# Jewelry Box Build With Pics..



## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Harry and some others suggested that the next project include a how-to with pictures, so here goes...

I'm making a jewelry box for my wife from Purpleheart and figured Maple. I'm not sure what I'll use for the top yet. I'm gonna wait to see what the final dimensions are and what's available before deciding on that.

Today I started with building the base, which starts as 4 pieces of curly Maple, 3/4" x 1"











Before the pieces are cut to final size I need to do some milling. First I need to cut a rabbit on the inside of the top of all the pieces to accept the base panel. I used a 3/4" straight bit and the router table










Next, I need to route a chamfered edge on the top outside edge of each piece. I used a 45deg chamfering bit in the router.










With those two things done I can miter cut the four pieces to finished length.










The next step is to form the radius that will become the feet. I use a 3/4" brad point bit in the drill press and set the distance to the end of each piece with a stop block. I then flip the piece end over end to make the two holes needed on each piece.










With that done I need to rip the four pieces to final height which will be 3/4"










Once the pieces are ripped I can set up the band saw to remove the excess material between the drilled holes, and form the feet.










Here are the four base pieces.










With that done the next step is to drum sand the pieces to remove the marks left by the band saw.










Next, I'll assemble the base. I use blue painters tape and tape off the four pieces where the miters meet. 










Then I turn the assembly over to glue.










When I fold the pieces around in a rectangle the blue tape stretches and hold the miters tight. Then I just glue in a plywood panel that I cut previously, to fit into the rabbits that were cut into the base pieces. The plywood panel helps hold the base assembly square.










Finally, and this is really high tech, I put a paint can on top of the plywood panel to hold it until the glue sets.











Well that's it for this installment. I should be recieiving my Purpleheart in a few days and I'll start on building the carcass. Thanks for checking it out...


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Nice job: Makes it so much better when you can show it. I have tried it, and i don"t do to well, Mine end up boring people, Not yours. I like the can clamp. I have a few of those as well. Last glue-up, rubber bands were great. Thanks, Joe!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Joe, that is sheer magic, only a moving video could beat that! I'm sure that we'll all be eagerly awaiting the next exciting instalment.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Great shoot Joe.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

This is great, Joe! Nice work.. and inspirational!

Now that I'm fixing to start fabricating the first few pieces for my RT cabinet, I need to get my cam charged up. After all, I promised Harry... <g>

I look forward to seeing your purpleheart work!


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

A really nice photo essay. Good photos, clear text. Brilliant. Looking in your gallery, you build the jewelry box as a collection of frames. Nice simple, logical and some real beauties. I look forward to the next installment. A great instructional package. Good use of tools.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Good job man, you can give many of us lessons in how to do a presentation.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Excellent! Keep it coming!


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

NIcely documented. Looking forward to the final project.

Thats a mighty big brad point bit. I guess you do not have a forester bit or do you just prefer to use the brad point?


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for the nice comments. Please feel free to offer any critiques, positive or negative.
As for the bit, yeah I have a set of brad points that go up to 1". I got them as a set a few years back and they're always the first one I reach for. I do have Forstners as well. These Brad points have a similar cutting style as the Forstners and leave a nice clean hole.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Part 2 The Carcass*

My Purpleheart arrived so I got started constructing the carcass. Using the dimensions of my base and figuring a 1/8" reveal from the chamfered edge I calculated the lengths of the four sides. Once again I used my power miter saw to cut the pieces.










Thought I would show how I transfer my marks accurately to make the 45deg cuts. After I size my first piece I line it up end to end with the next piece and mark the length.










Once I have the length marked I use a square to scribe a line at 90deg.










With that done I use a combination square and draw my 45deg line where the perpendicular line meets the bottom edge of the wood



















Here's a look at the dry fit after the four sides are cut










There are three machining tasks to perform before the sides can be glued. The first is to route a cove into the front piece to be used as a finger relief to open the cover. I mark the center of the front piece and use that mark to scribe the edges of the finger relief.












