Posted by My wife is visiting her aunt and uncle in Germany at the moment. Her aunt and uncle have had a standing engagement every Friday evening with another couple for the past thirty to forty years, where they get together at each other’s house, alternating each week, and play cards late into the night.
The first time I met them over twenty years ago, I couldn’t speak any German, but could play cards, so was able to connect and interact with them. And they were very gracious to this then young Australian buck.
Those two couples have been a shining example to my wife and me over the years of what marriage and friendship should be, and so hold a special place in our lives.
With my wife’s trip planned, I wanted to make them something special, to try and convey our appreciation to them, and as my German is rather rudimentary, I thought a box to hold playing cards for each couple would suffice.
Both boxes have Tasmanian Blackwood sides, with Huon Pine splines and internal dividers with a felt base. One box has a Blackheart Sassafras lid, while the other is made of Myrtle.
Both boxes were finished with shellac and wax (which was as amazing as that finish always produces for me), with the exception of the huon pine dividers, which I left raw so that after being left closed up between games, would hopefully release its wonderful fragrance when opened, at least for the first several months, but hopefully longer. As you can see, I left some shavings in situ for the initial opening.
They were presented about a week ago, to two flabbergasted couples according to my wife. So all in all a great success. Both have vowed that the boxes will sit in public view, and certainly not be placed in a cupboard or draw.
Oh, there is a third box which will be ours, but it is still under construction. All the boxes will have been made from a single piece of Blackwood, so they, like our lives, are tied together across the globe.
On a closing note, this is the first time I felted the base of a box, and only because Aldav from the Woodworking Forums noted the lack of a covering on my last box, and boy, what a difference it made, so thanks Aldav!
Jul 2019
