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,

An Inspiration from the Internet

  I seem to have turned to the net for content in this last week.   That is mostly because  I am not doing much of interest to you, in my shop just now.

 I made a 24 foot long trough that directs water from our basement's sump pump across the back yard and toward a pond.  It was not high tech, or challenging or of any interest to anyone but us, but it was a shop job. It is also moving toward frost on the wind screen weather and so the garage needed to be cleaned out so the car could have a warmer place to sleep.  That involved making some shelves and moving stuff around and there was nearly a day's worth of shop time spent, not in the shop.

  

GEN 99-300

the rack in use, bicycle tools and gear

  Certainly the rack is over kill, but I had one in a box from years ago and it seemed a good idea to put it to work.

  As a safety policy I do not work in my shop once I have had a drink or any of those pills that come with the warning not to operate heavy machinery.  For several days this week I have been battling a cold/flu thing and so taking the afore mentioned pills.  Actual shop time has been a little bit reduced and so I have been looking through the internet for things to share with my readers.

   I found a very interesting video about a wood carver that carves wooden bow ties.  I had seen the video a year ot two ago and went looking for it last night.  Since I saw the video the first time, wooden bow ties have become a cool, fashion thing it seems.   I am always amazed at "fashion", something can flash onto the scene and just as quickly disappear, but when it is here, the "fashion" people act as though it will last forever and everyone needs to be on board with the trend. 

  The video  shows some of Mr. Beloff's work and takes time to talk with him about his feelings and ideas relating to woodworking and life.  The video is not long but I encourage you to take special notice at 2:19 and then again at 2:29.  "Passion, Persistence, Repetition.

cheers, Ian W