" x 6" x 4" deep. The base is 23" x 13" at the widest of two dimensions.

I used an angle grinder to narrow the longest "stems" on the flowers and to slope the edge of the base. The base is free-form and LOML suggested I include a couple of shallow depressions in the base for temporarily placing earrings which I thought was a great idea.

Finish is a seal coat of shellac that I mostly sanded off and then three or four coats of deft lacquer. The inside of the drawers are flocked with Don-Jer Suede-Tex flocking in emerald green.

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[attachment=6422]


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## Kevin (Jun 5, 2012)

Wow that's so, so cool!


Just love it. 




:welldone:


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## chippin-in (Jun 5, 2012)

Very very very very cool. Great job

Robert


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## Twig Man (Jun 5, 2012)

I love that. Super job!


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## DKMD (Jun 5, 2012)

That's awesome! Looks like a lot of work, but it was definitely worth the effort!


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## hardtwist (Jun 5, 2012)

Rated from 1 to 10, that's a solid 12!!! Great work!


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## CodyC (Jun 6, 2012)

Thank you all for the kind comments. They are encouraging and appreciated.


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## CodyS (Jun 15, 2012)

This is some very nice work indeed! But what else would you expect from somebody with such a great name!


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## CodyC (Jun 16, 2012)

cody.sheridan-2008 said:


> But what else would you expect from somebody with such a great name!


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## Gene Howe (Jun 16, 2012)

Wow, Cody. Absolutely gorgeous!
I have that set on my bench right now. I had to fill a bunch of stress cracks in the Walnut with turquoise. I'm in the sanding process, now. Sanding those things is a real b*&^$, isn't it?:dash2:
Your wife's idea was great. Tell her that I'm gonna steal it.
Once again, your work is beautiful. I hope mine turns out as nice.


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## CodyC (Jun 17, 2012)

Gene Howe said:


> Wow, Cody. Absolutely gorgeous!
> I have that set on my bench right now. I had to fill a bunch of stress cracks in the Walnut with turquoise. I'm in the sanding process, now. Sanding those things is a real b*&^$, isn't it?:dash2:
> Your wife's idea was great. Tell her that I'm gonna steal it.
> Once again, your work is beautiful. I hope mine turns out as nice.



Thanks for the comments, Gene, and don't think you are stealing. A pretty smart feller once wrote, "There's nothing new under the sun." Everything is simply an adaptation of what's already been done. i'm glad you liked the wife's idea and I'll certainly tell her. She will get a kick out of knowing others liked it, too.

The Turquoise infill should look great but yes, the sanding is a female dog. I did a lot at the oscillating spindle sander but the hand sanding I would save for after 6:00 p.m. Then I would pop the top on a Corona, sit in my shop chair in front of the AC and sand away. A swig out of the Corona bottle every couple of minutes somehow made the sanding go a lot better. 

I'll be lookinfg forward to seeing your completed box.


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## Gene Howe (Jun 17, 2012)

Minus the A/C, and a Dos Equis instead, we think alike. 
The spindle sander saves a lot of time, for sure. Where it couldn't get to, I split a 1" dowel on the BS and used some Super 77 to adhere strips of sand paper. It's long enough to grab with both hands so I can sand with the grain. For final sanding, I bought one of these "Noodles" kids use in the pool. Cut it up and I think I can get to all the curves and valleys. 
I have made several band saw boxes, including a few from Ventura's book. This one is, by far, the most challenging. If I ever make another one, it'll be re-designed so the spindle sander will reach everywhere!:dash2:



CodyC said:


> Thanks for the comments, Gene, and don't think you are stealing. A pretty smart feller once wrote, "There's nothing new under the sun." Everything is simply an adaptation of what's already been done. i'm glad you liked the wife's idea and I'll certainly tell her. She will get a kick out of knowing others liked it, too.
> 
> The Turquoise infill should look great but yes, the sanding is a female dog. I did a lot at the oscillating spindle sander but the hand sanding I would save for after 6:00 p.m. Then I would pop the top on a Corona, sit in my shop chair in front of the AC and sand away. A swig out of the Corona bottle every couple of minutes somehow made the sanding go a lot better.
> 
> I'll be lookinfg forward to seeing your completed box.


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