Part 3 of "What would the neighbors think...?"

Yes, another renaming, but this is the final title of this piece.

And the final result...

I decided to leave the doors off. I wasn't happy with the design, and since this is a "try-out" model, I decided not to put any more time and material in this model. I wanted the doors to be taller, so they would overlap part of the drawers when closed, which would make the drawers inaccessible at the same time as the text body. So that's for the next box!

For the text body I used a concertina fold, with the valleys held in place by copper rods

 inserted into the base and top

There is no text in the body, just inkjet-printed old family photos.

I topped the protruding rods with vintage brads.

Silver crown from one of my late mother-in-law's religious figures.

Dan Kelm's workshop part 2. "Where did we go wrong?"

No, not a lamentation uttered while working on this box; yes, the "Round Box" got a proper name! More about the "content" later.

This in itself could be a finished box, but where would the fun be..

An extra layer added to accommodate the copper rods that will hold the pages in place.

Figuring out the spacing of the holes for the rods.

The "bare" box starts taking shape.

Working out the hinging details of the round enclosure/door on a model - I used copper tubing, threaded on a smaller tube.

 I then worked out how to attach this to the main body.

The two halves of the door, with the flaps that go around the hinge.

One half attached to the hinge.

The two halves attached to the hinge.

The doors with the inside lining.

Trying out the concept of the pages.

At this stage, only the bottom box with the drawers is finished. Everything else is still in the "try-out with masking tape" stage. I am working on the content, and then when all the individual pieces are ready, it can be put together. The last stage is where I assemble the rods, pages, lid and door in fell swoop. Until then I will have done many dry runs, using masking tape and clips.

The learning on this project is incredible, and I am documenting my mistakes. When this box is finished I consider it my "learning" box. The one after that will be the exhibition-standard one!

Dan Kelm's workshop

I was lucky enough to be invited to a Dan Kelm workshop at Mary Taylor's studio back in November. He is the master! Just look at some of his work here.

I went there with a vague idea, and Dan helped me along greatly.

So these past couple of days I finally had time to implement what I had learned from the workshop, and I'm well on my way making the "round book box", for lack of a better title for now.

I am using an old industrial spool, 10" in diameter and 7" high, for the internal structure.
On the bottom it will have four trays, and each tray has a different number of partitions.

The bottom on which the trays will sit, and the top.

The underside of the covered bottom ( a lot of cutting!)

Be careful to not cut the notches too close to the board, or you'll get these little "frays". You should stay away one board width + 1/8"

The tray part is beginning to take shape.

The makings of a tray in close-up.

 The pieces of lining and partitions.

The lining glued in place, with grooves for the partitions to fit into.

 The partition slotted into the groove to check the fit

 The tray covered with paper, the grooves clearly visible.

 The trays drying, and with the damp fronts tied around them to shape them before covering and gluing.

 The covered fronts with little drawer pulls, ready to be put on the trays.

All the trays in place on the bottom housing.

Bottom housing.

My very professional "jig" for shaping the round doors.