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I made this box for my neighbor Tom as a reward for the "too-many-to-count" times he has saved my bacon. The backstory is this. Tom has a background in engineering, with an immense technical knowledge. He is about my age (50-ish). Since moving into our neighborhood he and his wife Jeannie (who I suspect is somewhat younger than Tom) have had 3 girls (now about ages 11-3). He went back to law school and became a Patent Attorney. Rather than move out west to the ritsy newer suburbs, he and his family have added geothermal heating and are planning an addition to their Craftsman-style 2-story bungalow. He has even ordered salvaged stained glass windows from a dismantled Victorian somewhere off eBay, and is fixin' to case and hang them in the new addition. I respect this man immensely.

In addition, when I couldn't figure out how to: change my chopsaw blade without a spanner, pull my car battery when it was deeply corroded to the cabling, fix my sputtering chain saw, rehabilitate the mower that I destroyed while attempting to mow iron gardening implements left in the grass… I called on my good neighbor. He has alway rolled up his sleeves and saved the day for me.

tomsvalet5grain

So here it is. I found this incredible piece of Sapele with figure I have never seen before in this species. It's almost a birdseye figure, but there are no true knots in the middle of the eyes. It's not quilted exactly and there is the difference of color around the eyes. I had planed it to close to finished thickness +.125" and left it to acclimatize to the shop. Two days later it was a cupped nightmare. I shaved off a veneer piece and glued the thicker piece to a backer board of spanish cedar to try and tame the cupping. The sapele won. End result: exotic cupped plywood. Next I left the sapele thicker than original specified, split it on the long axis, flipped one piece end-over-end and glued up a slip-match, then created a 3/16 thick 3/8 wide tenon and made breadboard ends from a bit of leftover Lyptus® (Weyerhauser Eucalytus Plantation-Grown in Brazil). Suitably flat, the project continued.

tomsvalet4

Tray is spanish cedar with dividers and lining plus ring holders which are new to this project. Lining ideas courtesy of Emily Palm of Blue Heron Woodworks via FWW#185. Tray is finished with MS/BLO/Pratt & Lambert #38 Alykd varnish (homebrew danish oil with a high resin titration).

Box materials: Sapele (straight and wavy), Walnut, Lyptus® and a dash of fiddleback maple veneer edgebanding on the lid. Box has a "cloud drop" cutaway for finger access below the lid. Lid is simply hinged on pins through the "carcase" into the lid, with the back, underneath edge of the lid radiused to allow "staying" action at 90°. The outer box is finished with a de-waxed shellac sealcoat, Oxford Ultima Spray Acrylic Lacquer (waterborn), rubbed out to P4000 grit with Mirka Abralon pads and a RO sander.

tomsvalet5

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Comments

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what a beautiful gift for another angel on earth!

my favourite feature (other than the beautiful wood) is the little lip for opening the lid. Nice.
 

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Beautigul box, Douglas!
 

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Beautiful box and thanks for the detailed writeup. Hearing the details adds a lot.
 

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Beautiful! Lots of work but well worth it. A real treasure.

David
 

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That's a very detailed and stylish box. Really nice work!
 

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It may be a familiar term to the folks on this forum for "something really pleasurable to look at", but it was new to me when I first saw it used about a year ago.

"Eye Candy" Your box is "eye candy."

Very nice! And I also appreciate the write up of the process.
 

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Nice work! I am going to school on you man! This is what I would like to building at some point! Beautiful wood. Good story. Thanks for posting.
 

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This very nice woodworking, a lesson for us all. Beautifully made and a great story sounds like a great friend. jockmike
 

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Nice work. I am sure he will love it.Good neighbor are a true blessing.
 

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Extraordinary…...beautiful work…..I need to make my neighbor something…..he hosts the monthly poker game and brews wonderful beer….HHmmm…maybe a nice cigar humidor!
 

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Thanks everyone for the kind comments! I especially am pleased by Paul's eye candy comment.

I have a tiny corollary response. My buddy Jeff (a LJ) works at the Mom and Pop woodworking store here in town where I got my start in woodworking as an adult. I always bring my show-and-tell items out to them as I buy most of my stock and machines through them. I handed it over and Jeff spent about a minute rubbing the box with his hands (now I'm going to date and type myself here with a quote from a Frank Zappa song- he was doing "the circular motion rub-it").
That made me very happy with the level of finish, 'cause it really is as smooth as a baby's butt and it does beg to be touched. Not bad for not dragging out the pumice and rottenstone, paraffin oil, felt block etc. These Abralon pads borrowed from the automotive finishing industry are just too easy. Hand Candy!
 

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Wonderful craftsmanship! The wood is real awesome, the finish looks great! Thanks for sharing the story, too.
 

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The wood types you used are spectacular and the gift is just as spectacular. Sounds like you've got a great neighbor and now, a happy one, too.
 

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Great box. Thanks for sharing.
 

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Douglas, sounds like your Good Neighbor also has a Good Neighbor. Very beautiful and thoughtful gift you made for him. Thank you for sharing the craftsmanship and the story.
 

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Beautiful! - great craftsmanship, and what a good neighbor!
 

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Gave him the box yesterday afternoon! He was flabbergasted. Yippee!
 

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wow Douglas - this is a gorgeous box! And sanded to 4000!!!!!!!!

I need to try out some Sapele - every time I see it, I'm in awe! And, the figured sapele! Whew!
 

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That figure, I have come to determine from a recent article by Thomas Schurch in FWW is called bee's wings. It's a jaw dropper alright.
 

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Douglas, you might have already heard that I just love small wooden boxes.

Thanks, Dorje, for bring this one to the surface. She's a real beauty. The design is clean, simple and very well executed. Often, nice woodwork is let down by poor finishing. It's obvious at first glance that great care in finishing this piece has contributed to one superb small box.

The more I see on this site, the more I begin to realize that a careful selection of wood is a significant factor in producing exquisite results.

Thanks, Douglas.
 
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