Spalted Maple & Cocobolo Box

[BangleGuy]

I finished my second box build using the Shapeoko this week and it came out a lot better than the walnut and cherry box . It is made from a large block of curly spalted maple I had, with some accent pieces made of Cocobolo. Since some parts of the wood were really punky, I used the CA glue flood technique to stabilize it, but of course that changed the color quite a bit. To get the tone evened out, I had to useedium walnut Watco, which matched the CA portions really closely. Once the Watco was dry, I sprayed on gloss poly using about 8 coats, with steel wool every 3rd or 4th cycle.

I 3D profiling software (Carbide Create Pro) for the lid, both top and bottom. It’s cool to watch the CNC traverse in three axis simultaneously. You can follow the Shapeoko adventures here.

Here’s the pics;

 

[Eric Rorabaugh]

Wow!!!

 

[stephen45710]

Wow. Just wow.

 

[Tony]

Very cool! I like the way the corners and handle match and tie it all together.

 

[DLJeffs]

Top notch box, Eric. Beautiful. Like the finish adjustment too.

 

[Steve in VA]

That's fantastic Eric! I bet you're going to have lots of fun with that machine!!

 

[DKMD]

Cool! Love the handle!

 

[Karl_TN]

Nicely done. I think that would make a nice CNC video to watch if you ever get time to create one.

 

[BangleGuy]

Very cool! I like the way the corners and handle match and tie it all together.

Thanks @Tony , I have to give credit to my wife and daughter for the design help. I made several lid prototypes and they gave me steady suggestions along the way, which drove me to make a multi-piece handle design. This was a lot more complicated than I had planned, but it all came together nicely.
I started the lid by cutting slots for the Cocobolo handle inserts, then CA glued them in place and began routing the 3D profile. The handle uprights and bar were the last pieces glued on, once the lid finish was complete.

 

[BangleGuy]

Top notch box, Eric. Beautiful. Like the finish adjustment too.

Thanks @DLJeffs , I agree and it was much easier to apply. My only regret with this box is using Cocobolo and not a rosewood or maybe Blackwood. The spray on poly just doesn’t cure on coco. The vertical dowels in each corner are still tacky and it has been days. I am open to any suggestions! I’ve been thinking about applying some masking on each corner and getting out the acetone to remove the poly from the Cocobolo pieces. Maybe I should have wiped the rods down prior to installing with acetone. Grrr.

 

[BangleGuy]

That's fantastic Eric! I bet you're going to have lots of fun with that machine!!

@Steve in VA I have really been enjoying making things with the CNC. However, since it it so accurate and repeatable, I find myself obsessing over a few thousands of an inch. If parts don’t quite match, I tweak the program and rerun (over and over). It’s super easy to re-run the program with an offset of say .005”, but each run takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on the geometry. And of course I don’t want to overshoot, so I do multiple skim passes and sneak up on smooth transitions. I need to remember that using sandpaper is ok! Ha!

 

[Steve in VA]

@Steve in VA I have really been enjoying making things with the CNC. However, since it it so accurate and repeatable, I find myself obsessing over a few thousands of an inch. If parts don’t quite match, I tweak the program and rerun (over and over). It’s super easy to re-run the program with an offset of say .005”, but each run takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on the geometry. And of course I don’t want to overshoot, so I do multiple skim passes and sneak up on smooth transitions. I need to remember that using sandpaper is ok! Ha!

Yeah, I would imagine that could start to drive you nuts But on the other hand, once dialed in....

I have an Uncle that was a machinist in the Navy. He'll spend 15 minutes getting his table saw set up for one cut, only to make a bird feeder for the backyard. It's a tight fitting bird feeder though; I'll give him that! We joke about it all the time

 

[BangleGuy]

Nicely done. I think that would make a nice CNC video to watch if you ever get time to create one.

@Karl_TN I will be starting a new box build this weekend which is far more ambitious. I plan on using Buckeye burl and resin casting to make a box for my wife. She wants the bling, so fire engine red mica powder is on tap. I will take more pictures along the way.
I have watched a lot of maker videos on YouTube and it would be cool to capture the process without words, just showing the process. But I imagine creating videos like that would take a lot of time. Thanks! Eric

 

[T. Ben]

That is a fantastic box.

 

[Nature Man]

Beautiful! You are taking box making to the next level. Eager to see the complexities of future creations! The finishing challenge you experienced with Cocobolo reminded me of a similar frustration I had with African Blackwood. Chuck

 

[CWS]

Wow!!!

You just need to sell wood Eric.

 

[Jolie0708]

Awesome!

 

[Barb]

I am so glad that a cnc machine is out of my "rabbit hole" price range. That box is incredible!