I use a piece of wide scrap to give me extra support to hold the router level while I make the cut











Then I use a 3/8" cove bit to make the cut



















The next step is to mortise out the material in the back of the carcass and top frame for the hinges. For this operation I'll use a 3/16" straight bit in my router.










The first step is to mark the outside edge of the hinge. There are two reasons why I use a marking knife here; first a pencil line is two wide. I need the hinges to fit perfectly and a pencil line has too much dimension. Secondly I will use the knife line as a guide for my chisel when I clean up the mortise.










Next I'll set the depth of the bit to approximate the thickness of the hinge. I'll make a test cut in some scrap to check the depth and make any adjustments I need.



















Here's the mortise after routing.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Part 2 The Carcass Continued*


And here's me cleaning up and squaring the mortise with a 1/2" chisel










A perfect fit










The last thing I do before gluing up the carcass is to sand the insides of the four pieces. Much easier to do before the box is assembled.










I use the same taping and gluing technique as I did on the base frame.










That's it for this installment. I'll be working on the carcass and top frame splines next along with making a few veneered top panels as options. Thanks for looking and as always any comments are welcomed.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

First class workmanship and first class photo shoot Joe. Hopefully one day all members will SHOW us how THEY do things, the photos don't have to be as professional as yours for us to understand.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

That's coming along beautifully Joe.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Great work Joe.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks for taking the time for such a well detailed presentation... 

off topic, quite impressed with your dust collection...... PVC is nice.... real nice!!!!


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

Great pics and write well done. You sure do nice work.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Very nicely done work, Joe... and as Harry has said, great photo shoot of the work in progress!


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

A most excellent post Joe!

Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Carcass Build Part 3*

Today I continued with the carcass work. When the glue set up on the frames it was time for the splines. I'm making the splines out of clear Maple, 1/8", so I'll set my slot cutter up with the 1/8" cutter










I made this simple sled to use on the router table. Nothing more than a piece of MDF for the base and two scrap pieces cut to 45deg on the miter box. I screwed them on, no glue, this way I could easily replace them if needed.










I located the splines on the frame and made my cuts










Next I ripped some Maple strips to 1/8". Not as simple as it sounds. It took 3 or 4 passes to get the splines the right thickness. This step can make a big difference in the final look. If the splines are too thin then there will be gaps that will never look right. I nailed it on the 4th try.










Next up was cutting the splines. The bandsaw is the easiest way for me










Then just a little glue and set them in place. They should be snug. 










Once the splines set up overnight I sand them flush with a belt sander.
Before gluing the frame to the base there is one more operation to perform. Where the top frame meets the carcass I need to route a 45 degree microbevel. Several reasons why I chose to do this, first, while the Purpleheart is a dense wood it is also a very brittle wood and a crisp flat edge could easily chip. Second it makes the seam clearence between the top frame and the carcass top less critical. Lastly it adds visual interest by causing a shadow line










Here's a pic of the detail










Finally the base is ready to be glued on











Next up I'll be working on the dividers and removable tray for the interior of the box. The dividers will be made of clear Maple and the tray assembly made from Curly Maple. Once that's done I will focus on the top. 

Thanks for following along. Any comments or questions are welcome.


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Very nice work and your shop has to be heated. The rest of New York is below 32 degrees. Glue dose not set at that temp and my hands ake.


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## Julie (Sep 11, 2004)

Thanks for the great tutorial... please do more when you are finished this one!

~Julie~


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Update*

I continued working on the jewelry box by working on the interior. I fabricated the lower level dividers by planing down some clear Maple to 3/8" Just some simple lap joints to construct the grid










Once that was done I started work on the interior top tray. This is nothing more than a box within a box and the same techniques were used as I used on the carcass. I started by planing down some curly Maple to 3/8"










The pieces were cut to size










And a 1/4" groove was routed into the sides to accept the bottom










Here's the glue up










While the glue was setting up I got busy fabricating the top panel. It consists of a piece of 1/4" plywood sandwiched between two pieces of figured Sycamore veneer










I just rough cut the veneer using a sharp utility knife










It's a pretty simple procedure, just apply contact cement to both the plywood and the veneer. Be sure to pick and mark the side of the veneer you want to be visible. Make sure you apply glue evenly and completely to both pieces. Here are the tools you'll need.










