Building trays and feet today. Hoping to get the first coat of varnish tomorrow. Heres a neat trick when cutting thin stuff on the table saw.

Heres where we are at today. Still have a bunch of sanding to do. The second pic is of a tray gluing up. Wife decided the three smaller units will go to the daughters and the larger to her sister.They both lost their mother when they were young and her sister’s husband was killed in Iraq. Perhaps she can use the box to keep some of those memories rather than as a jewelry box. As such, I will not need to build a tray for it.

Gluing the bases in. WIT lol.

Last tray glue up. No 45’s on this one. Less time and glue up is easier.

First coat of poly on two of the boxes. Setting the hinges and lid stop on the third.

All the gang’s here. Two coats on the two and a first coat on the third. Third coat will go on at 3 and 5.

And the stamp.

Thats one.

Well there they are. Four boxes ready for Christmas tomorrow. Merry Christmas to you and yours everybody.

Merry Christmas, Mr Malibu!


You did an excellent job. Best gifts a person can give. I hope the folks getting them will cherish them and remember you for lives to come.

Thank you sir. I have a new project in mind. A clamshell flybox. It will be like making a cutting board but each strip will be cut to make the hollow and then glued together. Thats whats in my head anyway. Brass hinges. Maybe stainless springloaded hinges. Questionmark on that part.

Wall gun rack in that purple you used. Two or three spots for rifles. Lots of figure work. Near polished hand rubbed. I've worked a cabinet shop. I made drawers. Until the table saw kicked back a ¼" drawer bottom. Threw it into my gut. Didn't get my fingers. This saw had a cast iron top. Ran three belts and had a motor the size of a five gallon bucket. There was no slowing it down. If I hadn't been wearing overalls, it would have gotten Me baaad. Never again.

After that, I haven't touched a table saw. Don't care if it's the job sight jobber. No way. I can float the wood to help. But I cannot use a table saw.

I can dreams of thing for you to do. Things I can't. Respect.

It would have to be for miniature rifles. This is all I have left lol.