# Military Retirement Shadow Box



## Stick

Well, it's my first project. There were bumps, bruises, and a few minor cuts and scrapes along the way, but here it is. This is for a MSgt that is going to retire next week from my office. She gave me a picture of what she wanted and I made it. Not the best, not the worse, and certainly a bigger project than I thought, but I'm happy with it and the lessons I learned!!!


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## mdlbldrmatt135

Very Nice......... I've got a couple of ""Challenge coin" displays to do for Xmas gifts yet......


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## Fiery Monkey

Nice! The one my father got for his retirement from the Navy was just the top triangle piece.


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## woodman42

:thumbsup: Man, thats pretty nice.
That would make any veteran proud.:thumbsup:


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## Stick

*Thanks!!*

Thanks. It will look great with the other statue in the other side, the center filled up and the big cotton flag on top. I handed it off to the rest of the office to complete the minor details. I feel I did enough by myself already and the other guys need to wrap up the small details of putting the badges in and so on.


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## jpw23

Very nice:thumbsup:


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## TexasTimbers

:thumbsup:​


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## Stick

Here's the final display with flag and all the medals....:thumbsup: I do need to refold the flag to get the stars right, but I've got all day tomorrow to mess with that.


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## Harddog Wood

stick, very nice. What did you use for the lighting in the box? I got started in woodworking building a shadow box for a friend's uncle who passed away. I too didn't think it would be that big of project. Before I knew it, I had many hours in that box. I caught "wood fever". I never thought I would enjoy woodworking as much as I do. I am only one year into this wood stuff and I'm a sponge searching for knowledge from the pros, guy next door, or whoever. Great project for a great cause. Hope you don't catch the fever as bad as I did!


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## Al B Cuttn Wud

Great job Stick. I am a novice military memorabilia display maker too. I think all of us are our worst critics because we know where all our flaws are. The display looks great and know that the person on the receiving in thinks its the best ever made. I have tried to make a run at turning my efforts into a business but get more enjoyment doing one a kind projects for special folks I have worked with over the years. Keep up the good work.


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## Al B Cuttn Wud

Great job Stick. I am a novice military memorabilia display maker too. I think all of us are our worst critics because we know where all our flaws are. The display looks great and know that the person on the receiving in thinks its the best ever made. I have tried to make a run at turning my efforts into a business but get more enjoyment doing one a kind projects for special folks I have worked with over the years. Keep up the good work. 

Trying to attach one of my recent projects, an F/A-18 horizontal stab shadow box. This is the a/c my current squadron flies.


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## TexasTimbers

Great job!


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## Stick

*Lights*

Harddog,
I went to the local Home Depot in the lighting section and picked up a 5-pack of puck lights for about 34 bucks. 

Thanks for all the comments. This project actually started out with me helping another guy build this box. 1800 bucks later and a basement shop with the basic tools, I finished the project. I've always wanted to have a wood shop since Jr high shop class, but never thought about spending the money on it. My wife pushed me into buying a shop to get a hobby. She said since I quit smoking, we can afford it....:laughing: I guess she doesn't know the cost of "accessories". I've actually given up my Friday night beer night to hang out in my shop and doodle around with scrap wood.  I guess I'm addicted. I just did my first box joints the other day.....


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## Harddog Wood

stick, thanks for the lighting info
sounds like you caught the fever pretty bad. Out of the limited tools I have purchased, I find the biscuit cutter to be my best tool behind my table saw and planer/sander. I use the biscuits with a band clamp. These joints are strong on the miters. I crank the band clamp as hard as I can. I think putting the pressure on the joints with glue in them, along with the biscuit swelling, makes one hell of a great joint. I have a frame of a box that I rejected that I have thrown on the floor multiple times and the joints don't budge. Maybe someday I will post some of my projects. Currently working on a shadow box made of cedar shaped like a home plate. My buddy has an opening day ticket and certificate to put for the stl cardinals, 2006. champs. 
currently hoping cleveland or colorado.


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## seanarn

*Original designer*



Stick said:


> Well, it's my first project. There were bumps, bruises, and a few minor cuts and scrapes along the way, but here it is. This is for a MSgt that is going to retire next week from my office. She gave me a picture of what she wanted and I made it. Not the best, not the worse, and certainly a bigger project than I thought, but I'm happy with it and the lessons I learned!!!


It Saddens me that someone would copy my work without talking to me first. That design is copyright protected under law. You can find it on my site at www.basementwoodworks.com. People send me picture of other peoples work too, but I try to redesign it to make it my own as best as I can. This picture looks as if you used my own plans. I do this for a living since I retired from the Navy and it makes me angry that someone stole my own design. I am the original designer of this case and my shadow box for my retirement was the first of its kind. You may contact me via my website if you wish.


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## robert421960

i think it is awsome:thumbsup::thumbsup:
i have never thought of there being a problem with looking at a picture of something others have made and copying it
is there a problem wit that?


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## seanarn

*Original designer*

Well it's called Copywrite Law. That's where the problem is. If he, at the very least, had called me and asked about it I may have said it was ok, but to just go ahead and do it, that's where I have the problem. I know several people in the business, and I have a gentlemans agreement with a few, that we will NOT copy each others work without consulting the other. We also refer customers to each other too, It's the honorable thing to do.


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## robert421960

well i think it is no problem to see pics and copy those.do you have a copywrite on this thing?
i understand the gentlemans agreement you have with your friends but this is the www and i feel like its ok
just my opinion
btw i would love it if someone copied something i made
your work is awesome


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## Tony B

Stick: that display case reinvented the phrase "Now *that* be cool".


