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Frame/Panel Keepsake Box

Project by Woodhacker posted 585 days ago 900 views 10 times favorited 24 comments Add to Favorites Watch

This box was a birthday gift for one of my four sisters. At the time I wanted to try something with frame/panels, but also wanted to use some gaboon ebony I had on hand. This box was the result. Initially all the ebony corner posts were going to be “proud” of the frames a 1/16 inch, but because of a measurement error they needed to be flush. (always trying to find ways to cover my mistakes) Nearly all the joinery was done on my router table with the help of a hand made jig for the miter key slots. The frames are jatoba, with curly maple panels. The ebony was used to accent the joinery of the miter keys in the frames. The corner posts and frames are joined using mortise/tenons. The bottom is red oak and is rabbeted into the sides. The inlay in the top is ebony. My sister kids me that it looks like the crosses are sitting on a Nike Swoosh!….so much for my “artwork”.

The feet are cocobolo. The ebony handle is fastened by mortise/tenon joinery. For a lid “catch” I embedded a rare earth magnet in the lid and the top of the front of the box using CA glue that I mixed with Jatoba saw dust. All outer edges were beveled 1/8 in. wide at 45 deg. The base inside is overlayed with black non-stretchable felt. It’s finished with four coats of satin poly-blend, followed by hand rubbing with paste wax using 0000 steel wool.

Maybe my woodworking motto should be “Just do it”.

(I have another variation of this box I made for another sister)

-- Martin, Kansas


24 comments so far

View trifern's profile

trifern

7895 posts in 665 days


posted 585 days ago

Absolutely gorgeous box. That is one lucky sister.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

View YorkshireStewart's profile

YorkshireStewart

784 posts in 799 days


posted 585 days ago

You didn’t go for the simple approach with that box did you Martin? There must be more than fifty components to shape and fit. A delightful result! Just two more sisters to please?

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

View teenagewoodworker's profile

teenagewoodworker

2482 posts in 666 days


posted 585 days ago

that is a ridiculously amazing box!!!! Its so beautiful. I’m sure that when your sister wakes up to that box everyday all she can do is smile. Thanks for the post!

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

14932 posts in 748 days


posted 585 days ago

Excellent job Martin. You will probably make the other sisters envious.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View BobR's profile

BobR

137 posts in 882 days


posted 584 days ago

Very nice box. Must go close to taking out the award for a box with the most parts. It works though!

-- Bob

View woodybits's profile

woodybits

3 posts in 670 days


posted 584 days ago

Lovely box enjoy your timber contrast.dont worry about making small errors being able to cover them is what counts (as you have done) after all only you and the box know about them.Keep up the good work.

-- john,kiwi woody

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

3492 posts in 974 days


posted 584 days ago

very nice…i love the combination of woods…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

View juniorjock's profile

juniorjock

790 posts in 663 days


posted 584 days ago

You’ve built a great looking box Martin, but for me, I love the keys in the miter joints. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I’d love to hear how you went about building this project….. maybe a blog or something…. (hint, hint)....... Thanks for the post.
JJ

-- JJ...... I guess you could say I'm a 54 year old "juniorjock". — Make things with wood.

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7670 posts in 1116 days


posted 584 days ago

Very striking design and great craftsmanship.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Scott Bryan's profile (online now)

Scott Bryan

20744 posts in 719 days


posted 584 days ago

Martin,

You have designed and built a gorgeous box. You chose a nice combination of woods as well.

Thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

6218 posts in 671 days


posted 584 days ago

Beautiful box! Great design and craftsmanship. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View Dusty56's profile

Dusty56

3482 posts in 585 days


posted 584 days ago

Totally impressive work of art !!! I must admit though that after looking at the first pic before reading the story , that with those crosses on it , I thought it may have been a box for crematory ashes of a loved one….oooops , my bad !!! The finish is incredible and I wish I could see it in person…..thanks for posting this : )

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

View Lip's profile

Lip

149 posts in 947 days


posted 584 days ago

Wonderful job Martin … I especially love the crosses on the lid and the knob …

-- Lip's Dysfuncational Firewood Farm, South Bend, IN

View davidtheboxmaker's profile

davidtheboxmaker

372 posts in 703 days


posted 584 days ago

Great job Martin. I’m with juniorjock – how about a blog on this one. I’ve recently taken delivery of some of the special bubinga from Rockler and am thinking of making a panel style box to show it off, so I’ve been looking very closely at your box. Thanks for the post.

