Nathan Love, Malua Bay, NSW

Thoughts and wishes
Jarrah, silky oak, apple tree burl
190 x 120 x 40mm

Materials
Body of main box is jarrah, the internal box has a silky oak lid and base, apple tree burl sides (I think) and jarrah highlights. The lining of the box is velvet.
All the timber was found at my great Uncle’s place after he passed away – hundreds of pieces of timber he ever got around to using – a woodworker’s dream stash!

Concept
The concept behind this box was to make something as organically shaped and 'un-boxlike' as possible – something which was interesting in it’s own right, but suggested that there was something hidden within, and invited exploration. I’ve always loved the idea of boxes or desks with hidden draws or compartments, so I guess this is an elaboration on that idea.
As far as boxes go, the internal box is tiny (60 x 50 x 18mm) and wouldn’t hold any more than maybe a few rings or a necklace – but as I explained to my then girlfriend (who I made it for) it would hold a thousand thoughts and wishes and keep them safe. We are now married with a beautiful son, so maybe the box did its job.

Method of Construction
Firstly, I cut a 5mm thick slab from the bottom of the piece of timber on a triton table saw (a nightmare involving 20 passes) then routed out the internal chamber, the size being dictated by the type of carving I was going to do. The base was then glued back on using Fuller’s Maxbond PVA.
The box was then sawn in half widthways, lined with velvet and the internal box was made using half lapped joints. I wanted to use dovetails but the walls of the box were too thin. The lid hinged with brass rod passing through the walls of the box and into the ends of the lid. The internal box is made to fit fairly snug, and was left in place during the carving process.
The outside was roughed into shape using an Arbortech cutter on an angle grinder, then shaped using a belt sander, file and a Dremel. All detail work was done using a Dremel.
Finish was simply sanding down then applying a beeswax finish with fine steel wool, and buffed off using the polishing wheels on the Dremel.
Thanks for the opportunity, and congratulations on producing such an informative and long-running publication.

Photos: Nathan Love