Question for you wood workers....

[Handloader109]

Make a thicker base and route a groove into base for the sides to fit into. Or maybe easier, use similar thickness wood as the raised section mentioned earlier but leave the ( groove, channel ) for the lid i.e. sides to drop into. More secure than just raised center

 

[dougtrr2]

If you made the box wide, so the bible could be opened up to a significant passage, then when you closed the bible it would easily have enough room on the sides to lift it out of the box.

Doug in SW IA

 

[Richard]

Been taking all this in.... wonder about it as I might be driving in car for 2-hours to get to destination..... came up with something else....

Who, ME.....over analyze? Pffffffffffffft!!

Imagine the glass top. Personally, I like that touch! Plate glass... some dufas sets a coffee cup on it, might break. Now you have shards of sharp glass you have to figure out and then, how to take box apart to replace said glass. (could use screws...so that's not huge issue)

Instead, use tempered glass....then instead of sharp slices of glass, you have a gazillion bits of glass BUT, should still be easy to clean them out.

Keeps thinking......


Question, does anyone know if you can buy a Sapphire piece of "glass" that would be let's say 12x16 inches? Think of a watch crystal that is sapphire. Very hard, very scratch resistant.....very expensive I'm sure.

For a family heirloom, I don't know that I mind the expense, unless it's stupid crazy.

Been looking online. Actually sent someone a question in their "contact us" link but thus far, crickets. To be fair to them, it was during Christmas Holidays... so might have been lost in shuffle.

Anyone know about special ordering a rectangular piece of sapphire? Something like 1/8" or 3/16's inches thick (I think they go by millimeters though)

 

[dstig1]

Apple tried getting into sapphire for iPhone screens several years back. The company that was doing it folded as they couldn't make it work at scale for the size needed. I rather doubt you are going to find it. There are much easier options.

Put a thin sheet of lexan below the regular glass so if it breaks, no glass gets in your book. Or just use lexan and skip glass. You can even get coated versions that are a lot more scratch resistant than the basic material, but you aren't likely going to find it at HD. But maybe... Could certainly get that from Mcmaster or other places online, or possibly from local glass shops.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I would think 1/4" glass would be strong enough, or maybe 1/4" Lexan with regular glass on top. Placed together would be scratch resistant and strong.
You could even have Lexan, a decal in center, then glass.

 

[j13smiley]

I'd use glass that prevents sun damage - like used for art works, not plain glass.

 

[Topzide]

I like this! Make the glass top box and use the drawer pull out on the front to access the Bible. I'd have the pull out flat without any lip on the sides, just the front panel to seal box and a back lip to help hold when pulling out.
I'd go and talk with a glass shop. They'll know what can be gotten and who knows, they might ask a supplier and get a good price do to what you're building. Some of the modern plastics have come a long way also.
Wish you were closer as I've got some 10" - 13" wide walnut that's been air drying for 2 years now. Chainsaw milled them from tree that fell in a storm.
Best of luck with project and look forward to the finished project!

 

[3Ts]

As for the glass lid, to make it removable, I'd do it like an upside down drawer. On 3 sides I'd have a dado it can slide in and on the back side I'd have the side cut down so the glass can slide into the dado. Then I'd put a strip of wood on that 4th side to hold the glass in place and use Flat Head brass screws to hold the strip in place. You can also use the rubber space balls to hold the glass firmly in place so it doesn't rattle and is still easily removable. And that strip can be routed or not depending on the thickness of the box and your design.

If you want to get really fancy you could put tabs on the sides and wooden pegs to hold the strip.

 

[Richard]

Update with a bit of a twist to the plot.

Dad passed away on June 26. Let me remind... ultimately this is about a family bible. It's been in the family for, I don't know how long.... the 65 years I've been alive.... dad (95) grew up with it.... so is it 100 years old? 150 years old?

Suffice to say it's very old. Been handed down to the male in the family (that would be me).

