| Project by BANick | posted 1867 days ago | 1434 views | 7 times favorited | 21 comments | ![]() |
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This is a keepsake box that I just finished. It is made from cherry and maple, with a walnut veneer panel in the lid. It is inspired by this box from our master box-maker Don, but without the dividers and trays since it’s not for jewelry. Dimensions are 8 1/2” x 11” x 3”, the bottom is lined with black felt.
I was worried at first that the walnut would look funny in the cherry and maple lid but it turned out really nice and I’m now glad I did it, the figure looks great!
The finish is BLO, followed by 5 coats of clear shellac, then hand-rubbed with #0000 steel wool and wax.
This is my first “real” box. Before starting on this one, I made a mock-up from a scrap of redwood 2×4 and some poplar to check the proportions and try out different finish recipes and I’m glad I took the time to do so, I ended up making quite a few changes to my original plans.
-- Nick, Fremont, CA.
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21 comments so far
Scott Bryan
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27262 posts in 1993 days
#1 posted 1867 days ago
Nick,
This is a beautiful box. You used a nice selection of woods on this and the mitered keys add visual interest to it.
Thanks for the post.
-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine
CharlieM1958
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14865 posts in 2390 days
#2 posted 1867 days ago
Beautiful box! Remeber….walnut goes with anything! :-)
I especially like the contrasting miter keys.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Callum Kendall
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1918 posts in 1875 days
#3 posted 1867 days ago
Beautiful work, love the miter keys!
Thanks for the post
Callum
-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/
Bob #2
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3808 posts in 2193 days
#4 posted 1867 days ago
Nick that’s a great looking box. I really like the proportions.
Nice mix of colors and wood grains too.
Bob
-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner
BANick
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53 posts in 2059 days
#5 posted 1867 days ago
Thanks all for the nice comments. I wasn’t too sure about the choice of wood but the BLO made a big difference, it really added a nice warm tone to the walnut.
-- Nick, Fremont, CA.
trifern
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#6 posted 1867 days ago
Great looking box.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
jm82435
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1217 posts in 1914 days
#7 posted 1867 days ago
very nice. good looking project thanks for sharing it with us.
-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...
davidtheboxmaker
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373 posts in 1977 days
#8 posted 1867 days ago
That’s a great box – the wood tones compliment each other really well.
Lee A. Jesberger
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6501 posts in 2151 days
#9 posted 1867 days ago
Hi Nick;
Great job, and I’m glad to hear you made a “mock up” first.
This sometimes is the only difference between a successful project like yours shown above, and one that ends up as a big disappointment.
Beautiful work and choice of woods.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
GaryK
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10263 posts in 2160 days
#10 posted 1867 days ago
That is a fantastic looking box. Great choice of woods.
-- Gary - Never pass up the opportunity to make a mistake look like you planned it that way - Tyler, TX
USCJeff
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1041 posts in 2240 days
#11 posted 1867 days ago
I’ll second Lee with the Mock up kudos. Pine and poplar have kept my limited “nice” wood out of the fireplace many times. If you’re going to copy a box, Don is the guy as you’re obviously aware. I just finished trying one of his serving trays. This box is much more ambitious. Well done.
-- Jeff, South Carolina
BANick
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53 posts in 2059 days
#12 posted 1867 days ago
Thanks again for the kind comments, I’m glad you like it.
This was a fun project, I got to try a lot of new things. First time using veneer, first time finishing with BLO and shellac. And at the same time, this was a great project to cut my teeth on since it’s pretty small.
-- Nick, Fremont, CA.
Joel Tille
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213 posts in 2416 days
#13 posted 1866 days ago
Nice box Nick, and following Don’s footsteps will lead you in the right direction.
-- Joel Tille
brianinpa
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1809 posts in 1894 days
#14 posted 1866 days ago
Nick, That is one fine looking box: something that you can be very proud of.
-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.
Blake
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3421 posts in 2046 days
#15 posted 1866 days ago
This is great. I like your unique interpretation of Don’s box a lot. The wide frame around that top panel is really nice. I also like the black undivided bottom. Really nice execution… very tight and clean. All around a really handsome box.
-- Happy woodworking! http://www.blakeweber.us
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