Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
- Tex_Lawrence
- Vectric Wizard
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Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
After over a year of making items with my Shapeoko XXL, I finally got caught up enough (thanks to the current crappy situation) to make a few major gifts for those in my family that have put up with me!
This box project was made for my Grandson’s 6th birthday. I guess I’m in charge of creating those lasting memories that we all talk about. Hopefully, this one will hang around long enough for him to remember us old folks.
I decorated all the flat sides with vcarving things that he’s expressed interest in for a few years. Unsurprisingly, the most difficult item was one that had the most detail in the graphic file. I had to edit many vectors to simplify the detail, but preserve it at the same time.
Of course, the intensity / apprehension was there at all stages, because the vcarving had to be done and finished before the box could be assembled. Then there was the ubiquitous sliding lid to be engineered to fit. While I was planning, I got the bright idea to add a hidden compartment for those “secrets” we all had when we were young. That compartment required some engineering to create a strong magnetic latching mechanism.
One of the key components was the addition of a windup music box that was saved from an old jewelry box that I gave my wife back in the day. Our Grandson has always been fascinated by the simplicity of a music box compared to his parents iPhone music. Go figger.
I made it out of walnut planks that came sanded and sized, but there were enough variations in thickness to cause me to do lots of fitting to the inside components. The finishing was actually a cherry stain that I added until I got the darkness needed. In the process, I was able to darken the vcarving to an acceptable level. I started by sealing with shellac before cutting. After cutting, I applied an espresso stain but quickly wiped it off the surface. When that dried in the vcarve, I lightly sanded the flat surfaces to remove the shellac as much as possible. That’s when I started the cherry stain process. I think I applied the stain 3 times. That also darkened the vcarve areas. The point was that I wanted a “brown” for the vcarve and not a “black.”
In any case, the Grandson likes it, and he alternately hides and unhides various items. I wish that I had had a hidden compartment to hide all my lousy school report cards!
This box project was made for my Grandson’s 6th birthday. I guess I’m in charge of creating those lasting memories that we all talk about. Hopefully, this one will hang around long enough for him to remember us old folks.
I decorated all the flat sides with vcarving things that he’s expressed interest in for a few years. Unsurprisingly, the most difficult item was one that had the most detail in the graphic file. I had to edit many vectors to simplify the detail, but preserve it at the same time.
Of course, the intensity / apprehension was there at all stages, because the vcarving had to be done and finished before the box could be assembled. Then there was the ubiquitous sliding lid to be engineered to fit. While I was planning, I got the bright idea to add a hidden compartment for those “secrets” we all had when we were young. That compartment required some engineering to create a strong magnetic latching mechanism.
One of the key components was the addition of a windup music box that was saved from an old jewelry box that I gave my wife back in the day. Our Grandson has always been fascinated by the simplicity of a music box compared to his parents iPhone music. Go figger.
I made it out of walnut planks that came sanded and sized, but there were enough variations in thickness to cause me to do lots of fitting to the inside components. The finishing was actually a cherry stain that I added until I got the darkness needed. In the process, I was able to darken the vcarving to an acceptable level. I started by sealing with shellac before cutting. After cutting, I applied an espresso stain but quickly wiped it off the surface. When that dried in the vcarve, I lightly sanded the flat surfaces to remove the shellac as much as possible. That’s when I started the cherry stain process. I think I applied the stain 3 times. That also darkened the vcarve areas. The point was that I wanted a “brown” for the vcarve and not a “black.”
In any case, the Grandson likes it, and he alternately hides and unhides various items. I wish that I had had a hidden compartment to hide all my lousy school report cards!
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
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- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:30 am
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:30 am
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:30 am
- Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko3XXL; JTech7W; V-CarvePro 12.004
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Tex_Lawrence
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:30 am
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
____________________________________________________________________
All in all, it was a fun and anxious project, and my Grandson is still putting stuff in it!
____________________________________________________________________
All in all, it was a fun and anxious project, and my Grandson is still putting stuff in it!
____________________________________________________________________
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
- Todd Bailey
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Wow... that is an amazing project!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share it. It is simply amazing and a beautiful thing he will surely have for a very long time.
Wish I had something like that from my Grandfather... truly a special gift made with love!
Well done.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share it. It is simply amazing and a beautiful thing he will surely have for a very long time.
Wish I had something like that from my Grandfather... truly a special gift made with love!
Well done.
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Todd Bailey | Design and Make
DesignAndMake.com
Todd Bailey | Design and Make
DesignAndMake.com
- jfederer
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Very nice project, something your grandson will treasure. I like how you integrated the "secret" compartment. Elegant!
Joe Federer
www.fabrikisto.com incl. Tailmaker software
www.federer.ca
www.fabrikisto.com incl. Tailmaker software
www.federer.ca
- mtylerfl
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Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
We can see you put a lot of thought into that project...amazing work, Tex!
Michael Tyler
facebook.com/carvebuddy
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facebook.com/carvebuddy
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-ShopBot Buddy PRSAlpha CNC
- Tex_Lawrence
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 958
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:30 am
- Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko3XXL; JTech7W; V-CarvePro 12.004
- Location: Dayton, Texas (Don't Mess With My Texas!)
Re: Mystery Keepsake Box for Grandson
Thank you folks for the kind words.
I don't remember much about my grandfather. I was just too young when he died. I do know that he would walk about twenty miles to the farm where we lived (his farm; my dad worked it) just to look around and visit with us. He would sleep in the "outhouse" (no, not THAT one.) Then he would walk back to his house. He must have been in his 70's.
That's what drives me to make sure my Son and Grandson knows me and knows I'm watching them!
I don't remember much about my grandfather. I was just too young when he died. I do know that he would walk about twenty miles to the farm where we lived (his farm; my dad worked it) just to look around and visit with us. He would sleep in the "outhouse" (no, not THAT one.) Then he would walk back to his house. He must have been in his 70's.
That's what drives me to make sure my Son and Grandson knows me and knows I'm watching them!
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.
Now there's a man with an open mind – you can feel the breeze from here.