Dad's wife (who was the third wife in his life.... two prior, including my mother ending in divorce)

She's seemed to decree that she's not yet willing to part with it. At funeral, I asked if she was ok with me (who drove 9 hours to get there), anyway, would she be ok if I went to get it. She was an accounting girl, she left that business and got to be an ordained minister..... In near 40 years, I have N.E.V.E.R. seen her as much as show any sadness, much less, tears, even hat her own mothers funeral (nor did she show any tears at Dad's memorial)

"Are you ok if I go get the Bible now?"

Bursts into tears... "Richard..... I PROMISE you are going to get the bible..... (snif sniff.... inhale)....I'm just not ready to deal with that yet"

Given she was a widow of a number of days, ok. (besides, there are other family heirlooms that frankly, need to stay in the family. She's got zero kids, she's estranged from her sister, so it's "just her" now in life)

Happens that my sister talked to her about it. I don't know if Sister brought it up or she did. None the less.... tears come flowing again and she tells sister "I'm not ready to do anything yet..... "I'm still processing""

What the dickens does a 71 year old need to process when her husband at 95 years old dies?

Without getting into too many other details

*recall the Cannon I have? She was going to dump it
* She's (evidently) told one of my sisters she was going to DONATE this very bible, to her church (wtf?)
*Grandmother kept a diary. In it, my Grandfather read to myself and my father, were some of her last words, as she was leaving to go to the hospital (cancer) and her saying she knew this was her last time leaving the house, she'd never be back..... Grandpa burst into tears and it was a very emotional event for the three of us.

I ask her about the diary..... she knows nothing about it. Dad would NOT have thrown it away but with the evident proclivity she's has on tossing his things out......one has to wonder what her thoughts are of her mother in laws (who died in 1972 when she would have been maybe 15) diary....

Today, you glance around the house..... you see dozens of pictures of her niece & nephew. There isn't a single picture, momento, memory of anything that would relate back to dad.....she's essentially erased his presence in the house.

I can understand some of this.... but some of it reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hits me in a bad way.

So, we'll know much more in a week or so. Sister is going there for unrelated reasons. I told sister I'd meet her. Dad's wife had reminded sister "I'm not talking about ANYTHING related to any furniture nor the bible" (the furniture is my grandfathers desk that I "used" when I was 6,7,8 years old, pretending to be him "doing business".....It's being used as a computer desk by her)

I'm going down. Basically it's do or die for me. Going to bring these subjects up, there's likely going to be a clash about it. My guess is she'll again, 'I'm not ready to talk about it (with tears)"..... so I have to be prepared to say that's fine. You don't have to talk about it (as I pick up bible and carry it to car)

The real fear I have is.....she's expecting this and moves/hides the bible. Given how she's been acting, it's terribly sad that I even think this is possible, but I do. If this happens, you have a bible that's been in the family for 100+ years.... and Dad's third wife, with no family of her own, arbitrarily deciding that something different is going to happen to it, after acknowledging that she "promises" I'll be getting it? When? When she dies?

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to this visit (not)

How does one deal with what might just be a simple gold digger (dad did ok over life..... and we kids are 100% fine that "she gets everything".....BUT FOR, the items that came from our grandparents as herilooms. I emailed her asking "What happens if you die in "X" years.... is your executor of your estate going to know these are family things?" Interestingly, she has not responded to that at all.

what really shocks me is the ordained minister in her....I would have expected to come out and say "here kids.....these family things, rightfully belongs to you, let's get this taken care of" (as she drives away looking at her bank account(s) laughing...) but she wants it all it seems.

We're already well past that stage.

We'll see what happens.

 

[bigtiller]

I hope she sees the light and makes a good moral decision to hand over the family heirlooms. With her near 40 years of marriage, she has some baggage to deal with.
I wish you good luck.

 

[Richard]

Update and then wood question....

