Carved Mariner Box

Another theme-carved valuables box. This time the carving was based on the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. Butternut was used in the construction. See the completed project here.

The design always starts with a drawing. I used images from Gustave Dore’s famous drawings and composed the panels by combining and re-arranging the different images. I ended up changing one end panel well into the process because it was simply too busy for the end of the box.

I try always do a clay model to work out the placement of the figures and the eventual depth of the carvings. If I skip this stage for whatever reason and go directly to the carving I almost always suffer for it.

Gluing up the panels and corner blocks.

All the box pieces are cut to size before the joinery is cut and the carving can begin.

I decided to have the corner figures hold a book so another clay model was needed. Unfortunately the grain direction of the block would make the carving of the fingers somewhat difficult.

The corner figures were carved in mirror image to one another. It was necessary to always keep checking that the carvings were similar.

The assembled box ready to carve.

Routing excess material between the figures down to a common reference level.

Beginning the carving with the clay model close at hand and a patched together drawing from the original book for inspiration.

One of the steps in the multi-step process of gluing up the bottom of the box.

The completed bottom for the box.

Carefully gluing the box to the base.

Next the corner blocks were added.

I like to give the box a wash coat of diluted finish which stiffens the soft fibers of the butternut. Then I can add in the final small details.

There is nothing like turning the box over to get another view point for cleaning up the carving.

The hinge is cut in and the lid is added before the final finishing.