View motthunter's profile

motthunter

2079 posts in 696 days


posted 584 days ago

looks fantastic

-- making sawdust....

View Woodhacker's profile

Woodhacker

1145 posts in 621 days


posted 583 days ago

Thanks to each of you for your interest and comments.

Dusty56 – I had to laugh reading yours…because now that you mentioned it…it does kind of look like a box for crematory ashes.

juniorjock & dantheboxmaker – OK Ive started working on the text for a blog and I have a few more pictures I’ll try to include. I’m pretty new on this site but I’ll try it and see what happens. If anyone has any pointers for “first time bloggers” I’d be happy to hear from you.

-- Martin, Kansas

View odie's profile

odie

1602 posts in 737 days


posted 583 days ago

Pointers (passed on to odie from Karson)

1. Use pictures (they do say 1000 words)

2. Use your word processor to get it perfect, then copy and paste it to your blog page. That way you can take you time getting it right instead of one long visit to your blog page.

3. Can I steal your box design ??? It’s bueatiful

-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke". http://woodstermangotwood.blogspot.com/ (my funny blog)

View Bradford's profile

Bradford

787 posts in 720 days


posted 583 days ago

Nice work. I like this one.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

View SPHinTampa's profile

SPHinTampa

155 posts in 583 days


posted 583 days ago

This box is really nice.

How did you do the inlay on the top? Did you rout it out using a pattern and an inlay bushing or cut and fit by hand. If you are posting a blog, I would be really curious to understand that part.

-- Shawn, I ask in order to learn

View Woodhacker's profile

Woodhacker

1145 posts in 621 days


posted 582 days ago

SPHinTampa: Thanks for your comment. I just finished my blog and posted it then saw your comment here. I didn’t include this part in the blog. The inlays I do are typically done without patterns, templates, etc. I start with the inlay (ebony crosses in this case) I drew the pattern on the ebony and cut it out using a scroll saw. The ebony was about 3/16 inch thick when I started…so it’s more than just a veneer. Once all the edges of the inlay are smoothed with files/sanding I traced the inlay onto the maple panel using a very fine, sharp knife. I do this initially very lightly to ensure no slipping. Then I go over it again with firmer pressure to establish the outline in the maple. At that point I remove the inlay from the top (I usually use small pieces of double sided tape to keep in place for tracing). Then I freehand cut the recess interior using a trim router with a 1/8 inch bit, being very careful to keep inside the outline. The depth is about 1/8 inch deep so when the inlay is glued in place it’s slightly higher than the maple surface. Once the routing is done I resort to small chisels and flexcut gouges to clean out the remaining recess material from it’s perimeter. Much if this is done using a chisel or flexcut gouge pushing down vertically right on the outline…using whatever chisel or gouge best fits the coutour of the shape of the outline. The next step is dry fitting and making any minor adjustments to either the inlay or the recess until the inlay seats properly. I glue and clamp in place. For something this small I used CA glue and I always mix sawdust from the darker colored wood with the glue to hide any gaps that may be present. Once the glue is cured all that remains is to plane and/or sand smooth to the maple surface.

-- Martin, Kansas

View Woodhacker's profile

Woodhacker

1145 posts in 621 days


posted 582 days ago

Odie, thanks for the tips (and thanks to Karson). It looks like it worked! I used Word initially… that was/is a good idea….and yes…feel free to “steal” this design.

-- Martin, Kansas

View USCJeff's profile

USCJeff

901 posts in 966 days


posted 578 days ago

Love the exploded view. I’ll have to remmeber to take those shots. They say so much about how things went down. Well done.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

View mcoyfrog's profile

mcoyfrog

824 posts in 492 days


posted 219 days ago

Very busy but it works oh sooooo good

-- Wood and Glass they kick (well you know) Have a great day - Dug

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

3427 posts in 961 days


posted 219 days ago

Another winner, Martin! As noted the easy path is not your path, and we are the more fortunate for that.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

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