Bible is in my hands. She didn't see eye to eye. Several stories to indicate this bible would go to me on the passing of Dad. At funeral, I asked if she was ok if I went to get it. (quote) Richard, I PROMISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS that you'll get the bible but (and some comment about not being ready yet, as she was blowing tears) Tears I might add that I didn't see at the funeral nor, did I see at her very mothers funeral. Crocodile tears? I don't know.

Drove 8 hours on Friday to meet her and my sister. Visited, chatted (Saturday morning). Got up, walked in other room, picked up Bible, brought it to living room and said "Let's talk about the White Elephant"....and set the bible on the table.

I asked her "do you recall at the funeral, saying to me.... (the quote above)

Her comment? I never said that. (at this point of a blatent lie, she lost my attention) but she went on to say something like "what I said was I wasn't ready to make decisions, wah wah wah.... I didn't really register what she was saying.

Given this was a blatent lie to my face, I'm concluding she'll say anything to get what she wants. I just nodded, picked up the Bible, walked towards the bedroom from where I got it.....but, turned left, walked out the front door with bible in hand, got in car and drove home.

My sister who witnessed all this (she also knows I'm supposed to get the Bible because our father made a deal with us that she would give me the Secretary if I'd let her have the bible....so we're both on same page....until little sticky fingers gets involved.

I just have to say one more thing.... I told my wife/sisters, this would be like Camilla (wife of King's name?) what if HE died and Camilla said about the Crown Jewels.... "I'm still processing things.... I'm not ready to give them up"

Excuse me? All heck would break loose....those belong to the Royal Family, not her, the second wife to decide the fate. (this is my dad's third wife)


I digress.

Bible is here in my house.

What I'm wondring are wood types. Basically a flat/base portion and a removable box with the clear top (think like a cake plate)

I can do the cuts. What I really suck at is the artistry of what wood to use.

Oak? Walnut? How about Walnut for base, Maple for the box with the clear top?

Olive wood?

I've got a nice piece of Zebrawood

I fall flat on my face here. If someone said this & that would go well.... I can make it happen. I get stuck and indecisive when I go to the wood place and see 325 different sizes and types of wood.

Cherry?

So if you think two pieces, flat bottom and the removable sides (with the clear top on it), what wood might look classy, timeless (since this is a bible, it's got me thinking the olive wood)

100% one wood? (walnut base & sides?)
Split it? (Walnut base, zebrawood sides?)

Paralasis by analysis.... helppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp!!!

 

[Richard]

Piece of paper in there with 1888 written on it by Dad. Implication is he spoke to someone or otherwise ascertained or guessed that was year it was made, if so, it's 137 years old.

 

[civilian]

Glad you got the family bible. Sorry for all that happened before you actually have it in your possession. Remind us, do you want the bible open in this wood case? Then a certain page could be viewed without opening the box. Maybe if passages had a meaning for the time/day. You change accordingly. Not sure what woods I would choose. Any wood/lumber from the homestead? Maybe a species that your dad liked? Jon

 

[bigtiller]

I think keeping it simple with just one wood type would be nice for an old bible like yours. Red Oak would be my choice with an oil base finish.

Also, leaving an old book open can put stress on the spine and potentially cause damage. It's better to store old books flat and to handle them gently when reading.

 

[dstig1]

The wood should fade into the background. You are displaying the bible, not the wood. Keep it simple and plain. Just about anything common without any wild grain will work. You mentioned walnut, cherry, oak, maple. Any will work. I might suggest walnut given how dark the bible is, so it won't stand out but rather blend into the background. Simple clear finish like a few coats of wiping poly. You definitely want a curing finish (varnish/poly) for this so there is no chance of an interaction with the bible. Give it a month to cure before you put the bible on it so you don't risk it sticking to a partially uncured finish.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I'd be tempted to make a Bible pedestal like this, easy if you have a router. Then you could make an acrylic or glass top which would be just a cover to go over it. If Bible is 12"×14"×10" cover would be, say, 13"×15"×11"

 

[Richard]

Glad you got the family bible. Sorry for all that happened before you actually have it in your possession. Remind us, do you want the bible open in this wood case? Then a certain page could be viewed without opening the box. Maybe if passages had a meaning for the time/day. You change accordingly. Not sure what woods I would choose. Any wood/lumber from the homestead? Maybe a species that your dad liked? Jon

Quick answer is I don't really know. This is a clean sheet of paper to design.

