Jewelery Box

[TheTiddles]

This a piece I have dashed off in the last week after a cock-up on the predecessor piece, whilst finishing it off I scuffed the top veneer with a plane and wrote it off, 3 months of work is now a sandpaper box. I had a full WIP but deleted it in frustration.

So here it is, made from semi-spalted beech from www.thetimbermill.co.uk with oak burr top, walnut inlay and a bottom panel made of Lebanese cedar for the lovely smell. The tray is beech with a ply bottom veneered with ABW on the bottom and self-adhesive baize on the top.

The joints are mitre-lock, first time I've used this and I was surprised how much work it takes to get it just right, not sold on the idea yet, will have to try again somewhen, but for speed it was ok. The predecessor box was inlaid dovetails.

Personally, I'm not convinced by the overall look, but it's certainly unique, I hope my mum likes it, it's her 60th birthday present.

Aidan

 

[seanybaby]

Nice work Aidan

Your spalted beech looks a bit like Yew, but maybe thats just the photo. Is it finished with shellac?

So the mitre-lock joints on the router table are not that easy you think? Was it the first time you have used them? I'm considering getting a cutter specifically for boxes.

How is the mirror held, is it in a rebate/groove?

Thanks and well done, your mum will love it

 

[Mr Ed]

Very nice work Aiden - from what I can see on the photos it looks really well executed.

With regard to your comments on the overall look, I think the issue may be the height of the box, which to my eye looks a bit excessive in relation to its length / width. This may of course be a trick of the photo as without seeing the real thing its hard to say. I certainly wouldn't say this detracted much from the overall effect, which is an extremely professional looking end product.

Out of interest, what make of hinges are you using?


Cheers, Ed.

 

[Ironballs]

I think it's a beautifully made box and very well finished. What I'm not sold on is the look of the timber, the pale spalting looks a bit like filler to my eye. But then that is my own opinion and others may hate what I think looks lovely.

Incidentally I have a couple of weeks holiday just starting and will be making some boxes, leading up to doing one for my Mum's 60th - I've got 3 months to get that right though!

 

[TheTiddles]

Seanybaby, the finish is sanding sealer (shellac based) then a few coats of wax, no time for anything more. I bought the mitre-lock cutter specifically for this project, it's a perform cutter and due to the need for it to fit my Trend T5 (I'm now sold on getting a T11) it can only cope with wood up to 13mm thick which is a bit thin for a box this size. I was using it in a Woodrat which may be the right way up for many jobs but for this one it's actually upside down, being as it is, the right way up. The thing with the mitre-lock is that although both pieces are intrinsically fitting if the cutter height isn't balanced with the projection then one piece is slightly lapped on the other, not something that's too noticeable but it annoyed me. (it should be noted that anything short of perfect annoys me, hence I'm annoyed a lot with my own work). With a mitre the grain flows wound the corners which is nice on something like this, I would prefer to cut it on a table saw or router table then put a spline in only where it couldn't be seen however this probably isn't easy and my table saw is rubbish. I will replace it with one of those small Axminster ones perhaps when I have moved house in a unit with a router table built in too. The mirror is stuck on with self-adhesive pads, it would be better if it was bevelled, but today I was quoted 5 days to get that done. Given the time some nice beading would have been my choice.

Ed, the height is a bit accentuated there, I think routing a shallow groove on each side to form small feet would lift it slightly, as would breaking the lid slightly lower, but that takes out storage volume from the box. I don't think it sits right either, see above. The hinges are from Isaac Lord from ages ago and are ok but not good. The lock was also from them and total rubbish, the latch is at about 10 degrees off straight to make it latch properly which wound me up something chronic late the other night trying to make it fit. I have resolved to jig up for making wooden hinges soon, at least I have control of them. I now also understand why people use Brusso however with many of my jobs being done for friends and family I don't think they'd like the cost.

I'll post some pictures of the previous box, now that was good, right up to its unfortunate end.

Aidan

 

[Anonymous]

Nice work Aidan!!

Like that

 

[Lark]

never done a lock is it hard... or is there nice guide or vid out there some where just as more see before try at some point

 

[motownmartin]

Nice work Aidan, sometime in the near future I am going to make some myself using spalted Beech and European Walnut, so im glad you posted, its given me the boost I need.

 

[Mr Ed]

Aiden

The cost of Brusso hinges does make the eyes water a bit, but having used a few sets of them I am completely sold on them. The quality and accuracy of manufacture is superb and I'd take some convincing to use anything else.

If you are making something that you want to last for generations and investing tens or hundreds of hours in making it, then I think the least you can do is invest in the best hardware. I like the JB102 hinges from Brusso, which I think are £17 a pair. They look perfect and will last forever, so personally I think they are worth the investment.

Cheers, Ed.

 

[Imperial]

I'd like to see some close up pictures of the top please. I know from experience how difficult it is to take pictures which show what the items look like "in the flesh" Some things just don't photograph well, but look fantastic when seen in normal conditions.

 

[OPJ]

I think the proportions are good and the inlay works quite well. Perhaps you could've done more to distinguish the top panel from the rest of the box - maybe even set it in to a groove, 5mm (or so) down from the top, instead of a rebate? I do like it, I'm not trying to criticise your work but, you did ask. :wink:

 

[wizer]

I like it, especially the mirror. I am considering making one for the missus birthday.

 

[TheTiddles]

ok, a few more pictures just before it goes to its new home...
Frontal view showing the quite high split line,

A view from the left side, this is where I like the mitre join as the grain flows round the box nicely,

and a view straight down onto the top, this is pretty representative of the real piece.

Lark, locks are easy, unless they don't fit themselves very well in which case they are a pain in the buttocks, buy quality I have found.

I bought some aluminium powder to fill the gaps in the oak burr and was going to use splines on the sides but with the grain being so crazy I decided to keep it minimal. The inlay is ABW which hasn't gone as dark as I would have liked it, perhaps I should have used linseed oil. Likewise, the oak burr is only book matched and I think something lie this should be a single piece or quarter matched.

OPJ, criticism is fine, so here we go... inset the top, are you mad? :lol: That's the problem with that wood, it's a bit 'much' so trying to make anything stand out is hard. Setting the top proud would be one way but then it would be prone to damage, inset would just catch dirt surely?

I want to make a box for myself and I have a couple of great ideas but I'm keeping that to myself for the moment, need some dark wood first, anyone want to swap some for casters?

Aidan

 

[p111dom]

Well I like it, very nice indeed. Don't show the wife though. I never got around to finishine hers. It's on the 'to do' list though.

 

[LarryS.]

Aidan,

Like the box a lot, could you do a closer picture of the tray so I can see how you did the joins ?

Am about to start making a jewellery box for my mums 60th (in november), if you were starting again what hinges would you buy ?

 

[TheTiddles]

Aidan,

Like the box a lot, could you do a closer picture of the tray so I can see how you did the joins ?

Am about to start making a jewellery box for my mums 60th (in november), if you were starting again what hinges would you buy ?

'fraid not, it's wrapped up now! The tray was the bit that worked out best on the whole build. The sides are thin beech dovetailed together with a base of ply veneered on the bottom and lined with self-ashesive baize on the top. The dividers are just lapped together with halving joints. To do this bring the thckness of your stock down to whatever size tool you will use to cut the mini-dado, I used a 4mm router cutter but a table saw blade or dado head would do it, then just cut half way throuh each piece, easy! Single fence settings are a bonus here but once you've got it set up it's very fast. If you line the entire tray then divide with a loose divider like this, firstly you can adjust it later if you need something more specific, secondly you have a very clean look as the lining flows under the dividers, I thoroughly recommend it. I ahve some leftover baize if anyone wants it for a beer or two or maybe some veneers?

Aidan

 

[Ironballs]

Aidan have you tried using velvet at all? I've bought a few pieces of velvet with the aim of putting it into some future boxes, but have never tried using it before so am keen to know if there are any dos or don'ts

 

[bjm]

Velvet, or any other material, is easier to use if you paste it onto thin card with spray-mount.

Brian

 

[Ironballs]

Tip worth knowing, ta

 

[Harbo]

Nice box.

I had a different problem with a cutter from Wealden - it was really too big for the thickness I was using (10mm) - I could only just get a mitre with it.
I also tried it out on the Router Table where it really needs a couple of holding jigs to keep control of the wood. One for cutting horizontally and one for the vertical cut piece. The height of the cutter and fence position is also very crucial. This is where the Woodrat scores as the timber pieces are held tight. Nice joint though when it works.

Rod