Wilson Borough, Pa.
Making Shaker Oval Boxes.
We obtain our wood locally from sawmills or from lot
clearings, the wood for our boxes is then hand selected to eliminate any
defects and to look for pieces with the most character. The wood is then sawn
to approximately 1/8th inch thick; running it through a thickness
sander attains the final thickness.
Once the thickness is correct we finish sand the outside and mark, cut
and drill the swallow tales. Finally
the opposite end of the band is tapered as to give the bottom & tops a
tight seal, these boxes could be used to store flour and other baking needs
just as they did when the Shakers made them.
The next step is to soak and heat the bands to 212 f
for about 15 minutes, once ready the band is placed on a oval jig and carefully
bent around it then tacked with copper tacks that were made on machines from
the 18th century. This same procedure is used for the top band. Once
the bands are bent to shape oval dryers are corked onto the bands to hold its
shape while it is drying. The box needs to dry for at least three days.
Once dry ¼” thick tops and bottoms are fitted to the
box and are mainly held in place by it’s tight fit but small dowels are also
used here. The boxes are then finely sanded and oil applied to obtain a high
luster finish. I will provide painted boxes as well upon request; in fact it
was common for the original Shaker boxes to be painted.
If any one is interested in making their own boxes I
can supply all of the necessary items needed in kit form, call or e-mail for kit
pricing.
Shaker Box Maker,
Scott
Hunsberger