unfinished boxes

Last week, I thought I would be able to use some number of my unfinished boxes from prior classes to demonstrate box making techniques.  I just made more. As my students were making boxes and actually finishing them, I lagged behind assisting and answering questions.

Part of my accumulation of unfinished boxes is shown in the photo. They are in a variety of woods and in a variety of sizes. I have well figured ash and walnut to consider in making top panels.

What needs to happen next with these boxes will be the addition of floating panels for the lids and then bottoms as well. After that I'll add hinges, lift tabs for the lids, sanding and finish. Then the greater complication arises. Will I be able to sell these boxes?

Happy 4th of July, Independence day in the US. On this date 242 years ago the American colonial congress approved a document declaring "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Can we celebrate our freedom while our government incarcerates families, holds children hostage and refuses to unite them with their parents? Is this the government that the founding fathers had in mind? As a nation we seem to dance between angels and demons. Our founding documents promised the nobility of man,  and our actions as a nation frequently move in the wrong direction.

Make, fix, create, and adjust education so that all students have the chance to learn likewise.