Using Natural Wood & Colour Stains!

The principal reason for staining wood boxes with natural wood and colour stains is to provide a beautiful, alternative finish to imported hardwoods, which can be expensive!

However, wood is an organic material that has variations in colour, texture and grain etc., even from the same log, which means there is not always an exact match from one wooden box to the next.

Polmac Natural Wood Stain Finishes

These variations are perfectly acceptable and indeed desirable, in order to maintain the natural beauty and character of wood, as long as they're within reasonable limits!

However, the goal is always to keep the final colour and finish as consistent as possible, which is why it's so important to visually select the wood and use the best wood stain available!

Wood comprises millions of cells (or pores) that absorb the liquid stain. The rate at which the stain is absorbed, along with other factors such as the colour of the cells, will determine the final colour, when the wood stain is applied!

The very best wood stains are intended to reveal the natural grain of the wood. This is one of the main attractions, because by revealing the grain, a beautiful, translucent effect is produced, that many people find irresistible!

It follows that the darker the stain, the more consistent the final colour will look, because darker wood stains will mask the wood grain and any blemishes more effectively than lighter wood stains!

However, grain pattern can also affect the stain matching process.

Wood pores in a piece of wood are arranged more or less consistently. It's this grain pattern, combined with the natural colour of the wood, which distinguishes one piece of wood from the next.

However, the grain pattern in each piece of wood can still vary, due to naturally occurring blemishes and the differences become even more pronounced when a stain is applied!

Other factors that influence the final colour of the wood are the way the logs are cut in the saw mill, the absorption time of the liquid stain, the age of the wood and the moisture content. 

For instance, wood that's extremely dry can absorb more wood stain than one that has a higher, moisture content, which means the colour will be darker!

Keep in mind that there are a wide range of wood stains from oil-based to water-based and these will also affect the final colour and appearance.

As a general rule, using oil-based wood stains will provide better protection from finger marks and will keep wood boxes pristine for longer than water based wood stains!

Only by removing or reducing the differences in natural colour, grain pattern, cut, absorption time, age and moisture content between the different pieces of wood can a more consistent colour match be obtained. This is key!

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Transfers For Wooden Gift Boxes!

Traditional ways of decorating a wooden gift box include painting, staining, carving, pyrography, inlay, laser etching, decoupage etc. But a novel way of decorating wood boxes that we discovered recently was by transferring photo images. This is a great way of personalizing wooden boxes and they make great gifts, not only at Christmas but at any time of the year.

Transferring any image from paper to another surface is fun and surprisingly easy. You don't need any special skills - just a little practice. Give it a go and soon you'll be looking for more ways to apply this simple technique!

Transfer Images On A Wooden Gift Box

The first thing you should bear in mind is that it's difficult to transfer an image obtained from an inkjet printer, as it will tend to smudge. That's okay if you like impressionism but not so good if you want a clean, crisp image transfer. So, what you'll need is a black and white or colour photocopied image.

The process of transferring the image involves applying a special transfer solution to the image you've chosen. You can purchase the transfer solution from any craft shop, or online. You then press down the image (photo side) onto the surface of the wooden box and leave it to dry.

The wooden box you have in mind can be unfinished, or if you want the image to stand out, it can be pre-painted with a water based emulsion paint, or even an oil paint.

Once the photo copy paper is dry, a damp cloth is used to wet the paper which is then gently removed leaving the image behind.

You can use a wood oil aerosol spray, or a proprietary seal from B&Q or Homebase to remove the paper residue and to provide a nice sheen or gloss finish.

The finished result is great because the image looks as though it's part of the wood rather than being stuck on like a paper transfer, or decoupage. So, what's stopping you - give it a go and release those creative juices!

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Bandsaw Boxes - Evocative & Appealing!

Band saw boxes are made from wood and are cut using a band saw. A solid, or laminated block of wood may be used to make a bandsaw box which often has a curvy linear shape, although not exclusively so.

They are quick, easy and fun to make and only require a 1/4 inch band saw blade with a hook profile. What looks good on the eye is simply marked up and cut out. The shapes and patterns that can be designed are almost limitless. 

Bandsaw Box

Other tools used to make bandsaw boxes depend upon the finish required. These may include sanding tools, carving tools and paint brushes if a painted colour finish is required.

Bandsaw boxes may be intricate and highly decorated, so are often used to store jewellery and trinkets and make great keepsake boxes.

