The Mark Rios Box

Curt Fuller

Member
Messages
348
Location
North Ogden, Utah
About a month ago I got a message from Mark Rios.."Sometime around Tuesday set your table saw fence at 9 1/8" and the blade height to 5/16". In the off chance that 5/16" doesn't do it, reset the blade to about 15/16" and recut. That should do it."
Then on tuesday, just like he said, the Fedex guy brings me this box....Not your normal cardboard box but I mean a box.....
thebox.jpg


My wife, daughter, son-in-law, and 3 grandkids were all there when I got home from work and wanted to know what it was. So I was going to pry it open but it was built so danged good that I couldn't begin to get it apart. Then I realized that's what the message he sent was, the way to get it open. But I still had no idea what was in the box. It was pretty heavy, didn't rattle or anything, no ticking. So me, my daughter, and SIL headed into the garage to get out the saw but my wife told my daughter she couldn't go out there with us. She said if it was a bomb she wasn't gonna raise those grandkids by herself. I told her it was from a guy I know and he wouldn't send a bomb but then I got thinking, I don't know, Rios is pretty goofy, maybe he would. Not really. Anyway we cut the box open and it was a shame to have to cut into it because it was a heck of a box. When Rios makes a box, he don't mess around. Inside was a bunch of newspaper and this piece of wood....
thecherrylog.jpg

So I roughed it down some and hollowed it out and saved a piece for the lid. I soaked it in the DNA bucket for a couple days and them bagged it for a couple weeks. I hope it had time to dry because it's been pretty cold since it was in the bag. Anyway, this is how it turned out. It's fruit cherry with some incredible color, maybe a little spalting. It had some nice knots that were cracked kind of like stars that I filled with coffee. I've turned 2 finials but neither one is going to be the one I use, they're both too big. This first pic is with an eccentric finial......
boxwitheccentricfinial.jpg


And this second is with a Jetson looking finial...
boxwithjetsonfinial.jpg



Thanks Mark!
 
#1) Great box. :rolleyes:
#2) Crooked finial is nicest crooked finial I have ever seen. I think that's a compliment. ;)
#3) Really fine surprise gift. :thumb:
#4) Glad the kids didn't get blowed up.
#5) Really like the vase. Mighty fine turning. :rofl:
#6) Pro'bly more better sans any finial. :(
 
It still amazes me on what can come out of a chunk of wood. That is incredible. You certainly captured the beauty in that one. Great job Curt :thumb: Finial or no finial, I think it would look great either way.

Tom
 
well curt that is definatly a well done box and we also need to acknowlegde the giver as well.. this wouldnt have been here for us to see if mark hadnt gave it to curt to do his own magic to.. so i give a atta boy to both of the partisipants mark rios and curt fuller:thumb::thumb:
 
Of the two I like the Jetson finial better. However, I think I would go with a simple knob for this piece. The cherry is presenting a great story with so much character. The finial is attempting to overshadow the piece. A simple would punctuate it I believe. Give it a try and see. I may be all washed up. Wouldn't be the first time.
 
I think if you had another little piece of the cherry and made a simple knob it wouldn't detract any from a fantastic piece. The contrasting finials draw attention away from the real star here and that's the vase.
 
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