February 2025 Challenge: Curt Vogt Wins!

[Michael Anderson]

This month's challenge was to turn one of three possible boxes: a Neil Turner urchin box, Ray Key finial box, or Richard Raffan cross-grain box. We had nine total entries, and each one is very nice. Now, the challenge for all forum members (this means you and me) is to choose a winner. Voting begins now and concludes at 11:59p-ish (USA Eastern time [UTC -5]) on Friday, 28 February, 2025.

You are allowed two votes; once you have voted, you won't be able to go back and change your votes. After you have voted, you can track the vote totals. The voting is secret (just like an actual election), so nobody else can see who you voted for (not even the moderators/administrators). In case of a tie vote, the forum moderators will gather in a virtual waist-deep shavings-filled shop to determine the winner.

As in all previous challenges, the winner might have to pass a lie detector test before being awarded the Grand Prize (rumored to be a high-carbon dogleg SRG).

The following are this month's entries:

 

[Michael Anderson]

Big congratulations to @Curt Vogt for winning this month's challenge with his beautiful Raffan-style Curly Maple box. The victory was well-deserved, and hopefully serves as inspiration for a few boxes in the future. Nice job to everyone else that participated in the challenge. I had no idea how the votes would go, and suspect I wasn't alone there. Cheers!

I will post next month's challenge soon. Stay tuned!

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

Congrats on the win Curt, good choice of wood and style of box.

 

[Rick Moreton]

Congratulations Curt! It's a wonderful piece.

 

[Jerry Bochenek]

Congratulations on a winning the challenge. Your box looks grreat.

 

[Dean Center]

Congratulations.

Isn't it interesting that the voters strongly preferred the 2 lidded boxes rather than the 'finial' boxes. Not to take away from the winner, but I wonder if that style is inherently more pleasing than the other.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Congratulations !

 

[Dan Morrison]

really pretty pieces. love the finial designs and grain matching.

-i do think that the lidded boxes look a bit more like you could actually put stuff inside and get it back out... more box-y

 

[Curt Vogt]

Thank you everyone for your kind words! Being selected is quite an honor and I appreciate it very much.
There were definitely some really great looking boxes in the challenge. As I mentioned in my submission,
I made all three boxes in the challenge as that was my goal for this month... to try and improve my box making skills.
I watched each of those inspiration videos at least three times before heading out to the lathe.
I chose the Raffan style box because it was the form I liked the most... so much so, I have already made
another out of Walnut.
Here are photos of all three boxes both open and closed:

 

[Steve Gray]

Congratulations.

Isn't it interesting that the voters strongly preferred the 2 lidded boxes rather than the 'finial' boxes. Not to take away from the winner, but I wonder if that style is inherently more pleasing than the other.

You know, I made a finial box but chose not to enter because I felt my finial and box proportions less than ideal (and I don't have the photo lightbox setup that everyone else who submits seems to have). I think there is something about that design that makes it rather challenging to create both a pleasing box curve and a finial that complements it well. Kudos to Kurt! And to all who submitted.

 

[Curt Vogt]

You know, I made a finial box but chose not to enter because I felt my finial and box proportions less than ideal (and I don't have the photo lightbox setup that everyone else who submits seems to have). I think there is something about that design that makes it rather challenging to create both a pleasing box curve and a finial that complements it well. Kudos to Kurt! And to all who submitted.

Howdy Dean and Steve, That finial box had not really inspired me too much before I made mine. But while it was on the lathe just before
I was going to part it off I saw that shape with the "foot" I was about to blast through with my parting tool. Kinda changed my mind right there,
so I kept the foot on mine. You are right, that curve is what makes it pleasing and is welcoming to be handled too. But it is
a little difficult to see it as a practical storage box. Thank you all for your kind words!

BTW No fancy light box here. I used the window next to the kitchen table, a battery powered LED work lights you may already
have in the garage (purchased at Home Depot for $10), and a light gray poster paper from the art store taped up to the back
of a computer monitor. Cell phone for the shot while I held a work light by the handle just above the phone.
Office paper or paper towel taped to the window will diffuse the sunlight if it is streaming in directly and office paper
taped to a cereal box will bounce back light into the shadows if you need it. Go for it! I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

Congratulations @Curt Vogt, great box amazing grain. You did the form proud and showcased the beauty of that particular piece of wood.

Gregory

 

[Walker Westbrook]

You know, I made a finial box but chose not to enter because I felt my finial and box proportions less than ideal (and I don't have the photo lightbox setup that everyone else who submits seems to have). I think there is something about that design that makes it rather challenging to create both a pleasing box curve and a finial that complements it well. Kudos to Kurt! And to all who submitted.

Just get a small photo backdrop and a window. Photos don't have to be intimidating. Your smartphone is a great camera as well.

 

[Jordan Daoust]

Congrats and well deserved, Curt!

All of the entries look fantastic!