Portfolio Case Restored
David Yoho
In 2004 during my second son's senior year at VCU, where he majored in graphic arts, all his classmates were required to purchase or make a portfolio case. The intent of this case was to house the student's portfolio to be useful during interviews after graduation. There were any number of these in various forms available for purchase in many types of materials. Jereme asked if I could makes something for him from wood. My thought was to make something like a brief case that he could carry into an interview with a potential employer.
So I built it out of walnut for the case and curly maple raised panels for the bottom and top sides. One panel was captured and the other slides open like a candle box lid, held in the closed position by two small ball catches.
While visiting during Thanksgiving he asked if I could fix his "box". It turns out after moving it was left in an area of their basement that was very moist. He found it one day while cleaning and unpacking stuff. The case was in bad shape from the excess moisture. Two opposite corners of the box-jointed case had pulled open and both panels split apart at the glue joint. The hide glue I used probably saved the case from worse problems than if I had gone with Titebond II.
I brought the case home and took it apart. The two panels required a few light passes over the jointer to get the edge joints true again. I glued them back, sanded the clear Waterlox finish down to the wood and applied new finish. I cleaned the finger joints on the two case corners, glued them, inserted the back panel, clamped, and then sanded the outer finish and applied a few new coats of Waterlox.
Although this case will probably not be going on any more job interviews, it is ready to go again. Back when he was interviewing he said he received many compliments on his portfolio case from the art directors he talked with. I'd like to think maybe it helped him land some of the early jobs he had. Today he works for a very large well known bank where he is in charge of creating and maintaining their corporate website. I'm proud to say it was his talent alone that landed that position but that portfolio case did play a role in getting him there!