I envision an open book on a stand... I envision a grandchild or in time, great grandchild with chocolate melted on hands, curiously looking at that book....and creating a mess. The first (and to be hones, only) idea that ever came to me was the "cake plate" idea. Bible in an enclosed box, clear top. Therefore, it would HAVE to be removed to be viewed which I suppose, would mean more hand interaction than a fixed base.

 

[Richard]

Maybe a species that your dad liked? Jon

Missed this first time. It was actually a funny thing you said....but I realize you don't know Dad. Asking him what his favorite wood is (he would have none) would be like asking about the health of a twig on a tree that is on the other side of the earth at midnight while it's raining.

leaving an old book open can put stress on the spine and potentially cause damage. It's better to store old books flat and to handle them gently when reading.

I went through it last night. Pulled out a number of obituaries. Interestingly, I found TWO napkins in there. Embossed they each said "Bob & Doris" (my mother) I've never seen these. I'm guessing they are from their wedding. I wonder if his third wife who breaks to tears because this is so important to her, even knows they are in there lol. Having found them, I might make/buy a shadow box for each of them and give them each to my sisters. I have two napkins and two sisters! Or maybe I could send them to his wife #3 since she didn't want to let anything go.... lol.

You are displaying the bible, not the wood

This struck a chord in me. I agree and I think in that instant, tilted to using walnut.

 

[Richard]

Question (background first)

I've been (carefully) going through this bible. There are obituaries in there dating back to 1898 and births noted in there going back to 1886. This is on dedicated pages in the book to commemorate these events.

I then have some loose papers, maybe a newspaper obit that was cut out or something. Not a lot of them but it's interesting to look at this stuff.

One to my question.... I'd like to keep all this together without sliding all the loose papers into the Bible itself. That got me thinking.

Maybe make the base say, two inches tall..... inside the base, have essentially a drawer that would slide out and in the drawer, lay the papers. Now they're all together but not stuffed into the Bible itself.

Which brings me mechanically to how would I cut the drawer out? My vision was it would be cut out of the base so it would be perfectly matched wood. Don't think I could cut (for lack of better word) a "slot" that the drawer would slide into. Maybe I could take say, TWO ONE inch pieces. Cut drawer slot out of one of them then sandwich pieces together and now have a drawer opening. I suppose I'd have the cutout piece that could be routed/machined into being at minimum, the drawer front.

Just for kicks, imagine the base part having to be about 16x20. The drawer would be pretty thin... maybe 3/4 to an inch in depth (there are not a lot of papers with this) Otherwise, able to handle 8x11 sheet of paper.

How to approach making a drawer for this.....then, how to latch it. I was thinking put a simple hook or maybe hide it by putting a threaded brass rod in one side, passing through and threading into a receiver on other side. This way the drawer (hopefully) won't just slide out if tilted in an errant direction. Meantime, casual eyes might not realize there's something hidden beyond the brass knurls.....

Side note, it's amazing how creative my wife can be in coming up with projects for "us" to do. Heck, I hardly had time today to mow the field but for some of her items. No moss grows on her, she never stays still. She will probably be one of my larger challenges to deal with to get some time to focus on doing this box!!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Lots of choices. There's a metal (brass) Basilica stand, from basic to ornate. The basic one could be fabricated easily with brass parts like a lamp base, the top if you know a metal fabricator or buy ready made.
Attached to a walnut wooded base, basically a box with drawer.
Over the years I've repurposed so many things, I'd be checking out antique stores for a drawer base the right size, most have a key lock for drawer.
Just a thought...