They are particularly pleasing on the eye because everything fits so perfectly together. This is possible because all the various parts of the box are cut from the same block of wood and the 'kerf' or cut the bandsaw makes will be even all round.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses this 'kerfing' technique to make it's wooden boxes, to ensure a perfect fit between the lids and bases. All six sides of the wooden box are glued together to make a composite carcass and the lid is then cut out from the top using a circular saw. In this instance the 'kerf' is made by the circular saw blade!

Bandsaws may be used to cut practically any irregular shape, which means that bandsaw boxes may be made into virtually any shape. If drawers are included for example, they may be a traditional rectangular, circular or oval shape.

No two bandsaw boxes are ever exactly alike because there are always variations in colour and texture from one piece of wood to the next, even if the wood is from the same tree. This is what can make bandsaw boxes so evocative and appealing!

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Craftsmanship - Adds Value + More Sales!

Polmac (UK) Ltd comes from a craft tradition of making decorated wooden boxes that was developed and refined over many years. We have continued this tradition because we believe our clients deserve the very best and the craftsmanship we provide underpins their success.

Unfortunately, today we often sacrifice real craftsmanship for the sake of expediency. Although we can still recognize the value of a beautiful object, we frequently choose the cheap and easy option.

Polmac Decorated Wooden Boxes

Craftsmanship is a quality that comes from creating something with a great deal of passion and skill that often equates to 'love'!

It comes from practicing and honing the skills necessary to achieve the level of craftsmanship required over a lifetime. It's the difference between let's say a Ford Focus and a Rolls Royce.

So, how do we recognize craftsmanship? One way is to look at the attention to detail. When you handle a wooden box for example, does the lid open and close correctly? Are the wood joints perfectly constructed and is the finish blemish free?

We can also recognize craftsmanship through it's functionality. Is the wood box fit for the purpose it's intended? In other words, does it proclaim and add value to the object inside and does it have the visual impact necessary to attract the attention of a potential buyer?

Another way to recognize craftsmanship is to look at durability. If an object is well made, it will generally last longer and provide greater value over a much longer period of time, particularly if it's made from wood.

Some people believe that craftsmanship adds cost and therefore reduces buying potential. However, what should be remembered is that craftsmanship adds value and when people see value they're always prepared to pay more! In a competitive world, that's an advantage worth having!

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Wood - Beautiful, Organic & Eco-Friendly!

Wood is one of the most useful materials in the world and has many different uses, because it's strong and versatile. 

Wood is available as hardwood or softwood but these descriptions don't always refer to the actual hardness or softness of the wood, which can be confusing.

 Beech Tree (Hardwood)

Hardwoods are from broad leaved (deciduous) trees, such as beech, birch, mahogany, maple, oak, teak and walnut and lose their leaves in the autumn.

Softwoods on the other hand are from evergreen (coniferous) trees that have needles and cones throughout the year and include cypress, fir, pine, spruce and redwood.

Pinewood Forest (Softwood)

Generally, hardwoods are harder than softwoods but this is not always the case. For example, linden wood and alder wood which Polmac (UK) Ltd uses as base woods, because they're ideal for staining wood boxes, are actually hardwoods that are comparatively soft and lightweight.

Many hardwoods have beautiful grain character and are used for making wooden boxes and furniture, as well as for decorative woodwork.

Softwoods often come from trees that are tall and straight and are used extensively in the construction industry but can also be used in wooden box making, if a tougher and more durable material is required.

The structure of wood determines its appearance, how it behaves and what it's used for. 

There are many tree varieties with a wide range of properties that are different to materials such as metals, plastics and ceramics.

These materials have a fairly uniform inner structure that makes them behave exactly the same way in all directions. Wood however has different properties in different directions, due to its natural, annual growth ring structure.

If properly treated and preserved wood will last a long time before it begins to deteriorate. However, because wood is an organic material, it's subject to the natural forces of decay, such as fungus and insects that will gradually attack its structure and eventually reduce it to dust.

People learned to use wood for practical and decorative purposes from the earliest times. Today, it's still a very popular material and is particularly admired for its natural, organic and eco-friendly properties.

Forestry can be 100% sustainable but random, unregulated logging can seriously damage the environment, whether it's to clear a tropical rainforest or to selectively cut down mature trees in an old woodland.

Trees provide important habitats for many other species and help to increase bio-diversity. If managed in a sustainable way, forestry is a great example of how people can live in perfect harmony with the environment and benefit from it. 

