Boxes
I have just completed a group of boxes, now in a fourth gallery; 149 to 156. These were in making for about six weeks, although preparatory work dated back several years in some instances.

Fence post
These latest images were taken in direct sunlight on a weathered fence post situated part way up the hill behind our cottage. It is not an exceptional post but it does suit how i want to present the boxes; my intention is to acquire it, with the shepherds permission, and re-site it in different locations on the hill to show other aspects and changing seasons. The post will be constant and help to give a sense of scale.

Next work
The next boxes in making are:-
(1) Pippy yew: This I cut and prepared five years ago. With such wood the “pippy” effect is normally on one side only and, therefore, the remaining surface must have a comparably interesting grain pattern for an all round balanced presentation, which this example has.
(2) Kingwood. For me this is particularly exciting because I have managed to obtain what must be one of the very few remaining kingwood logs available in the UK. Having it in log form is important because it allows me to show the chevron effect achieved by cutting the turning blanks slightly cross grain.
(3) Cocobolo: This also excites me because this blank was cut from a block estimated to have been maturing for probably fifty years. Whilst purporting to be Mexican cocobolo the cut surface has the dense black/red appearance typical of some aged bois de rose. It is obviously wishful thinking that it could actually be the latter, now of great rarity, but I can dream.

Danish burr
My brother in Denmark has, after much searching, found a silver birch tree with burrs. Although these will be the same as the ones I cut locally for making cabochon “stones”, The Viking connection adds an indefinable cachet, at least to me.

Final thought
Having read through this, how sad it may seem that I am raised to a level of excitement by two bits of wood a Danish burr and a fence post. Such is the life of a Scottish hill dwelling wood turner.