Once the contact cement has a chance to dry, approx 20-30 minutes, you can carefully line up the two pieces. The two pieces bond instanly upon contact so make sure everything is lined up. Once that's done I take a j-roller and apply pressure to remove any air pockets and insure a good bond










Once that's done I trim off the excess veneer and repeat the same process on the other side of the top panel.










With the veneer done I can route a groove in the top frame pieces to accept the top. I leave more dimension on the frame peices above the panel because I'll be routing a champhered detail.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Update Continued*

Here's a pic of the completed veneered panel dry fitted into the top frame. The contrast of the Purpleheart and figured Maple is going to look awesome










With that done and the glue set on the top tray it's time to cut the slots for the tray splines and route the champher detail










One more thing to do before I can glue up the top panel and frame. In order to really get the great figure in the top panel to really pop I'll apply a coat of a golden brown water soluable anyline dye to the top panel. This dye does two things, first it absorbs into the wood, and it raises the grain. Once the dye has dried overnight I'll sand the panel. The figured areas which are more pourous will retain most of the color and the clear sections will have most of the dye sanded out. You'll see later on in the finishing process how this makes the figure really pop out.
Here's what the dyed panel looks like before sanding










To be continued...thanks for looking.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

This is a magazine style tutorial Joe, I'm sure that anyone following it will have little difficulty in going into their shop and feel competent to to make something similar. Thank you for taking so much time to present this project.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks Harry. I hope I'm explaining the build clearly enough so that everyone can understand it, and that they can see there's nothing too complex about it. If it's broken down into a series of simple steps and sub-assemblies it might give others the confidence to give it a try.


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## RStaron (Sep 25, 2009)

jmg1017 said:


> Thanks Harry. I hope I'm explaining the build clearly enough so that everyone can understand it, and that they can see there's nothing too complex about it. If it's broken down into a series of simple steps and sub-assemblies it might give others the confidence to give it a try.




Excellent tutorial, Joe. you have explained the process very well. I have not tried a box like that yet, but after seeing this and your explanation on how to, I'll have to make one. Very good job.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

That looks great now! can't wait to see the next steps


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## mancave (Dec 8, 2009)

Excellent presentation, easy to follow. looking forward to see the rest of the project


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## Noob (Apr 18, 2009)

You mean that dyed panel ain't finished yet? Wow, can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished. It looks like a satin hanging curtain already.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Getting close to the end..*

Thought I would show you a little detail about the tray inside the box.
I planed down some of the same stock I used for the tray frame, to 1/4" to be used for the tray dividers. Then I used half lap joints to connect the tray divider pieces.



















Don''t worry about that end grain there, that's going to be covered by the ring bar. Here's a picture of the ring bar dry fitted into the tray.










And here's a picture of the completed tray with the ring bar










The last thing I need to do before the finishing stage is to mount and fit the hinges. To makes sure the hinges fit squarely in their mortises it's important that the screw holes are centered. To do this I use a small centering punch



















Once that's done I can glue the top panel assembly to the top frame assembly










Then it's just some final touch up sanding and I'm ready to start with the finishing process. The finish is going to be boiled linseed oil, followed by 3 coats of super blond shellac rubbed out with paste wax and 0000 steel wool.
The boiled linseed oil is first. Here's all I need to apply it, the oil, a pair of disposable latex gloves and a disposable brush. Any cheap brush will do. I buy a bag of 50 of these for about $25.










Here are the three pieces ready to be finished.










Just brush on a liberal coat of oil. 
Here's a few pics of the after..



















I love the way the oil darkens the Purpleheart and makes the curly maple pop.

After an hour or so I'll use some clean rags to wipe away the excess oil. This will help speed up the drying time.

Well, that needs to dry for a few days then it's the shellac and wax and this baby is done.

Thanks again for looking.


