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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Wood Stain Or Paint? - That's The Question!

Wood stains are widely used to decorate and protect wood surfaces and to prevent yellowing caused by exposure to Ultra Violet (UV) radiation.

Wood staining is used to enhance the natural beauty, texture and grain character of wood and is a premium quality, alternative finish to more expensive hardwoods and block paints. It will also conceal any minor wood defects, or blemishes that may exist.

Polmac Natural Woodstain Finishes

Wood stains allow the grain character and texture of the wood to be preserved and enhanced, because the liquid stain flows into the natural pores and grooves taking the shape of the wood itself.

Wood stains raise and make the wood grain more pronounced, so it's advisable to sand the surface first, using multiple grades of sandpaper, to remove any scratches and blemishes and to provide a smooth even finish.

Most wood stains are transparent or semi-transparent and are used to soften, or change the colour of wood, leaving the surface texture still visible. However, semi-opaque wood stains which mask the wood completely are also available.

Wood stains are supplied in a variety of vibrant colours and natural wood finishes, adding a beautiful subtle quality to wood.

Wood stains and paints are similar because they add richness and colour to wood but there are differences in look, character and application.

Painting leaves a thin film on the wood, which helps to hide more pronounced scratches and blemishes. Consequently there is no need to sand the wood.

Block Colour Paints

Using a primer allows the uniform absorption of the paint, thus providing an even finish across the entire surface of the wood. The more coats of paint that are applied the more it masks the wood underneath.

Wood stains are applied directly to the wood using a soft rag cloth, sponge, brush or sponge roller, wheras pint is chiefly applied with soft brush and roller.

Water based wood stains do not protect the wood, so it's a good idea to add a coat of clear lacquer as a final finishing coat. However, proprietary wood stains with the lacquer already mixed in are also available, so a final coat is unnecessary!

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Wooden Baking Trays - Are You Serious?

Polmac (UK) Ltd specialises in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes and packaging and it never ceases to amaze us what wooden boxes can be used for.

If you ask your old granny how she manages to bake wonderful cakes each time, she'll tell you that the ingredients and recipe are important. However, you'll also be surprised to learn that she may use a pinewood tray to bake the cake in, instead of a traditional baking tin.

The Wooden Cakebox Company Baking Tray

"A wooden cake tray. Are you serious?" Yes, wooden cake trays, particularly pinewood cake trays make baking cakes simple and straightforward and the taste can be truly amazing!

There are a number of companies around, such as The Wooden Cakebox Company that sell pinewood cake trays and these will usually include a fail-safe recipe and the ingredients you'll require. You can of course use your own recipe if you wish!

I'm told that for best results, a new wooden cake tray should be seasoned with oil before use, on the outside and inside.

After seasoning, the box is lined with brown paper, which allows the cake to grow and develop a rich aroma, as the oils, sugar and pine resin are released by the baking process.

The cake is insulated by the surrounding wood, so wrapping the tray with extra layers of paper during baking is unnecessary. Using a wooden cake tray ensures an evenly cooked, moist cake.

The wood used in cake trays should be sustainable, from managed sources and eco-friendly. The wood trays should also be constructed using a robust, non-hazadous jointing method. For example, if steel pins or screws are used, you don't want them turning up in the slices of cake you offer your guests!

Pinewood cake trays have been tested numerous times and the end result is usually the same - a delicious super moist cake whether it's a traditional, Christmas fruit cake, or a chocolate fudge cake.

You'll never need more than one pinewood cake tray because it will last for decades, except of course if you become more ambitious!

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Folding Pocket Knife Boxes - Adding Value!

Finding the perfect gift for a bloke who's got everything can be difficult, especially if you've already bought him multiple shaving kits and dismissed the idea of buying a dvd about how to make craft beer (because he only drinks single malt whisky).

But have you thought about buying him a top quality, single blade, folding pocket knife, which can truly be a work of art!

The earliest folding pocket knives date back to the early Iron Age. For example, a pocketknife with a bone handle dated 600 - 500 BC was found in Austria and folding blade knives from the pre-Roman era were found in Spain. 

William Henry Victory Folding Knife, With Sterling Silver Handle, Black Leather Clip Case, Certificate Of Authenticity And Black Wood Presentation Box

Possessing such a knife was not only useful, it also afforded the owner more status.

Knives like these can be great for everyday cutting tasks, such as opening letters, cardboard boxes and packages, cutting rope and for many other outdoors activities.

