Pouring yourself Out/In

Today I finished working on a collaboration with a friend of mine, Caleb. Actually we finished working together about two days ago with construction and I continued with the finish application.

We are both very enthusiastic about coffee. There are several ways to make coffee, each with its pros and cons.  The pour-over method lets hot water run over grounds in a filter and out the bottom of some container, such as the one to the left, then into a cup/thermos. This brewing method is preferred to electric/automatic makers because the coffee, once brewed, doesn't sit on the heat (this affects the flavor adversely).

The coffee maker usually sits on top of the receiving vessel, but this can prove precarious especially with tall thin containers like a thermos (which I use every day).  Stability can be added to the process using some kind of stand, anything like the one above, which gives the user a larger area on which to set the maker.  The cups are set below on the flat continuous surfaces.  The box allows for short and tall coffee cups.  Now the coffee drinker can enjoy the un-burnt flavor of coffee made this way and a higher degree of safety when using boiling water.  

This box is constructed using finger or box joints, which are similar to dovetails in that they interlock and provide a lot of glue surface. Whereas dovetails are uniquely suited to drawers in furniture, a box joint helps the wood worker during glue application and clamp up, by forcing the box sides into 90 degree corners, yielding a nice rectangle with a solid connection between the boards. 

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The joints are cut in a way similar to dovetail joints, using a hand held router with a bearing guided straight bit.  I devised and made the jig myself 7 years ago and this project with Caleb was the second time I'd used it.  The results are very nice and tight. The box is finished in satin polyurethane and polished with wax.  

This was a fun project and great opportunity to share learning with a friend. I value these opportunities for their tendency to deepen friendships. When we work together and generally share life with others we are blessed and built up. We aren't just putting in hours of work, we are pouring out our lives into others. Like coffee, life is better with friends. 

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