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Shaker Box Set

Make a set of Shaker-style pantry boxes, useful as gifts or for storingall manner of things. The Shakers used their bentwood boxes to store dried beans and other food, as well as s

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Shaker Box Set

Shaker Box Set

Make a set of Shaker-style pantry boxes, useful as gifts or for storingall manner of things. The Shakers used their bentwood boxes to store dried beans and other food, as well as s

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About

Make a set of Shaker-style pantry boxes, useful as gifts or for storingall manner of things.

The Shakers used their bentwood boxes to store dried beans and other food, as well as small parts for a variety of crafts. The Shakers also offered these boxes for sale, and they became very popular because of their beauty and a practical feature: They nest, so they store compactly when not in use. According to one history of these boxes, "The idea of buying a complete set of seven or eight graduated size boxes was a luxury that was out of the reach of most nineteenth-century households, as each size cost about a full day's pay and the larger ones even more." Today, both authentic and newer Shaker-style boxes are treasured collector's items.

In this class, you will make three boxes, which correspond to sizes 2, 3 and 4 in the Shaker sizing system. The base of the smallest box is 3½ by 5¾ inches, and the largest is 4½ <font style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&lt;!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS ??"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --&gt;</font>by 7 inches. The box walls are maple; the bases are pine.

On the first day, you will cut, feather and bend the sides and the lid rims, and learn how to fasten these parts with clinched copper tacks, using an anvil and hammer.
On the second day, after the bent parts have dried, you will cut and fit the bases and tops so they snug tightly within the oval parts. And then you will peg the curved parts to the flat pieces and sand everything smooth in preparation for finishing at home. The instructor will discuss three finish options: milk paint, shellac (with or without tinting) and wipe-on polyurethane.
Details:
  • Open to beginners.
  • A materials fee of $43, to cover box components and shop supplies, will be added when you register.
  • Please feel free to bring a bag lunch. BARN has a refrigerator to store your lunch in.
Instructor: Thomas Scott is owner of Fremont Occasional Woodworks, a shop in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle where he makes and sells Shaker boxes, furniture, walking sticks and other wooden items. His website includes a link to his blog about all things woodworking. ----

Short-sleeve or tight-cuff tops and close-toe comfortable shoes are required. No jewelry other than "button-type" earrings for women is allowed, so no rings, bracelets, necklaces. Long hair must be tied back.


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