Justin McCarthy, Chapman, ACT

Janellie’s Jewellery Box
Tasmanian myrtle, European sycamore, birdseye maple
455 l x 322 w x 116mm h

Concept
The box was the result of a commission from my mother-in-law to make a jewellery box for her daughter-in-law Janelle who, for some reason now long forgotten, has always been called ‘Janellie’ by my children.

Materials
The box is made from three types of Tasmanian myrtle—two described by Trend Timbers of Windsor as curly and quilted and the third, a veneer, I would describe as extremely cranky. The curly myrtle was used for the box sides and lid while the quilted was used for the base, the reinforcing keys and some detail on the lid. The panel for the lid employs book matched veneers bonded onto 6mm ply. The wood for the internal trays, rails and dividers is either European sycamore or birdseye maple, and micro suede was used for the internal lining and the ring holders.

Method of Construction
The construction of the box involved the common method of gluing up the sides and lid as an integral unit and then separating the lid from the sides on the router table. To facilitate clean up of any squeeze out on the internal surfaces, the bottom of the box (sycamore veneered ply) was not included at this stage but fitted later into a pre-routered rebate. After reinforcing keys had been added to the lid, box sides and separate base, all four faces of each were chamfered at 4 degrees from the vertical.
All brass fittings are Brusso.

Finish
The external surfaces were finished with 3 coats of a 50/50 mix of Feast and Watson’s Fine Buffing Oil and Satin polyurethane which were wiped on. Internal surfaces were finished in either straight wax or wax over blonde shellac.

Glue
Only PVA was used in the making of this box.

Photos: Brian P Stewart