Geoff Scammell, Devon North, VIC

Bentwood Box
Blackwood
300 x 200 x 130mm

Material
Blackwood trees grow in Southern Victoria and Tasmania. The timber for my bentwood box, was taken from a fallen blackwood tree and sawn at a local sawmill. I have air dried the selected timber chosen to make this box for at least two years before beginning construction.

Method of Construction
When dry, I machined the timber into strips approximately 3mm thick. The laminates were then moulded on a former after which the ends were tapered and glued. The glue used in the box construction is of the PVC variety. On completion, the blackwood was finished with coats of timber varnish.

Concept
Bentwood boxes can be dated back to the Viking era. They were made in various sizes from small to very large. These boxes were used to carry all manner of goods, from lunches to all of their worldly possessions. Sometimes, the Viking boxes were personalised by decorating them with beads, laces and fancy holes.
Bentwood boxes differ in their unique construction from the conventional hinged lid style. The bentwood box lid is ‘snapped’ on using the lever each side, gently flexing it out. There are, however, within the same family many differing designs that use the same construction technique.

Photos: Margaret Scammell