Some of colgaffneyis members are at John O’s, down near Winona for a project weekend (“Johndevous”). John has a very impressive shop and invited anybody in the group to come down there to work on their own camp projects. I decided not to go. I have a shop of my own. John’s shop is better than mine, but not enough better to offset the hassle of driving to Winona and camping there. Also, here I do not have to share the tools.

However, having come to that conclusion, I really felt I should build something here to justify the argument. After talking with some friends after colgaffneyis Board Meeting on Tuesday I settled on a stake box–something to carry the 18 iron stakes for our tent, which have been traveling in a ex-Post Office canvas sack. A further decision was to use only materials on hand, not making any additional purchases for the project.

So–the four walls of the box came from the back of an old church pew. They were not quite rectangular, but close enough. I planed down the excess on the front and back, but left it on the ends, since it was not in the way there. The top and bottom were your basic Home Despot 1×12, knots and all. I did not have anything like period hinges for the top, so I used a couple modern hinges and hid them with leather scraps. The handles are rope, just like colgaffneyis, but I put a leather wrap around each for the comfort of my hands.

I made rabbets in the end pieces to receive the front and back, but did not try any fancier joinery. I wanted to get this thing done. I ended up using two different Millers Falls eggbeater drills, so I could have two different bits handy at all times. My modern Veritas scrub plane and my classic Bedrock 605 jack plane, both gifts from mia_mcdavid, got a lot of use. I also used my Veritas chisel plane and three block planes. Other tools included screwdrivers (including a screwdriver bit in a bit brace–plenty of torque there), a hammer, several saws, a couple chisels, and a carpenter’s triangle.

Not a perfect job–far from it, but thoroughly usable, and the price was right.