# Christmas 2015 projects - Tea Boxes



## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

I make a lot of boxes. I had several request for tea boxes for holding tea bags. Here are several - made of spalted maple and walnut with tiger maple tops. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

kywoodchopper said:


> I make a lot of boxes. I had several request for tea boxes for holding tea bags. Here are several - made of spalted maple and walnut with tiger maple tops. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


love the vibrant character....


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

All very nice Malcolm, but that dark walnut...wow. Drop-dead gorgeous piece of wood to start with and how ever you finished it just is beautiful. Almost surreal looking at it!!

earl


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I like them all, Malcolm, Maple is my staple wood,love it, and you did a fine job as always. I like the way you space those little spline joints. Good job finishing too.

Herb


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Very nice ! This is going to be my first project when I start building boxes


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Beautiful...nice finish...I'm sure you've made some happy folks...(not to mention the Forum)...


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

Several months ago I found a fellow in Gnaw Bone, Indiana that had the walnut. Ended up with 2-truck loads of it. Got the spalted maple from a fellow in Xenia, Ohio. Got the tiger maple from a place in Deputy, Indiana. Beautiful wood is hard to come by. The finish on these boxes is MinWax Wipe-On Poly - about 5 coats. I mix gloss and satin together to make semi-gloss since they don't sell semi-gloss. I generally add a little more gloss than satin. After about a week after the last coat of poly I apply a coat of Lakeone Buffing Wax. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Beautiful as always Malcolm.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Those are beautiful!! Good designs and nicely carried out - good job.

My daughter has as many tea flavors as I do Starbucks coffee flavors (all dark - the good stuff!); looks like I need to make some of these for her.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Malcolm I love the spalted maple box it's my favorite. Tha others are just awesome. :smile: Merry Christmas


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Well done Malcom!!! proof that a simple design, well executed can yield exceptional results!


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Great boxes, Malcolm. We don't hear from you much, but when we do.......Wow!!


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## Roy Drake (Feb 10, 2014)

Malcolm: Gorgeous work. The splines offset beautifully!


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## chuckgray (Aug 2, 2015)

Absolutely awesome craftsmanship! Love 'em!


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

Simply Beautiful . . .


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Beautiful!


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Nice job Malcolm..... happy that you scored the exceptional wood... Merry Christmas!


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Outstanding to say the least. What did you use for the finish, it really makes the grain stand out.


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Very nice work.

Question: Are the dividers a "friction fit" or held in place by dadoes?


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

sweet! I'm a huge fan of wipe on poly. 2 truck loads of walnut - definitely keeping my eye out for a good deal. Though, I have a black walnut in my yard that has a 36" diameter trunk and about 15 feet before it branches. Wish I didn't love that tree quite so much...


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Being a tea drinker, I love those boxes. I keep about 12 different varieties of tea on hand, so I can see a project in my future.


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## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

Beautiful work.


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

The dividers in the tea boxes were cut on the table saw using a regular blade and are snug fit. I have mentioned before on this site that the micro adjuster on my table saw is a block of wood clamped to the miter gauge. At the end of the block of wood facing the blade is a screw that my work piece is pressed against. I can turn the screw outward just a tiny bit that allows me to remove just a paper thin piece of wood from my work piece. I use it for cutting all the pieces of the boxes. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

If you are a deep sleeper I can take care of that tree while you sleep. Just kidding! Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Malcolm,

Some really nice wood, maximum color and character makes this simple design take on great detail.

One question I have that has not been asked is about the Swan design on the Quilted Maple box. Is this a laser engraving, router carving or some type of epoxy inlay?


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

There is a fellow locally that uses his computer to laser engrave items on the boxes prior to assembly. He has thousands of designs on his computer that he selects from. I think the "swans" that you referred to are doves that he engraved and the box was for his "bride" for Christmas. He also makes wooden golf clubs, baseball bats, etc. and engraves on the round for those. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

kywoodchopper said:


> There is a fellow locally that uses his computer to laser engrave items on the boxes prior to assembly. He has thousands of designs on his computer that he selects from. I think the "swans" that you referred to are doves that he engraved and the box was for his "bride" for Christmas. He also makes wooden golf clubs, baseball bats, etc. and engraves on the round for those. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


I was thinking of using my laser when I start making boxes , so I'm glad to hear your engraving was done with a laser . Should really add a nice touch


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

Beautiful tea caddies Malcolm. Really elegant.


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## mjadams61 (Dec 24, 2015)

Beautiful work. My daughter is the tea connoisseur in our house and was thinking of doing something similar. Just wondering about the lid. Does it just sit on top loosely or is there something underneath the lid to keep it in place?


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## Dimitri M (Oct 4, 2011)

Greetings, Malcolm, the boxes are lovely.

I would very much appreciate a pic of the jig with the screw you mentioned at the top of this page

with thanks

Happy new year


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Malcolm, really beautiful work which is what I've come to expect from you. You mentioned that you used wipe on poly for the finish. Did you use anything under that to bring out the figure in the curly maple like danish oil? I'm guessing that you used the oil based poly, not the water based. I'm totally envious of the wood you've acquired. Looking forward to see how you use it.


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