Peter Bourke, Little Bay, NSW

Jewellery Box
New Guinea rosewood, Birdseye maple, American walnut
230 W x 330 L x 90 H

Concept:
The box was made as a gift for a primary school teacher forced to retire after more than 20 years of service at the school due to illness. This teacher taught craft during her time at the school and as well as being a close family friend, was my craft teacher when I attended. The box was presented at her retirement function in March as a gift of appreciation from the children of the school.
The box design is based on style features and material combinations of previous box designs which the teacher had seen many years before and expressed her like for.
Materials:
The top, sides and tray of the box are made out of solid New Guinea rosewood, birdseye maple, and American walnut. These pieces are highly figured and were put aside more than four years ago from batches used for other projects, waiting for a special piece. The base of the box is ply veneered in Tasmanian leatherwood on the underside. Joints where glued using epoxy adhesive and cross-linking PVA. The inside base of the box and tray are lined with beige suede. The box is finished in white Shellac which was padded and brushed on in many coats.
Method of Construction:
The box is constructed using through dovetails integrated into the concave sides of the box. The top is made from all solid pieces. The border pieces are tongue and grooved into the centre component and the mitres are strengthened with deep splines. This combination of joinery has shown to hold up under the stresses of solid wood movement through previous boxes I have built with similar construction. The joints have stayed tight and flush after many years with their owners.

Photos: Peter Bourke