Wobbly box WIP

[AlexS]

My latest project, which I've had at the back of my mind for some time, is a 'wobbly box'. I wanted to get away from straight-sided, rectangular boxes, and this is a development of my 'bitter and twisted' box.

It's made up from squares laminated together and slightly offset, so the box develops a twist. However, this one will also curve away from the vertical, so the sides of the squares are not the same height, and two of them are tapered.

The top and bottom of the box are smaller than the middle, so the squares increase in size towards the middle, then reduce again. I'll be making the box in two halves, top and bottom, so that it's easier to tidy up the inside. This also means that I can play around with the halves to see which orientation looks best.

Wobbly Box 1.jpgWobbly Box 4.jpg
This is one orientation,

Wobbly Box 6.jpgWobbly Box 7.jpg
This is another. In these photos, the squares are not yet glued together.

I still haven't decided which I prefer.

After they are glued together
Interior 1.jpg

The insides need to be smoothed.
Interior 2.jpg

I still haven't decided which orientation to use, and whether to leave the outside stepped, smoothed or textured by carving.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Well, that's a new twist! Trés cool.

How'd you smooth the inside? I imagine getting into the corners was the hard part?

[AlexS]

Skew, One of the insides is completely convex, so I was able to smooth it with a rasp. The others are either concave or a mixture, so I pared them sort of smooth with a chisel. I did a bit more on all sides with a scraper, and then was able to get a detail sander in to sand most of the sides. What I couldn't do with the sander, I did with a riffler file. The whole lot will need to be sanded by hand later.

The corners, especially the concave ones, are fiddly, and carving with a chisel seems to be the best way.

[tea lady]

Nice.

[Uncle Al]

You must have 'stacks' of time on your hands.
A very interesting concept. There are so many variations on this theme that could be explored.

Thanks for posting, I will follow this one with interest.

Alan...

[TTIT]

Gotta see where this one goes . . . . and I thought I was the one with the twisted ideas!!!!

[AlexS]

I've smoothed the outsides now, firstly by paring with a chisel, then working with a scraper and finally by sanding.

Outsides smooth 2.jpgOutsides smooth 1.jpg

[Dengue]

You're a bit of a worry, Alex. Wonder what Derek in Perth would thing about this twisted and warped approach to box making The mind boggles

Congratulations on an amazing bit of craftmanship, brilliant stuff. They remind me of the melted down cooling towers of a nuclear generator.

[kyaden]

Wow they look different! Never seen anything like that, a man of great patience for sure!

[Dengue]

Just had another look, and spotted the continuous grain - that is truly amazing, Alex, great design and craftmanship to do this.

I'm afraid this mere mortal is stuck on learning how to do rectangular boxes

[AlexS]

Thanks for your generous comments, gents.

Fitted the lid and final sanded the box today, ready for shellac and oil. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but the idea is worth developing, I think. Daughter says it looks like a sand worm, so maybe that's what I'll call it.
Timber is southern silky oak.

Complete 1.jpg

Complete 2.jpg

[Ruddy]

Hi Alex
There is so much to like about this piece of art. Turning an idea into reality is always a lot of fun. No plans to follow, just a concept........sometimes it works, other times it does not.
Here you have a winner.

[JDarvall]

cool.

reminds me of an accordion.

[AlexS]

cool.

reminds me of an accordion.

Thanks Jake. It was even more like one before I smoothed it.

[TTIT]

.............. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but the idea is worth developing, I think. ................

Even if you don't like it, I'm damn sure somebody out there will! I think it looks great - something like an animated Disney character