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

Looks great! I am sure this will make someone very ahppy.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Great looking project Joe. Pop is the right word too. The oil really makes the wood come alive.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

This project and photo shoot does you great credit Joe. Rather that the centre punch, have you ever used VIX bits, available in many sizes, they drill the screw hole dead centre.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Beautiful looking box, Joe. You did a really fine job on it. +1 on Harry's suggestion of using the VIX bits. They make drilling the screw holes a walk in the park.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Excellent write up, pictures and a beautiful box!


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## rcp612 (Oct 22, 2008)

Great tutorial Joe. I'm saving this for my first project in my new home sometime this spring. Fantastic and complete. Thank you.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for all the nice comments....keeping the camera handy is really not as distracting as I thought it would be. Sometimes it's a little hard demonstrating something using only one hand but I'm trying to illustrate it as well as I can. Some of the steps are a bit repetitious so I hope I'm not putting anyone to sleep.


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## drasbell (Feb 6, 2009)

Great looking build you have going.. nice


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

harrysin said:


> This project and photo shoot does you great credit Joe. Rather that the centre punch, have you ever used VIX bits, available in many sizes, they drill the screw hole dead centre.


Thanks for the pics Harry. Yes I see what you mean now, that performs both in one step. I'm assuming you need one of those for each size bit?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

The VIX bits are a great tool for the wood worker, they come in a set of 4,for the #2 to the #14 wood screws.. they can also be use for the shelf pin holes,spring loaded device.

=====


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I am copying your method for the bases, with the holes. I have jigged up after cutting 1" holes and removing the waste on the bandsaw. I fence to take the 1" Microplane blade, and run the 4 bases along, flipping ends, leaves a gr8 finish. Your mitres are crisp! Nice build and pictorial description.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

That is a really nice box and does you great credit !

Cheers

Peter


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

My 1" drum sander fitted into the jig, well a board with part of a hole drilled in the side. So I sanded the inside edge, overkill and a new jig.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Mike, thanks for the nice words. I'll be treating myself to a oscillating spindle sander this week. That should make those concave cuts much easier to sand. Up till now I've been using the small drum sander with my drill press, the one you can see in the first post.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I will post the photo of my jig. It increases accuracy and is foolproof, and will enchance your technique. I have just glued up the base. I made the box first and am adding the base frame.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

Jig setup for Microplane.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

And for the sander, moving the fence back a touch.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

Band clamp.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

Closer up of your corner design.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

With box.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Finishing up...*

This will be the next to last installment for the jewelry box build. I'm continuing with the finishing process. In the last post I applied boiled linseed oil to all the parts. The oil has dried sufficiently and I finish sanded with 400 paper and wiped everything down with a tack cloth. Time for some shellac. I mix my own shellac using flakes and ethanol, both available at any woodworking supplier. This is a lot simpler than many people realize and you can control the "cut", that is the ratio between the amount of shellac flakes and solvent. Once the shellac is mixed and strained, here's all you need to apply..










A small applictor bottle, some gloves and some padding material, I use a cotton gauze from the drug store. You start by adding some shellac to the padding. The applicator pad just gets better with time as it gets saturated. The shellac is applied using smooth strokes. The shellac dries very quickly but that's no cause for concern because as you apply more shellac it desolves the previous coat. That's what makes it so nice to work with. If you have a run or streak just pad on a fresh coat and it's fixed. touch ups are a breeze. When you're finished just put it into a ziplock bag for the next time and it stays moist.










Here's a look at the inner tray section after the first coat










I'm going to apply 3 coats waiting about an hour per coat. Between coats I'll buff out with a fine Scotchbrite pad. This works better than sandpaper because the shellac tends to clog the paper up rather quickly. The open weave of the Scotchbrite pad doesn't load up.










Once the three coats have cured it's time for the final waxing. I apply paste wax using 0000 steel wool










With the waxing complete it's time to finish the interior of the tray. I'm going to be installing self adhesive velvet material to the interior sections. This is a step that causes a lot of trouble for some people because they either tray to apply the velvet directly to the wood which is almost impossible to do without causing gaps or having bubbles as you try to fit the material into each corner without the adhesive sticking and damaging the material....a mess.
I found a much easier way around that. Here's how. I purchase 2' x 2' x 1/4" thick foam board from the crafts store. 