A folding pocket knife can also provide a satisfying, life-long partnership between the owner and his knife. The brand and style are usually something the owner will stay true to during his lifetime, so it's important to determine what the knife will be used for.

By law a folding pocket knife blade can be a maximum 7.62 cm, so can be used as a utility 'tool' to perform rudimentary daily tasks.

However, it's wise to keep in mind that it's against the law in the UK to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority, or reasonable excuse.

A number of folding pocket knives have multiple blades (like the Swiss army knife), making them extremely versatile whilst still retaining their friendly carry status.

Top quality folding pocket knives, in leather sheaths and a certificate of authenticity, will often be purchased in customized wood presentation boxes that will stay with the owner for life.

The wood presentation box thus becomes a lasting reminder of quality and high standards, adding value to the folding pocket knife inside, by creating a package with irresistible charm and beauty! 

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Decorated Bamboo Gift Boxes - A Far East Alternative!

Bamboo grows relatively swiftly and requires little water or fertilizer, so is now marketed around the world as an environmentally friendly material.

Bamboo, as an alternative to solid wood, can be used to make stunning gift boxes and / or storage boxes. They are lightweight, durable and sturdy and can be used to package or contain anything from stationery to beauty products.

However, unlike timber which can be easily sawn into planks, the hollow bamboo stalks are usually cut into narrow strips, planed flat then boiled to remove any pest-attracting starches.

Making a gift box out of bamboo is relatively simple and straightforward and requires only a basic knowledge of the material, some woodworking skill and access to common hand tools.

Decorated Bamboo Gift Boxes

Bamboo can be used to make traditional rectangular, or square gift boxes, with decorative metal hinges and catches, or if you're feeling particularly you can create unusual shapes with imaginative hinge and fastening mechanisms.

Traditionally, bamboo can be decorated by hand painting with a wide variety of vibrant gloss colour paints and stains, or even decorated with delicately embroidered fabrics. However, before painting the bamboo may need to be sanded to remove it's natural, outer wax layer.

There are some 1,400 species of bamboo that grow worldwide but Moso bamboo is the most widely used which is grown in China and elsewhere in the Far East.

Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world and can grow as much as 0.9m in a single day. Moso bamboo can grow to a staggering height of 23m and a diameter of 20cm. which means bamboo fields can truly be described as 'bamboo forests'

The strips of bamboo are kiln dried to remove excess moisture, glued into flat bundles, and then formed into sheets. The shreds can be treated with adhesive and pressed into panels or blocks ready to be made into beautifully decorated bamboo gift boxes.

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Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes Make Stunning Gifts!

Plain, undecorated wooden boxes (box blanks) can be transformed using a variety of traditional decorative techniques into functional and artistic gifts. The visual effects these decorative techniques can provide are limited only by your own imagination.

Traditional methods of decorating wooden boxes include painting, with acrylic craft paints, emulsion, oil based paints and wood stains, with natural wood and / or colour stains.

Polmac (UK) Ltd Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes

You can use small pieces of coloured tissue paper to decoupage your wood boxes, if you prefer a more random, vibrant finish.

The sea glass you've collected from a recent visit to the beach can be glued to your wooden boxes, to create stunning mosaics.

You can also create more complex or basic designs using pyrography (wood burning) and traditional wood carving techniques.

However, one of the most unusual and interesting methods of embellishing wooden boxes is to use decorative ceramic tiles, glued onto the surface.

You can create your own ceramic tile designs, if you have access to a kiln, by hand decorating, or using decorative transfers. If not, you can use decorated tiles from your local tile shop.

When fixing ceramic tiles onto your wood boxes, bear in mind that wood 'moves' due to moisture content, whereas ceramic tiles and glass are static. This means the glue needs to provide separation as well as adhesion.

So, a good choice would be silicone, as it's relatively inexpensive and easy to use.

However, if you're using plywood, you'll need to seal it first, then use a flexible, cement based adhesive, rather than a pre-mixed tub adhesive.

These two gluing methods assume the substrate, whether it's wood, mdf, or plywood, is reasonably rigid and doesn't flex or bow with variations in temperature.

Wood boxes decorated with ceramic tiles and mosaic, are perfect for displaying your tile and mosaic artwork.

They offer unusual design opportunities that can wow and impress your friends and / or clients.

These decorated, ceramic tile boxes make stunning gifts to store treasured mementos and photos in, or to use as elegant gift packages!

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