Its evolving...........

Getting the back ready to roll.

 

All I am doing here is decking the back face so she is flat.

 

This picture turned out poorly, but I am pre-warping the plank. I am removing a lot of material off the face, I want it to last a long time without warping. So I am pre-inducing a concave section to offset the material I am going to take from the front.

 

Plank has been flipped, and machining started on front face.

 

 

The start of the tags roughed in



 

Tag decks finished machined with 1/8 ball end mill, note the radius.

 

 

3/4 flat end mill out to clean this up some. pay attention to detail, it matters. These need to look like rivets.

 

 Engraving starts, no sanding yet.

 

 

 

These little suckers are sharp, and will cut you without looking,

 

What it is actually is a coated 30 degree engraving bit.

 

V-Carving allows for internal sharp corners.

 

 

 

More to come, keep watching.

 

email me if you have some ideas for you. billsbilletboxes@gmail.com

 

-Bill

 

 

The project below begins......

Exciting hey, Just wait it will be.

The dimensions of this project is 18x12. I blanked the boards to 21 inches long so I can hold on to them, and ripped them it just over 5 inches wide. Once ripped I ran them through a jointer and refined the edges so they are dead on balls flat. Apply a liberal amount of Titebond II, ensure complete coverage and clamp.

 

 

More to come through the weekend. -Bill



Version 2

This is a project we are working through some final details.

Please see a few posts down where it started. I show thing only to show that these go through many transitions. Some people feel guilty about doing it, but its your project and it needs to be right for you not me.

 

 

I would love to start something for you too.

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com

 



Project in the works.......

More to Follow

 

 

These things are a process. you start out basic and it evolves.

 

 

We are working on the an optional design configuration but I expect to be machining on this soon.

Final may have a different border, but I will post them up once its done.  

 

 

Lets get something going for you too.

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com 

 



Who?

Nice 4X7X2 inch box made from Cherry

 

 

Lined with red inside top and bottom

 

You put you ditty in there or anything else that works.

 

I know the last couple like this I made are holding hearing aids I believe

 

Drop me a note and I will get something cooking for you too.

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com

 

Thanks for looking -Bill



Cooking 12 pounds of Venison

Alright this post is a little different than most. If I have a talent to some extent is I can cook a bit. I enjoy it, and I do like when I can help someone out. A buddy asked if I could help him cook for 15 people or so. He had a very good year deer hunting and knocked down three. He brought over a bag full of meat, and I gave him a grocery list.

4 pounds White onions, 2 bulbs garlic, 1 pound salted butter, 6 cups heavy cream. Sauté until onions are translucent.
I like to use celery seed, black pepper and to help kill some potential gaminess from the meat I use beef bullion instead of salt.

 

The thing to realize is this is an enormous Cabela's cast iron skillet. It will not fit in the oven. DAMN IT! I always wanted one and finally broke down and got it last year. With the lid its got to weigh 65 pounds or so empty. You can cook 5-6 full fryer chickens at the same time on a open fire or coal bed. ITS AWESOME. We actually baked some cakes last summer camping and made pizza in it as a Dutch oven. It does span all burners on my stove however I only use the center one for this. Low and slow is my plan. It lets all the flavors get through and keeps the deer nice an tender. I never let it boil either because a bit later we add cream and I don't want to break the cream.

 

Add the Venison and add more celery seed, pepper and bullion cubes. eventually add water for a nice broth. I will get it to the point where its swimming in a nice brown gravy, fully cooked venni, and quite honestly ready to eat.

 

 

Add 4 pounds or so of mushrooms, as well as some more water as these guys will absorb quite a bit. again slowly sneak up on the seasonings, more pepper, more bullion, more water, watch the amount of celery seed however. That can get overwhelming if too much. Sneak up on everything though because you can always add more. You have to taste continuously and adjust as needed. I don't want to be adding sugar to try and kill too much salt.

 

I leave the shrooms on the top for a bit with seasoning on top, cover with lid and let it steam nice and slow.

 

At this point you want it to be slightly saltier than you would normally want.

Remove lid and add cream. Heavy cream is preferred, but you can use heavy whipping cream. No cream of mushroom soup here. ( Look if you got to do it, do it but come on we have gone this far and are almost 3 hours in. Don't cheat)

 

I love me my Cabela's pan.

 

 

You may have to add some corn starch to thicken it up if you have it too runny as this is to be eaten over biscuits, toast, bread, or mashed potatoes. Get ready to be stuffed because you wont stop until your licking the pan clean.

 

I thought I would share something a bit different for me. I hope you enjoyed it.

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com

 

Thanks-Bill

 



Popular sized Box

Well I have made a few boxes with these dimensions and it seems to be what people are looking for.

 

 

On Machine relief being cut.

7X4X2 inched from cherry with the relief of an owl.

 

 

From another angle.

 

 

 

A little sanding and finishing and she is done.

If you would like one of these let me know what you want as a 3D relief.

 

 

If I can make something for you, please email me and I would love to get something started.

 

Thank you billsbilletboxes@gmail.com

 

-Bill

 

 



DA DA DA DAAAAAAAAA!

Lid to a new music box Im making.

 

Should look pretty sharp when old Beethoven gets sanded and finished out.  

They say that bugger never smiled.

 

 



Finished images of previous projects

 

Customer wanted A high gloss finish on all the items.

I personally prefer to use water based urethanes on most projects. A little secret I use a very high quality hardwood floor finish. Water based finishes like these are self leveling and very forgiving. They are tough as nails because people walk on it so it has to be. They dry fast and multiple coats can be done quickly and your not waiting half days for re-coats. Another advantage is the smell is virtually none. Water based finishes can grow old on you so beware and once they tend not to work as expected get rid of it and its time to get a new can.

 Again this is a desk valet made from African mahogany.

 

 

I rarely ever finish the insides of boxes. these are custom engraved on the insides.

The decal I place on items are easily removed and kept for future contact for the next order.

 

 

Cherry and black walnut

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com



Sleeping Ninja Dog

This is Dexter in his Kung Fu sleeping pose.
He is a just over two year old Great Dane.

 



New Sign For Someone

Quarter sawn or cut African mahogany.

 

 

Cut in this manner the heartwood color is variable, ranging from a very pale pink to a deeper reddish brown, sometimes with streaks of medium to dark reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Quarter sawn surfaces can also exhibit a ribbon-stripe appearance.

 

Grain is straight to interlocked, with a medium to coarse texture. Good natural luster with a light-refracting optical phenomenon known as chatoyancy.

 

Pretty cool for a darn tree hey.

 

This one is almost done, only needing the stain to dry and finish applied. This is officially the last piece I am making before Christmas.

 

Hey if you need a sign, plaque, door number plates, custom light switch fixtures, drop me a note. you wont be disappointed. -Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas. -Bill

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com



A couple in process boxes

 

Thought I would share what the machine is running right now.

 

 

4 x 7 inch boxes

This one is from cherry

 

Right off the machine un-sanded

 

This one is black walnut

 

Its kind of fun to see them evolve

 

 

These are going to the same person as Christmas gifts

 

I believe they will eventually hold hearing aids, batteries and other small items.

 

Now stained

 

 

I will post finished pictures in a couple days.

 

billsbilletboxes@gmail.com