Band Saw Box - The Woodpecker

   I made my own band saw box last season.  This was a prototype project and one that I have yet to return to in an effort to develop my skills.  The band saw box turned out fairly well, but suffers from poor design.  When I made it I picked a scrap out of a burn pile and cut it up without drawing a design, and so....the drawers are pretty much upside down.  When I make another box I will reverse the order and have the largest drawer on the bottom.  As I was cutting this box out, I was making in up as I went along, the result is not a good design.

   On the net I was watching The Woodpecker make a band saw box.  As he went through his video he showed all the steps in order and when he was finally finished the result was technically good but he also made an observation about his design.  You'll have to watch the entire video to hear what he has to say.

   I have come to believe that I need to spend more time on the design phase of a project than I am.  My general wood working skills have risen over the last few years and my finishing skills have improved as well.  Now when I embark on a project there is a pretty good chance that I will get it build and it will be sound and solid.  Now I need to consider design, so that the project will not only be sound. but it will also be pleasing to the eye.

   A tool to aid in design is the internet once again it can be a tool which  provides a valuable resource.  If you wonder what I mean all you need do is type band saw box photo into a search engine, and shazam, hundreds of photographs of band saw boxes from all over the world. If you go to You Tube there as dozens of woodworkers showing off their methods for making band saw boxes. If you want to recreate period furniture you need to go to museums and study measured drawings, if you want to create something artistic and free form all you need is to see what others have done and use there work as an inspiration.

   Probably I will need a note over my bench to remind me to work on the design longer and with greater attention.  You can teach an old dog new tricks, it just takes a really long time.

cheers,