I have worked with wood for over 50 years, starting with my first high school “manual arts” or “shop” class as it was referred to then. I went on to major in Industrial Education at Murray State University and taught woodworking at the high school lever for over 20 years. I have always loved wood and I get a great satisfaction from taking a raw piece of wood and making something useful and beautiful. My favorite wood is cherry, probably followed by walnut. I also occasionally use maple.

Shaker boxes had utilitarian purposes for the Shakers and thy probably did not think of them as being decorative. Food items, seeds, sewing accessories, tacks, etc. were stored in the boxes. Today Shaker boxes have both utilitarian and decorative purposes.

I had the opportunity to take a three-day workshop in making the boxes at Pleasant Hill a few years ago. Since then I have tried to develop my shills in making the boxes. I hold to the Shaker tradition of assembling the boxes with only copper tacks and wooden pegs. No glue is used in the boxes. In the Shaker tradition, the interiors of the boxes usually do not have a finish applied.

Will Bondurant