Miniature 17th c. Dutch Strong Box

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

I haven't posted much lately because I have been busy working in the shop. One of the pieces I have recently finished was a copy of a 17th c. Dutch Strong Box. One way to describe this might be 2 1/4" of insanity. I'll show a few photos of the finished box and then some process shots in the shop. Wouldn't this make a great tool chest?

The box has a Bolivian rosewood interior with drawers and secret compartments, the outside is veneered in burl with a pattern similar to oystering with cross banding. About 80% of the exterior is then covered by 13 fancy brasses and edges. The stand was carved in boxwood and gilded by Master miniature carver Lloyd McCaffery'

The working lock is double action, locking both the top and drop front.

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

Here is some of the veneering being glued to lid, all joints are dovetailed or splined.

Here is the front panel, after veneering the center, the edge was turned round, then edge banded and turned again.

The brasses are first engraved on brass on a Deckel GO from larger plastic patterns, Then these are sawn out by hand with a jewelers saw.

The edges are made from brass angle with end caps gold soldered in place.

Then using gravers and fine files the edges are beveled by hand and polished, this took nearly a entire week.

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

These are the compartments for papers, note the tiny sliding latch.

Here are screws driven by a crank that mount the chest to the base or the floor when traveling. Even the blackwood crank handle turns on a screwed in steel stud. I think the thread is about 0.5 mm.

Rolling the hinge pins.

The parts so far.

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

Assembly, notice details like the 12 lobbed screw heads and hundreds of brass nails, they are .012"

Even though almost no one will see this, the back is done too with all the detail of the original.

Mcgyver · Apr 24, 2016

thanks so much for posting it, fabulous and great to see how it was made.

CarlBoyd · Apr 24, 2016

Very nice, but I do not understand the function of the crank handle.

CarlBoyd

Harold Mulder · Apr 24, 2016

My God what a phenomenal piece of work. I only wish I had 10% of your capability. That is simply
gorgeous. My hats off to you. Oh and thanks for sharing it with us.

Harold

moonlight machine · Apr 24, 2016

That is spectacular, incredible workmanship.

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

Thanks for your nice comments, they help make all those late night hours alone in the shop worth it. I think I do my best work between about 10 pm to 2 am.

Carl, the crank fits over the square head of those long steel screws which go though a hole clear through the side of the box from top to bottom. This allows the box to be screwed to its base or in the old days, the floor of an inn, carriage or ship. This way it was harder to steal.

adh2000 · Apr 24, 2016

Very cool. Just wondering, did you consider photo etching the brasses? I think the brass HO train locomotives that come (came?) out of Japan and Korea used a lot of photo etching. Seems like that could be very appropriate here especially since you had several identical to make.

Alan

JST · Apr 24, 2016

And, just ONE of many reasons I am not in that business........

I believe that I MIGHT just have it in me to do ONE of those strips of brass. Maybe, maybe just a half of it, I cannot be sure.... (I AM sure it would not be nearly as nice, though) At that point, knowing there were another twenty of them, I do not think I could face it.

I would be certain to foul it up, of that I am pretty sure.

Just ONE of the things that separates me from that level of craftsmanship..... There are other matters of talent, and so forth, which are clearly lacking in me, but that particular piece seems to jump out as one I would not have the patience to attempt, so nobody is likely to ever notice my lack of talent and all the other factors.

Yes, it is indeed amazingly well done..... as is usual. Despite a lack of talent, I CAN see that!

kenh · Apr 24, 2016

Ho-Hummm, Just another average (outstanding, mind blowing, extraordinary) piece of work!!

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

Oh jst it's kind of a zen thing, actually I can spend almost endless hours on this stuff either listening to music or sometimes binge watching Netflix. Or a great audio book.

As for photo etching, this is .016" brass and to do it right you need to come in from each side, this involves perfect registration and leaves an undercut on the bottom. I also like the fact by doing them by hand they are not identical, they are not sterile, they have the same character and imperfections as the original. It is details like that and that kind of warm handmade but almost perfect look and feel that gives my work the value it has.

garyphansen · Apr 24, 2016

Great work as always. How do you see to do such fine work?

rivett608 · Apr 24, 2016

I use really good quality glasses and lots of light.

Bryan_Lund · Apr 24, 2016

Incredible. You said the base is hand carved and gilded. What are the materials used there? Can you explain that process? Is it somehow "plating" wood with metal?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

stephen thomas · Apr 24, 2016

Phenomenal work...and patience...as always!

I am so glad i do not have to work at that scale. The small parts of actual size hardware are quite small enough for me, thank you very much.

Do you use 360 brass or a different alloy? Is it then (gold) plated as I know some on here do? or left to tarnish? or?

I know in this field the methods & originality of materials are often as important as the product. I am wondering if making waxes and casting the base was considered? Wax plural because with the level of work, it might be risky to carve one wax, as opposed to taking a mould from the carving and having the opportunity for at least some back-up tries if the first casting did not work.

How the heck can you watch netflix and work at the same time? I find that as mind boggling as the craftsmanship.

smt

PS-Bill, seem to have lost your email when server changed. I could use some advice on a full size project if you don't mind re-connecting.
ehmcofab at g mail dot com.

trevj · Apr 25, 2016

Geeze Rivett, I dunno if I should be in awe of you, or just hate you for pushing the bar that much higher!

Wow!

Thank you for showing this amazing work. Again!

Cheers
Trev

rivett608 · Apr 25, 2016

As for the stand, Lloyd carved it out of many pieces of boxwood, then gilded it with 24 k gold leaf. This is the same process fancy gold picture frames that you see in museums are done.

The brass is 360 and left plain, depending on the environment it normally stays pretty good, remember my things tend not to be out in the real world, most live in a museum like place. As for casting, that would take too much time to get I think 8 different patterns, molds, waxes and then with such thin parts a high reject rate. Sometimes the simplest way to do something is just pick up a basic tool like a saw and just do it.

As for watching Netflix, it depends what I'm doing. For example when cutting these out I had to listen to music, and just the right music, not to jarring. It turned out I listened to some Africaner in French, it was very soft and mellow and since I had no idea what the were singing about it didn't distract me. For things like filing the bevel on the edges a lot is done by feel so I can be looking at the TV while doing it.

sandiapaul · Apr 25, 2016

Beveling all those edges? You are nuts (in a good way

Thanks for all the photos and description!

Miniature 17th c. Dutch Strong Box

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

kenh

Guest

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium