Named Elgin for Elgin, Illinois, this keepsake box is made from Jatoba and Leopardwood with Ebony and Purpleheart inserts. It is 10” wide by 8” deep by 4 1/2” tall. Fitted with Brusso hinges and an unknown full mortise lock, all in brass. Finish is 7 coats of tung oil with hand rubbed wax. Thanks for looking…

Tom

This box is titled “Riverside” for Riverside, Illinois. It is constructed of book matched 3/8” Honduran Rosewood (note, hardwood and sapwood), with slipfeathers of contrasting rosewood made from the scraps & Ebony escution inlay for lock keyhole. Both top and bottom are European Beech veneer on 1/4” Baltic Birch ply and inset into top with Ebony & Holly banding. Hinges are Brusso and full mortise lock is by Viola. The box is finished in 7 coats of laquer then hand sanded through 2000 grit, polished with automotive compound and buffed to gloss with Meguires “Scratch X” buffing cream.

This box is for my annual entry into the DuPage County Fair’s woodworkers competition. I was fortunate to win last year and hope to do the same again. I’ll post results later today after judging.

Thanks for looking…

Tom

Size: 9” wide X 6” deep X 4 5/8” tall

This box is titled Oak Park for Oak Park, Illinois and is the first suburb to the West of Chicago. Best known as home of the studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. This jewelry box is a commisioned piece in Cherry with splined mitered corners, floating beveled panel Leopardwood top and removable solid cherry tray with fitted dividers. Fitted with Mahogany slip feathers in the body and lid for additional strength and Brusso brass hardware, including a full mortise lock.

Size: 6” tall x 8” deep x 14” wide.

This box is titled Eola, for Eola, Illinois and is of Cherry with a fitted Swiss Pear top. The top is inlaid with Holly and Gaboon Ebony with a matching inlay inside the lid.

Size: 4” deep, 5” wide, 2 1/2” tall

This box is titled St.Charles for St. Charles, Illinois. The box is made from quarter sawn Sycamore that creates an interesting moire pattern. The top is spalted maple and the edge banding is Gaboon Ebony.

Size: 4” deep, 5” wide, 2 1/2” tall

This box is titled Rockford for Rockford, Illinois and is made from dovetailed Sapele with an inlaid Swiss Pear top. A fitted leather lining and brass hinges complete the box.

Size: 6’ deep x 8” wide x 4” high

Hello all. I just spent the last day (ok, two if you consider design time) making a mantle. A friend who owns a fireplace store needed a custom mantel for a job right away. It is 60 inches tall, 82 inches wide and 10 inches deep at the top. It is in unfinished cherry, both timber and B2 plywood. The main body is a plywood structure with the mantel (top) fastened with pocket screws and the pilasters (legs) being mitered and splined.
Half the mouldings are out of the bin from OWL Hardwood, including the crown with rope trim. The fluted trim was custom, using my Woodpecker Quicklift, Incra router fence & a Freud 1/2 round nose bit. This is my 3rd mantel to date and it was a lot of fun to experiment with all the different mouldings that are available. Construction costs approx. $250

The customer will have it finished after installation. I’ll update with pictures when I get them.

This jewelry box is titled “Joliet” for Joliet, Illinois and is constructed from Maple and Purple Heart. All 12 edges are banded with hand cut Purple Heart. In addition, the the top is a parquet of 7/8” square Maple pieces that are aligned 90 degrees to each other with 1/8” Purple Heart banding each piece. The alternating pieces create a nice chatoyance.
The inner tray is also Maple, with the top edges trimmed in Purple Heart. All dividers are notched and fitted.

Size: 9” wide x 6 1/4” deep x 4 1/4” tall.

This box is titled “Geneva” for Geneva, Illinois. It as constructed from solid Leopardwood with Mahogany slipfeathers securing the mitered and splined joints. The top is Makore and is trimmed with an inlay of Ebony and Holly. The inlay is also mirrored in the top edge of the box and can bee seen when open. Fitted leather bottom and brass hinges finish it off.

Size: 9” wide X 6” deep X 2 5/8” tall

Hello, my name is Tom Adamski and in addition to furniture design and construction, I enjoy making keepsake boxes. All are one of a kind, usually consisting of exotics that I work with. My convention is to use woods in harmony that interact well with each other as opposed to being overly ornimental.

All of my boxes are named for cities as I sell them under the name City Boxes. This one is titled Deerfield for Deerfield, Illinois. It is made from Honduran Rosewood with a inlaid Makore top. It also has Mahogany slipfeathers securing the mitered corners and a traditional Ebony, Purple Heart and Holly inlay in the top. The top is a fitted lift off style that mates solidly with the body. A rich piece of fitted leather completes the bottom of the box.

Size: 8” wide X 4 1/4” deep X 3 3/4” High