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## Al B Cuttn Wud

*Wipe your tears*



seanarn said:


> Well it's called Copywrite Law. That's where the problem is. If he, at the very least, had called me and asked about it I may have said it was ok, but to just go ahead and do it, that's where I have the problem. I know several people in the business, and I have a gentlemans agreement with a few, that we will NOT copy each others work without consulting the other. We also refer customers to each other too, It's the honorable thing to do.


I looked up your site, request to see your permission slip from Harley Davidson for replicating their symbol. But I guess that is something totally different..... 

I think you need to relax. If he would have made this for sell or for his own personal gain you might have a complaint. Otherwise you should be flattered that he liked what you did and replicated. Actually if you would have read his article, you would have read that the recipient asked him to make it. 

I have made tons of shadow boxes, eventually I will make one or have already made one that resembles what someone else has made. I am also confident many have made boxes exactly like mine. I completely understand you do this for a living and I do not; however, something is to be said about having some class and just except something and move on. 

His post was from 2007 so what did you expect to accomplish by commenting in 2011. This website is a great venue for folks to share thoughts, ideas and help each other. I am not the moderator but feel compelled to share my thoughts on your poor taste of posting such complaints and welcome you to keep such thoughts to yourself in the future. My thoughts are just as immature as yours but I couldn't refrain for speaking up for a fellow service member trying to help out his fellow brother or sister in creating a valuable treasure to reflect upon for many years to come.

You are probably retired military as well but you lost something obviously along the way while creating your business empire. I ask that you step back and ask yourself if profit drives what you do or the pleasure of giving fellow service members something to display their most valuable treasures in....you posting suggests profit drives you. 

Sorry to all the rest of the group for my lack of maturity, just spun me up reading. 

-Al


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## Duck69

Awesome work!!


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## frankp

Seanarn, while that case is somewhat unusual, it's far from unique. I've seen at least half a dozen very similar over the last 35 years from friends and family members retiring. Furthermore, copyright only protects you against people profiting from your design; IE reselling it. This item was clearly a "one-off" that the original poster did not sell. I feel your pain with respect to copyright (been there dealt with that) and you should definitely protect your work but it would be much better to do so in private than on a public forum in a hostile manner as your first post to that forum. 

I'm not saying you shouldn't say something to the OP but consider how you said it, accusingly, rather than as an "oh by the way" type of statement. The folks who post here are generally good-meaning people who just want to share and learn from those also interested in this particular endeavor we call woodworking. We very often share our designs with each other to gain insight and just encouragement about things. I'm sure the OP meant no harm in copying your design. Stick around, engage in some of the build threads (perhaps try the "alternate methods challenge") and get to know the folks here. The OP hasn't been around in a while but there are a lot of good people here who want to learn and want to teach. Maybe you'll be one of them as well?


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## seanarn

To those I have offended, Sorry. I don't want anything from the person who built it. All I'm saying is that a phone call would have been nice. Not to mention I would have been able to give him some in-site on the lights he chose to use. The lights from Home Depot at that time were and many still are, halogen and can cause a fire if used in this case. I am flattered that the person he did it for liked my design, but its still disappointing just the same. I'm very proud of my work that's all. I don't have an "Empire" as one of the other post suggested. I'm just trying to make a living after retirement.


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## frankp

seanarn said:


> To those I have offended, Sorry. I don't want anything from the person who built it. All I'm saying is that a phone call would have been nice. Not to mention I would have been able to give him some in-site on the lights he chose to use. The lights from Home Depot at that time were and many still are, halogen and can cause a fire if used in this case. I am flattered that the person he did it for liked my design, but its still disappointing just the same. I'm very proud of my work that's all. I don't have an "Empire" as one of the other post suggested. I'm just trying to make a living after retirement.


Well, we all live and learn, right? I hope you'll stay around and share some of your projects. Based on your website, you do some nice looking work. You'll find we have 3 or 4 guys actively doing shadowboxes in some form or another every month or two. The designs are often quite interesting and particular to one branch of service or a squadron or something (Al B does a lot of that) but they are all quite good. Yours will fit in quite nicely as well and I'm sure there are a few of us who would enjoy some of your insights about building these.


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## Duck69

I just did a search for military shadow boxes. It seems several companies are making identical boxes and selling them online. I don't think one should be penalized for making one for his/ her boss. It seems to me the other online companies are the real threat for competition. Very nice work on the box!!


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## ctwiggs1

Yikes, didn't realize there was a SECOND page... ;-)


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## BIP

....never mind......


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## rayking49

*ve*



Al B Cuttn Wud said:


> Great job Stick. I am a novice military memorabilia display maker too. I think all of us are our worst critics because we know where all our flaws are. The display looks great and know that the person on the receiving in thinks its the best ever made. I have tried to make a run at turning my efforts into a business but get more enjoyment doing one a kind projects for special folks I have worked with over the years. Keep up the good work.


i agree. great job. i love building one of a kind objects for friends. My latest has been Navy aviation rate badges from cedar. Keep up the good work. Once the woodworking fever sets in, you can only give in to it and keep building.


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## Jim West Pa

Nice results for a beginner Stick.

More importantly.

Please shake the hand of that MSgt for me and tell her i say THANK YOU for your service Maam. I sincerely appreciate her sacrifices and dedication to securing my freedoms.


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## rayking49

Here are some of my stuff.


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