It's been a real pleasure to have the time as a retired guy to focus on designing and building some one-of-a-kind boxes in my home shop.
I started on this box 'Pisces' (more on the name soon) about 6 months ago, and am pleased to share some photos and descriptions with you.
This is the straight on view. It showcases the spectacular Big Leaf Quilted Maple (Acer macrophyllum) drawer fronts. You can visualize rolling sand dunes or ocean waves, or whatever - it catches your breath when seen in a good light - but those drawer fronts are indeed flat.
Quilted Big Leaf Maple is the most prized form of highly figured maple. Found in the temperate regions of the US Pacific Northwest this figure is found in approximately 1 in 5,000 Big Leaf maple trees.
It's also really expensive. The raw wood drawer front material for this box cost me about ~$80.
The body and legs are Cherry (Prunus serotina) and the fish shaped pulls that give the box her name are made from Purpleheart (Peltogyne paniculata). The Purpleheart color is a natural and wonderful visual accent.
This wood combination of Cherry, Figured Maple and Purpleheart has long been a favorite of mine. Hope it works for your eye as well.
This is the traditional view of a craft piece. Shows the overall perspective as it would look in an owners house.
Pulling forward a drawer showcases the traditional hand cut (saw and chisel) dovetail joinery I use to construct the drawers.
Here is a good view of the 'Pisces' fish pulls, as well as a half-blind dovetail joint.
I needed to make my own 1/8" diameter Purpleheart dowels to attach the pulls to the drawer fronts. You are not going to find these at your local Big Box store.
The legs are built with three mortise and tenon joints designed to form a triangular stable platform. They as well are attached with hand made 1/4" diameter cherry dowels.
Final photo:
I add laminated miter keys to the carcass corners for structural stability but mainly visual interest. I make them myself (of course) and in this case they are a lamination of purpleheart/maple/purpleheart at a final thickness of 1/8".
So .... that's a guided tour of my newest box Pisces. I hope you enjoyed it.
I've enjoyed this design of mine over the last 25+ years, and this is the 3rd or maybe 4th Pisces I've built, each similar but different in its own way.
You can actually view the original version on Page 92 of the 2004 Larks Books "400 Wood Boxes"
Alas, I'm about to shut down my woodworking shop and teaching schedule for a while when I get my right elbow repaired.
https://goccf.com/t/488391I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on Pisces.
Hope to stay in touch post surgery.
Posted 03/07/2026 6:42 pm
