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Ever make something for one purpose, then find a new use for it later?
Back in 2018, I did a doll cradle project with 1/2″ oak that I’d milled. The scrap oak wasn’t big enough for anything on my to-do list, so I squirreled it away.
Then, in 2021, I wrote an article on clamping techniques and needed to make a small mitered box for photography. The leftover 1/2″ oak was just the right amount. I wanted to include the less-common clamping method of gluing the miters and taping the box up tightly, which you can see on the upper left in the photo below. Afterward, the little box became a catch-all on my assembly table.
Wrapping up the article the following week, I realized I’d forgotten to include band clamps in the mix. So, I dumped the junk out of that box and staged a new set of glue-up photos, but with band clamps this time. Sure, I wasn’t really gluing the box together, but for photographic purposes it worked fine to illustrate the process.
Doing an article covering joinery techniques six months later, I wanted to show doweled miter joints. Rather than go through the whole box-building process once more, I again grabbed that box (which had resumed duties as a catch-all on my workbench) and used it for a whole different setup. I just doweled one corner of the box, shot the photos I needed, and the box went back to catching stuff.
But when making a big ol’ pot of chili last week, which always involves rummaging through my spice cabinet, it occurred to me that I should make a small spice rack just for my favorite chili spices. Planning it out on my workbench, I saw that thrice-used box (four if you include as a catch-all) and thought it might be the right size. Sure enough, my four most-used bottles of chili seasoning fit perfectly.
It started out six years ago as wood milled for a project, then three years later became a box used two different ways for an article, then used for yet another photo shoot half a year later, and finally it holds a special place in my spice cabinet. If that’s not the circle of life, I don’t know what is.
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