As I was falling asleep last night I heard a gentle cracking sound and I was reminded how much wood moves with humidity. In fact the art of woodworking and furniture making is all about working with a material that is continually in motion. You see I knew what the sound was in the night. A coffee table of mine in the room next door was adjusting to the rapid increase in humidity. I make my table tops so they float on their wooden frames with grooves and cleats but the fit is tight. So as the table top expands it can make some sounds occasionally. If you try and fix end grain to long grain then you end up with warped, cracked and twisted furniture, what I like to call halfway furniture. Halfway between furniture and firewood. 

This is an example of the boxes I make. This one in quilted maple with an angular walnut pull. The grain is incredible in this wood and refracts the light in such a way that it appears to shimmer as you walk past. Building them gives me a chance to practice my patience, concentration and focus. Once the dovetails are cut three grooves are carefully cut on the inside of the parts. The box is glued shut completely assembled with no way in and you use a handsaw to part the lid from the bottom and open it up like a boiled egg.