Graham Jell, Bacchus Marsh, Vic

Jewel Box
Redgum, blackwood
360 x 170 x 110mm d

Concept
My nephew requested I make a jewel box as a birthday present for his wife.

Materials
The raised lid insert was made from a 50 year old redgum fence post. Red felt lined, with lift out top tray.

Method of Construction
The lid was cut to size using a tablesaw and then put through the thicknesser onto the router table to round over the raised area and machine the tongue to fit into the blackwood lid frame (tongue and groove).
The lid frame, the box itself and the tray petition/dividers are made from Daylseford, Victoria blackwood cut from a discarded stump after the Daylesford Timber Mill had cleared a coup area of gum trees. The blackwood trees were of no value to the timber mill. The box sides were cut using a tablesaw, machined, thicknessed again and finished off by hand sanding. With this project and with careful cutting of the blackwood I was able to have the base box with four cream feet.
The box sides have halving joints to highlight the endgrain contrast. The box base has a 3mm ply let into box sides and installed as the box glued and assembled. The red felt over cardboard is fitted first then the base divisions are cut and notched into the perimeter frame and are a push fit. The lift out top tray is as above but also fits above the box sides to give the lid a firm fit. I chose external brass hinges to match the front lid fastener and the hinges have a hold open position.
All timber prior to assembly was hand sanded using colour grit starting with 120 increasing to 180, 240, 320 and finished off with 600.

Glue
Titebond Extended Wood Glue.

Finish
The oil used to finish the Jewel Box was Gilly Stephenson’s Orange Oil. Three coats were applied.

Photo: Graham Jell