| Project by littlecope | posted 377 days ago | 412 views | 0 times favorited | 9 comments |  |
 |
We all have to start somewhere. The Girlfriend’s Birthday was approaching a few years back and I asked if she’d like anything special. She wondered if I could make her some sort of jewelry box. Never having attempted it, I none the less proceeded. I had through mortices stuck on the brain forever and used that tried and true method for the box. To be honest, while she likes it very much, I wasn’t pleased with the results. It’s certainly a strong box, but too “blocky” and “heavy”. Moreover, it just doesn’t hold very much. The big breakthrough for me here were the trays. As I couldn’t use the same joint technique, I tried finger joints for the first time, handcut on the scroll saw, fitted, and then pegged. I’ve never looked back. The slot in the side pieces of the trays, to recieve the”flooring”, was plowed out before I had a table saw by using a sort of “table fence”, a nice, straight piece of Oak screwed to a scrap of thick particle board. I then screwed the piece, that I wanted the slot in, to the particle board and ran the circular saw over it. Surprisingly, it worked pretty well, but very slow going.
This project gave me the fever. I thought it was only me, but after discovering a few of these websites, I’ve found that Box building is truely addictive. Perhaps an organization like “Boxbuilders Anonymous” is in order.
“Hi, my name is Mike, and I’m a Boxbuilder…” (Group says, “Hi, Mike!”)
-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.
9 comments so far
woodworm
home | projects | blog
8243 posts in 485 days
posted 377 days ago
I like the design very much.
Sincerely, IMHO the stock it is a bit too thick. For a box of that size, 5/16” to 1/2”thick should be nice.
Overall it is anice box.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
Russel
home | projects | blog
2057 posts in 833 days
posted 377 days ago
There’s a lot more to a box then just the looks, and there ain’t nothing wrong with the looks of this one. More importantly, the lady likes it.
As for the addiction part, it seems there are a lot of addictive things in woodworking with boxes being just one of them. Be careful, next thing you know, you’ll be turning pens.
-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.
DAN
home | projects | blog
6439 posts in 877 days
posted 377 days ago
Good posting … good luck on the box fever… it is much better then the box flu.
welcome to lumberjocks
-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever
MsDebbieP
home | projects | blog
14156 posts in 1055 days
posted 377 days ago
fantastic! I bet this box holds a lot more than jewelry—memories, love,...
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
CharlieM1958
home | projects | blog
7631 posts in 1113 days
posted 376 days ago
Hi. My name is Charlie, and I’m a boxaholic. :-)
THis might not win the prize in the “dainty” category, but it’s got some clever design elements.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Rustic
home | projects | blog
1247 posts in 490 days
posted 376 days ago
All together now Hi Charlie. Nice box. The key here is to learn s you go.
-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI
scottb
home | projects | blog
3402 posts in 1221 days
posted 376 days ago
I think it’s probably a good idea to have a jewelry box that doesn’t look like a jewelry box (my parents were broken into, and Mom lost some sentimental, (but otherwise not valuable) pieces.
Also, you may not have realized it at the time… but you were very smart to make a jewelry box that doesn’t hold very much. Very very smart!
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
Don Newton
home | projects | blog
530 posts in 513 days
posted 376 days ago
Proportion is important but can only be acquired with practice. It’s good that you have a critical eye. Develop that talent and it will serve you well. Most of my projects were “boxy” until I got a planer. Now I push the envelope by making things as thin as I can, and sometimes too thin perhaps. Your box was a good project to develop new skills and a bit gutsy I might say! I like it!
-- Don, Pittsburgh
littlecope
home | projects | blog
583 posts in 396 days
posted 376 days ago
Thanks to everybody for your kind words and support! And Hi, Charlie! “Boxoholic?”. Now why didn’t I think of that? I went all the way to the well but forgot to bring home the water…Must be my Boxoholism affecting my wits! ;-) Michael C.
-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.