I hesitate writing this blog because I'm not sure of todays outcome. Will it be successful or another disappointment as I try to find a marketable item in our current economy. The salesman at Obika showed the Zebrawood glasses case to one of the managers but ..... he's not the one who writes the checks! That manager is supposed to be in today so she's my target to approach today. Here's how the current model of the glasses case looks now:
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| Zebrawood Case |
I made a larger opening to accommodate more frame sizes. Still really like the way the grain seems to curl into the recesses which it actually does since the interior is routed away. Should I be lucky enough to have the store carry this case on a trial basis I need to get a new bit to rout out the recess. Currently I'm using a core box bit and it requires a lot of finishing on the bottom of the recess.
The thing that's always been appealing to me about wood is the grain pattern and coloration. This is how the case looks when it's closed. The technique used to make it is referred to as a "book match". The easiest way to explain that is you take a board, cut it down the middle of its thickness, and then open the two pieces just like a book. One side is a mirror of the other. When you reassemble them the grain pattern is continuous, the only slight break is from the material removed to smooth out the saw marks, this is done with a hand plane.
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| Bits & Pieces |
In this final photo you can see the sequence of the main steps for this project. At the top is the initial piece of Zebrawood, it's about 1 1/2" thick. In the middle is the template used to rout out the recess. This is made of 1/4" MDF. The bottom shows the two halves of the box, shellacked, waxed, and ready for assembly. Well, just about time to see the folks at Obika --- no matter what the outcome is, this project kept me off the couch and mentally stimulated as I tried to solve the problem of how to get a good looking glasses case without succumbing to the mass produced, imported stuff!!
The thing that's always been appealing to me about wood is the grain pattern and coloration. This is how the case looks when it's closed. The technique used to make it is referred to as a "book match". The easiest way to explain that is you take a board, cut it down the middle of its thickness, and then open the two pieces just like a book. One side is a mirror of the other. When you reassemble them the grain pattern is continuous, the only slight break is from the material removed to smooth out the saw marks, this is done with a hand plane.
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