| Project by Blake | posted 771 days ago | 1239 views | 10 times favorited | 19 comments | ![]() |
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I liked the color combination of the first Maple/Mahogany/Purple Heart jewelry box so much I decided to use it again but alter the shape. I wanted more of a flat single layer jewelry case to showcase one or a few special pieces. My wife’s comment when she saw this box was… Quote: “Mine…” So now it protects a piece of Turquoise her mother gave her. Check out the original box with the story of the Mahogany HERE.
I used a biscuit jointer to attach the purple heart handle to the front of the lid. I screwed the biscuit jointer to a piece of plywood and set the lid flat on the plywood in front of the jointer. Making the cut was easy and then I just shaped a piece of wood the same thickness as the biscuit slot to fit.
The miters are splined and keyed. My favorite way of cutting key slots now is this blade:
It is normally used for these small hidden slot hinges. I little pricey but worth the investment because of its double duty for extra fine keyed miters and those nifty hinges. I use it in my router table (lowest speed setting) and made a jig which runs the corner of the workpiece across the blade.
The Splines were only added because the miter joints did not close all the way. The cuts were not perfectly 45 degrees. It took me forever to get the splines right to cover the mistake. But it turned out ok. I have since invested in an Incra miter gauge and a Wixey digital angle gauge. 

The Wixey was the best $40 I ever spent for my shop. No more botched miters. For small precise projects like these, accuracy is everything.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com





























19 comments so far
ChrisBabayco
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66 posts in 828 days
posted 771 days ago
A very nice looking box and you are right- the maple, mahogany, purpleheart does yield a great combination.
Karson
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25871 posts in 1300 days
posted 771 days ago
Blake that is one great box.
What is the thickness of the blade on the router bit?
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
mot
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4904 posts in 936 days
posted 771 days ago
Really beautiful! Where do you get a blade like that?
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
CharlieM1958
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7697 posts in 1118 days
posted 771 days ago
Really nice. Thanks for the tips.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
cajunpen
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5968 posts in 966 days
posted 771 days ago
Really nice box Blake.
Tom, you can get the blade at Wood Craft. They are made for the barbed type hinges. I’ve had the set for a couple of years now, but haven’t tried them yet. They are actually designed to be used in a drill press – but I understand that they work quite well in the router table. Gotta try it.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
TomFran
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2517 posts in 894 days
posted 771 days ago
Beautiful work! And, great wood combination too.
-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28
SPalm
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951 posts in 782 days
posted 771 days ago
Nice. Thanks for the pointers.
Steve
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Douglas Bordner
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3427 posts in 964 days
posted 771 days ago
Beautiful. And the wifely comment is precious affirmation of your path as a craftsman. LOML is pretty good to me about the woodworking, but not everyone here gets the same back-up (and that’s all I’m going to say about that peccadillo).
Blake, tell us more about the kerfed hinges. I have steered clear because I was afraid the plating would go south over time, but they could be a boon for production work, and my days of being able to afford Brusso for every project are gone like the Eighties.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Chip
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1058 posts in 992 days
posted 771 days ago
Another beaut. Fresh looking design and your usual high craftsmanship standards. Love it.
I have had the Wixey for a while now and agree that it is a great addition to the shop. Would also be interested in more info about the hinges. Thanks for posting it.
-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.
WayneC
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6079 posts in 997 days
posted 771 days ago
Another wonderful box. I’m going to have to check out the slotting blade.
-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov
Jeff
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997 posts in 994 days
posted 771 days ago
No wonder you wifed claimed it. I can see why. I jumped into the post from email literally said out loud, “Ooooo… Nice” I’m diggin’ the non-conventional proportions and the curve is elegant.
-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN
Blake
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2763 posts in 774 days
posted 771 days ago
As far as the barbed hinges that are used with the thin kerf mini- saw blade:
The set up is rather tricky. The instructions recommend an elaborate set up on the drill press. But I find it is inaccurate and difficult to get good results with the blade hanging from above like that. I prefer to set it up on the router table. You must find a way to get the workpiece to slide straight into the moving blade. Once for the box and again for the lid, and they must be aligned. You must be able to slow your router down (variable speed) to do this. Too fast is dangerous and will burn.
But it is possible. And if you take the time to build a jig that will work for you, the hinges are great. I think they are pretty good quality, and they are almost completely hidden. The barbs hold fine, especially with a drop of epoxy in the kerf. After the elaborate setup, they would be great for production work. Probably quicker than anything else.
They are not very strong at all, however. They are best for small stuff like pen boxes, ring boxes, bracelet boxes, etc. They will not hold up a panel lid or large solid box lid.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
Dorje
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1767 posts in 897 days
posted 771 days ago
Another wonderful box and tool details to boot!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
PanamaJack
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4447 posts in 977 days
posted 770 days ago
Fantastic job on the box Blake.
-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,
Don
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2590 posts in 1077 days
posted 767 days ago
Great tips, Blake – and the box – well it’s beautiful and reinforces why I just love small wooden boxes.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/
sarge
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47 posts in 768 days
posted 765 days ago
COOL BOX. I LOVE THE BLOSSOM ALSO.
-- GOD CREATED THE EARTH WITH TREES, GOD CREATED MAN WITH BRAINS TO MAKE A SAW. THE REST IS UP TO US. LETS MAKE SOME SAW DUST.
Andy
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573 posts in 808 days
posted 763 days ago
Beautiful design! That sure is some wild Mahogany.I have piece just about like it and have held off using it for the same reasons you stated.Its a bear to get smooth,but you show it can be done.I like your miter and that angle guage.I try and do my miters on my 12” chop saw,but had to use the table saw on the taller Keepsake Urn http://lumberjocks.com/projects/2686. It took some fiddling and several scraps to get it all dialed in for tight miters.They came out perfect but my miter guage needs to be tuned up every time I change the settings.This combo would sure simplify the process. Thanks for sharing.
-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon
Blake
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2763 posts in 774 days
posted 762 days ago
I have had a lot of people ask questions about using that thin-kerf blade for keyed miters. Here is the simple router table sled I used to run the box corners past the blade:

The low profile 45 degree fences allows me to locate keys close to the bottom of the box.
Here it is upside-down (notice the miter slot runner):

By the way, I also use one of these to raise the blade higher for the upper keys:

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
dewoodwork
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111 posts in 856 days
posted 759 days ago
I love that box!! The shape and proportions are wonderful and the wood combination is very pleasing.
Thanks for the inspiration.
-- Express creativity with wood, Dewayne. Vacaville CA.