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Presentation Packaging & Sustainability!

Lots of people believe that presentation packaging and the more robust transit packaging, although commercially necessary, isn't really something they need to think about too much!

They consider a box, even a wooden box as an inconsequential container. It's what you must open to access what really matters - the product inside.

Well, many consumers today do care about packaging in the broadest sense, particularly when it concerns attitudes about sustainability.

Packing Polmac Wood Presentation Boxes

Of course, I'm biased. Polmac (UK) Ltd is a 20 year plus business specializing in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes and we believe that it really does matter.

Why? - Because many people think that an item's packaging, tells them something about how much the company cares about them.

Furthermore, they think that packaging solutions in general, should reflect the environmental values of the company they're buying from and the role it plays in protecting the products they purchased!

Consumers care about sustainable packaging practices and this is not just about them being biodegradable or recyclable. It's also about the wider economy and the use of scarce natural resources.

For instance, many delivery systems and packaging solutions are inadequate in terms of meeting today's packaging challenges!

The result is damage and damaged products have to be re- delivered using packing materials that will have to be reused, recycled and / or disposed of in landfill, using up more and more valuable resources.

Naturally, the delivery systems have to be fit for purpose, as does the outer transit packaging! If the packaging materials are also re-usable and recyclable, then so much the better.

That's why Polmac (UK) Ltd takes great care to ensure we use only materials from sustainable and managed sources and our wood boxes are packaged in a sustainable way, prior to despatch to the customer.

Polmac wooden boxes are first individually wrapped in white paper to prevent scuff marks on boxes during transit. In certain circumstances, single - layer, cardboard sleeves (outers) are used instead of white paper, to make doubly sure there are no scuff marks during transit.

Finally, they're packed and sealed in 6-ply corrugated, impact resistant, cardboard boxes, palleted and shrink wrapped. This minimizes any transit damage and the sustainability issues this may cause.

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How To Make A Wooden Box!

Throughout the ages, wooden boxes have been the choice of mankind whenever something needed to be protected. Whether the iron-banded wooden treasure chest or the brass fitting and exotic hardwood of a wooden presentation case, it is all about the box and the treasure it may contain. 

Learning how to make a wooden box is often the first effort for individuals interested in woodworking.

Step 1
Decide on the type of wood you're going to use. This is important and can change the way your  

creation looks.
   
Step 2
You will need access to power and hand tools as well as adequate work space.
    

Step 3
Measure and mark the wood for the sides, top and bottom of your box using a T-square.
    

Step 4
Use a hand or circular saw to cut the pieces at the marks.

Step 5
Using a butt joint, push up two pieces of wood and attach them together with nails, screws or wooden dowels. This is done with one piece horizontal and the other vertical at the end, thus making an "L" shape.

You can enhance the look of the box by counter-sinking the nails using a nail punch. You can also make a pilot hole for screws with a counter-sink drill bit. Follow up by sanding wood putty over the nails and screws so it's flush with the surface of the wood.

If you're using dowels, drill a hole through the side of one piece into the side of another. Use a wooden dowel to pin the pieces together in an "L" shape. After the sides are pinned, cut the dowel flush with the sides.
    

Step 6
Make a lid for the box. The simplest way is to take a single piece of wood and attach it to the top edges of the box. Do this by screwing a pair of hinges to the top and back of the box.

More difficult, but better looking, is to create the top like you did the bottom. Cut through three sides of the box using a power saw. 

Be sure that the saw cut is below the fasteners or you might damage the blade. Tape the three cut sides together with masking tape before you cut through the fourth side. 

Then complete the cut on the forth side. Attach the hinges of your choice and you have made a wooden box

Tips:

* Sketch the size and design of your box. This helps when you are laying out the wood to be measured and cut. Remember the old adage, measure it twice and cut once.

* Power tools, such as circular saw and drill, makes the job easier, but are not necessary. You can easily make your box using a screwdriver, carpenter's square, hand saw, and hammer.

* When laying out the hinges, it is important that you square them to the top and to the sides of the case. Otherwise, the door will not close or open correctly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for attaching the hinge that you decide to choose.

* Pine comes in several different grades from Select, used in furniture making, to Number 3, which is commonly used in rough framing and construction.

* Join the sides together using glue between the joints for durability along with the small gauge finishing nails, wood screws or dowels.

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