Then, pour yourself into it, don't stifle your creativity. Make as many designs as you can dream up, and the winners will become apparent.
I like it. The roll top keeps dust out if you are placing stuff that is not used often in there. Larger is definitely better. Glad you are having fun with you projects!
No brag...just fact. I finally managed to complete a box from the old oak....and saved the adz marks. For me, this is the real character of this wood. The tambour door is from the same piece of wood. Slabbed it off the piece that was cut from the original block after I cut out the box. Pretty sappy...I know....but an amazing piece of history is told in this wood. This box is going to my wife's cousin. He just finished saving and restoring the 100yr old court house in Madras, OR. He is a true believer in saving the past. I hope that in another 100yrs, someone will hold this in their hands and have some idea and feeling for what it is and where it came from. Thoughts....
I have a rare piece of pink ivory wood from Africa that my dad bought probably 30 yrs ago. It is in round form, looks like a trunk section. I think I need to send it to you, maybe you can find a box or two in it. Look it up, I think it stated that only Zulu royalty were allowed to wear it in Africa years ago.
So neat to repurpose that oak again. It looks very old western, reminds me of the fence posts turned into vases... Put a card with the story of the wood inside, and sign and date it on the bottom, maybe with a wood burning kit?
There is something to be said about repurposed wood. There is a particular essence of taking an old piece of wood and making it useful, even if decorative.
5yrs ago, my neighbor had her dead walnut tree taken down. I got all the wood big enough to burn and build stuff with. Finally had some time to pull a few pieces out. This box came out of a gnarled, half dead crotch of a big limb coming out of the main trunk. Always forget to take pics before I start cutting. It was a challenge. Trying to cut around the rotton stuff and a major mistake..... it came out pretty nice. I'm going to return it to her.
What a beautiful color, and so many twists and turns in the grain. Funny to think it was an ugly ol' crotch!
Thanks! This is just too much fun. I cut this piece on a 45deg to the grain. It is just so different than ripping or cross cutting against the grain. I don't discount any piece of wood I look at. Pure, straight grain, no knot wood is nice....but kind of boring.