Then I measure each opening and cut a piece of foam board slightly larger. The exact dimension is not critical.











Then I rough cut a piece of the self adhesive velvet.










Lay the foam board on back of the velvet and cut out the corners










Peel away the backing, set the foam board onto the adhesive, and fold over the excess










Then fit the finished piece into it's section. The velvet makes the finished piece slightly oversized which is exactly what you want. Then just push it down into place. The foam will compress slightly making the fit snug. Perfect.










The completed tray assembly










That's it for now. Final installment will follow shortly...


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## fasttruck860 (Feb 18, 2008)

Nice. I like your method of applying the velvet. I will try this on a box I'm making for my wife.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

Well, I just finished reading the entire thread and I really like your efforts to share the experience with us. The finish on your work really is what makes it pop.

What is even more amazing is that you are not using a bunch of expensive or specialty tools to get the job done.

I think your sander is worth more than your chop saw and table top saw combined!!!

I am really impressed with the quality of work. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a lot of money to produce good work.

Thanks for sharing not only your work, but the experience. Well done.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

timbertailor said:


> What is even more amazing is that you are not using a bunch of expensive or specialty tools to get the job done.
> 
> I think your sander is worth more than your chop saw and table top saw combined!!!
> 
> I am really impressed with the quality of work. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a lot of money to produce good work.


Thanks Brad, and I think you may be fairly accurate with the sander comment!

You learn to improvise and do the best you can with what you have...I will say that it's do-able but you spend a lot of time tweaking and adjusting settings to get them doaled in. The biggest difference with quality tools that I've found is repeatable accuracy.
I see you're a fan of Festool and Woodpeckers like I am. The sales of some of my boxes is starting to pay off and I'm slowly financing the renovation of my shop including a new Woodpeckers router table and fence setup with the PRL V2 lift. Should make a big difference in accuracy and setup time.

Thanks for the kind words..


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## Larry S (Jan 8, 2010)

Brad this entire session has been amazing. I have learned a great deal from it and can not thank you enough. I am a novice and this is the type of training that everyone can learn something from. Once my shop is completed and the weather warms a little more I am going to make my wife a box out of the left over cherry from the new kitchen cabinets I am going to make for the house.
Thanks again.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Larry,

You're welcome. Glad you got something from it and thanks for taking the time to read it.
Oh, and it's Joe


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

*Finished*

I put the finishing touches on the Jewlery box project over the weekend. Here are the final pictures.























































Overall I'm happy with the outcome and my wife loves it so that makes it all worthwhile...

Well thanks to everyone who took the time to follow along with me. If anyone has any questions or suggestions I'd love to hear them...


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Thank you for taking the time to do the write up and post the pictures. What a fabulous inspiration and learning tool this thread has been! And that is one GORGEOUS jewellery box!


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Excellent work Joe. Beautiful box.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

Quality materials!. Quality presentation! Quality outcome! A1*grade.


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## Dusty82 (Feb 2, 2010)

Excellent workmanship and an excellent tutorial. I also love the way you added the velvet lining to the tray. Do you use this same method for lining the sides of a box if the design calls for it?


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Joe, Beautiful box. What did you do to finish off the ring section?


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Dusty82 said:


> Excellent workmanship and an excellent tutorial. I also love the way you added the velvet lining to the tray. Do you use this same method for lining the sides of a box if the design calls for it?


Hey Mark, I haven't experimented with lining the box sides yet. Since the sides are usually made from wood with great grain I'd rather not cover that up. I have lined the insides with thin lumber just for contrast or visual interest, in fact I'm working on one now, I'll post a pick of it tonight.


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

jlord said:


> Hi Joe, Beautiful box. What did you do to finish off the ring section?


Hi James, the inner tray section is finished with oil and shellac same as the main body.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Joe, I should have been a little clearer. I was inquiring about the foam & velvet. Do you cut the foam into strips or ? to achieve the recess for the rings to set into?


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## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh, Gotcha, actually I buy it from Rockler..

Padded Ring Bars - Rockler Woodworking Tools


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Thanks Joe.


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