Scrap Wood Box

[Michael Stafford]

I was asked to build a jewelry box for a gentleman's granddaughter. He is an elderly man and no longer woodworks. He supplied the wood from his stash.

On occasion he brings me wood and sometimes it is spectacular.

This little decorative box was made from the scraps left over from the box for his granddaughter. It is curly maple and walnut, about 5" wide, 5" tall and 8" long. It is lined in velour.

Thanks for looking...

[Tyler Howell]

Big Mike,

That guy either had a great stash or a very talented craftsman working for him. Maybe some of both.
Excellent job.
:cool:

[Jason Tuinstra]

Michael, I never get tired of looking at curly maple. This along with the walnut make it a real winner. It will make a great gift.

[James Giordano]

Sweet.....I am currently trying to make a box. 1st try and it's going o.k but having trouble with making the perfect mitred corners:mad: . Would like to try making contrasting splines like I've seen on others' boxes but not sure how to do it. Have to make some kind of jig I guess.


How did you attach the handle? Mortice&tenon kind of thing?

[Mark Stutz]

Beautiful little box. That must have been a wide board to get the top and front with a contiuous curl pattern. I like to try to get the long grain to be continuous around the sides, but on this it would be a waste! Great job.

[Michael Stafford]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I appreciate it.

Jamies, the handle is attached with a mortise and tenon. Mortise is about 1/4" deep and accepts a 1/8" thick tenon.

Mark, actually the grain wrap around the box is pretty good. The lid lines up with the side because I had enough stock to play with it and adjust the lids position until I achieved that alignment of the curls.

[Wes Newman]

Michael,
Nice job on the box. Tell us about the finish.

[Michael Stafford]

Thank you Wes,

It is an old standby finish of 1 part BLO, 1 part tung oil, 1 part varnish, and 2 parts mineral spirits to make a really thin and fast drying finish that you can apply multiple coats in a day.
I like the depth of the finish and the fact that it builds and polishes like glass.

[Steve Inniss]

Michael, that is a great job - you've presented the curly maple in a way that's just delightful. -Steve