I’d never heard the word ‘proud’ used to mean ‘sticks out a little bit more than it is supposed to’ before, until I took up carpentry last year.  It’s a usage that provokes some thought – proud is what goes beyond useful.  Hmm.  The corners on this box are proud on purpose, as a decorative element – not sure if that takes the pride out of them – but they need not be ashamed.  It’s so easy to fall into conundrums.

The lid, which slides in and out on routed grooves, is of redwood.  Redwood with what they call flames.  Notice how they are perpendicular (roughly) to the grain.  I see them as waves of energy moving (when it was alive) within the wood.  I wonder if they do move, if one cut the tree at time X or X + N (where X and N are positive numbers) would the flames be in different places?

The flames are chatoyant, like tigers eye, with the bright lines changing depending on the angle of view.

All those fingers really are just a test of a very nice finger jig (Incra) I received for Christmas.  By comparison It certainly exposes the imperfection of my hands.  I think I’ll enjoy using it for those times where a piece is not trying to lean at art but where function is first with a few aesthetics thrown in for good measure.

My grandfather kept his chess pieces in a wooden box with a lid that slid like this.