My First and Latest

Looks great! The wood choices really stand out. The floral design is outstanding and certainly proves the saying that “less is more”. Your project follows the basic design rules of “Form follows function”. Intricate, nothing wasted, nothing over done, exquiisite.

Wally

Wow I Really like this!!!! Great lines and the inlay is beautiful. I learned that the Greene and Greene brothers did this on alot of the there work. Putting the inlay and such on both sides to make it apear it went all the way through the wood. Do you do the same?

Great job!!!!!

-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"

Ken – It actually does go all the way through, it’s laminated not inlayed. To tell you the truth, the top started out a different project and was shelved until I came across it recently. It was thicker, but I milled it down to a 1/4” thick. I wish I did have the patience to do a double inlay like that.

Thanks for the compliments,

-- Cal Noguchi

I like the unique character of your latest jewelry box. However, as a lover of anything classic, I am liking the simple box more even though it is from decades ago.

omoshiori desu! bold with subtle feel!

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

Nice work, lovely flower details.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

Looks fabulous!

-- Looking for a good quality Drill Press and a Cabinet Saw for cheap!

Beauty. Nuff Said.

-- "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what others say you cannot do."-Walter Bagehot

Cal, this deserves a “Top Three”...congratulations. This is so typical of your work…zen in a less is more way. I made some flowers along the same plan, but they did not turn out as well as yours. Since I didn’t see them until the second picture, they took me by surprise and made me smile. At first I thought the top would be too heavy, but the matching edge again surprised me and was a treat. The cantilevered handles are elegant and look like a much airer extension of a concept you have used to good advantage before. Nice call.

Your childhood box has a lot of wabi-sabi to it. Wabi-Sabihttp://lumberjocks.com/projects/66300 And thus has an appeal all its own. Thanks for sharing your creative journey with us. This box is a thing of beauty. Keep boxing and keep posting.

-- Big Al in IN

Way kool Kal. I like everything about it. Gr8 details. Top-3 congrats also.

-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net

Beautiful box. Unique. I love unique.

-- Mother Nature created it, I just assemble it. - It's not ability that we often lack, but the patience to use our ability

You made that first box when you were 6 or 7 years old? I’m impressed! You obviously have talent that you have been building on ever since.

-- Sow justice, reap peace

Cal, sorry to make this a two-part comment.

Quandary: I kept wondering about the thickness of the lid vis-a-vis the size of the other elements. I kept wondering why the top rim was so wide? I took another look and think…now I get it. The side of the lid acts as the other half of the hinge with the side of the box. What a clever idea. Two pins and the lid lifts up! It is like the hinges Shipwright, Adam and others use…only simplified. It is genius that you used the dark-colored cantilevered handles to bring the size of the lid back into proportion, and the matching corner splines to pull the whole look together. Really nice design elements.

A few questions: Did you simply drill holes and fit in dowels for the flowers? Is the handle on the lift-out tray a sliding miter joint? Did you cut your top 45 joints on a saw or router? Is there a spacer or washer between the top and sides?

Miscellaneous: I would like to see a shot of the back of the box with the lid closed. The rounded edge on the top of the box sides is a nice way to let the lid edge slide past the box sides. The more I study your design in this box, the more I appreciate all the subtle ideas it contains. What fun your plan is.

-- Big Al in IN

Ya, I think you have improved a little ! Beautiful workmanship !

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""

MagGeorge – In a way, I agree with you. I’ll probably end up selling the jewelry box, but I can never part with the childhood box.

Big Al – Sounds like you’ve been studying this box pretty close ;-) and it sounds like you’ve figured it out for the most part. Yes, all I did was drill holes for the flowers, however you don’t want to drill them all at the same time otherwise they’ll blow out when you try to insert the dowels. The handle for the tray is not a sliding miter, it is “T” shaped on the router with a “core box bit” (half round) and is fitted into a slot in the tray. The joints on the top were cut on a router with a V groove bit. By the way, in an earlier comment I mentioned that the top was a 1/4” thick, it’s actually 3/8”. No, there isn’t a washer between the top and the side, but now that you mention it, it probably would have been a good idea.

Thanks for the comments,

-- Cal Noguchi