Oh February. The weather is bleak, the snow is here but certainly not deep, and as the days get longer the cold seems to get stronger! But there’s Valentine’s Day right in the middle to warm and cheer us. It was on a Valentine’s Day many years ago, I received this pretty little Shaker box from a very talented young craftsman.
Vintage LeHay's Shaker box, Circa 1994, Painted by a dear lady from a nearby town
Rob is very busy getting the March orders ready to ship, as always, he will list the extras on Etsy with a Facebook post prior to let you all know!
He is gearing up for the start of his big hike next month. He plans to start in Georgia and head north on the Applachian trail. To prepare for the journey, he tested some of his equipment on the 100 Mile Wilderness hike he took this past fall.
Tent test on 100 Mile Wilderness, Fall 2020
He is now trying different foods to decide what is going to pack well and be palatable. Some of the contenders include: flavored tuna and chicken packets, nutritional drink mixes, beef jerky and hi-test chocolate! Porter keeps trying to sort out how he can fit into the hike pack…
Making a Shaker Box
We are going to talk a bit about the finishing process this month. While the entire box making procedure requires patience and great attention to detail, this part is particularly strong on those points. The boxes and carriers are first hand sanded followed by painting and buffing then thoroughly dusted. Rob lets me help with dusting…. After the dusting is done (and I mean Properly), the boxes are given 2 coats of oil for the painted and 4 coats for the natural. Oiling days are not Porter’s favorite as there can be no dust and especially no dog hairs in the oil, he is kindly asked to work from home on oil days. After the boxes and carriers are oiled, they are buffed once more and declared ready for their new homes!
Painting the Top of a Box
Freshly Oiled and Drying
Awaiting Second Coat of Oil
Shaker Fun Facts
The Shakers have amazing organizational skills. They are masters at saving space. They often built drawers in the walls and under stairs. They had pegs on the walls which they used to hang everyday items from coats and hats to chairs. I daresay clutter was not an issue for these folks!
Interior of an early Shaker home
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