Robin Cromer, Red Cedar Bonsai (BOWLS, BOXES 2022)

Photos:

Robin Cromer

I could not decide on a design for a box to make for the competition this year and I was running out of time to enter. During the COVID lockdowns, several experienced members of the Woodcraft Guild (ACT) arranged very successful zoom meetings with the Boxmaking Group. I had investigated the incorporation of ‘legs’ into the design of a box and several sessions relating to this theme attracted a great deal of interest. The idea of a box with legs thus had great appeal, but I had got no further. The Guild arranges the sale of timber and tools for members who can no longer work with wood or sadly, partners who are left behind when a member has passed on. During one such sale, a stunning piece of rare fiddleback red cedar became available so I was able to link my formative design with some spectacular timber. The design was based on joining the box panels to the vertical legs with floating tenons. Since boxes are relatively small in scale, the tenons on the two sides of the legs that are joined, need to be offset. An allowance was also required for the front and back panels to be lower than the sides, so the lid could fit neatly, between them. I wanted to avoid a regular rectangular cuboid shape so I introduced curves on the bottom of each panel and on the legs. A strip of Japanese maple was glued to the curved bases of each panel and stringing of 2mm English boxwood was inlaid around each of the panels excluding the back. The legs were made from Salmon Bean timber, the curves cut on a bandsaw and cleaned up with a spoke shave. The marquetry design that I chose was based on a gnarled old tree which could easily be a bonsai that has been lovingly tended for many years. The background was made from four-way book matched cherry veneer. The lid was constructed using mortice and tenon joinery for strength. Solid brass Brusso stop-hinges (1.25”) were used. The base of the box was lined with burgundy suede pigskin. Finish throughout was blond shellac and the outside was given a coat of traditional wax. Timbers: Box – Red cedar (Toona ciliata), legs – Salmon Bean (Archidendron vaillantii), Curved edge strips – Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ), String inlay – English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), Veneer inside lid and base – Olive ash (Fraxinus sp.).

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