Jewelry Chest Finally Completed

[Mac McAtee]

If it works right there will be a photo of a jewelry box that I have just completed attached to this message.

It is built from Norm Abrams design. I have built three of them according to his plan. Decided that it was just a tad too big and reduced some of the dimensions to make it a little smaller but kept the design so it looks OK to my eye.

The case is mahogany, drawer fronts some unknown very hard tropical wood that I got from a scrap pile at a veneer company. The drawer sides and backs are Spanish cedar. The mahogany was treated with potassium di-chromate to get the dark mahogany color in the wood and then one coat with a 1/3 oil/varnish/naphtha mix to pop the grain. I followed that with orange shellac padded on where ever I could an brushed where I couldn't.

I now have to start another one for a niece who just graduated High School.

[Mac McAtee]

NM

[Bruce Page]

Beautiful job Mac!

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Very nice job Mac. The box is beautiful, and the wood compliments each other nicely. Great job of finishing as well. That looks like a very fun project to build. The bottom sliding drawer is really a neat idea. Outstanding.............thanks for sharing the picture! ;)

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Mac. I really enjoyed building this one myself a couple of years ago for SWMBO. Great project!

[Jason Roehl]

I'll join in the consensus here and say that it looks great! Gotta find some time and energy to get back into the shop (close to two weeks w/out shoptime).

[Dennis Peacock]

Excellent job Mac!!!! In all honesty, I have the plans here and I really need to make about 6 of those for family members. If you don't mind me asking.....how long did it take for you to make one of those?

Beautiful work!!!

[Tony Pearson]

Thanks for posting. You did a swell job. It looks great to me. I now have an idea for several Christmas gifts.

Thx, Tony:D

[Mac McAtee]

Kind of hard for me to answer. I don't have a permanent way to heat my workshop and we have had a very chilly spring. So there were days that it was comfortable to work out there and days that I just didn't want to. Once the weather warmed up to where it was consistently above 50° at night I worked on it when I had the time. So some of the early work drug out and the final work went rather quickly. Talk about a non-answer!

[Mark Hulette]

Mac,

Excellent work. That mahogany looks great along with the drawer linings. Looks like that's one to go on "the list", too!

Thanks for sharing

[David LaRue]

Outstanding!

I really like the dove tails and the mystery wood.
I have plans to buils a tall chest for my daughter. Will probabbly get started on it this fall. I know what you mean when you start one you can tend to make more. I built one butterfly house. It was so popular that my daughter and I have now built 7 more! :-)

Good Sawing


Dave

[Bill Grumbine]

Originally posted by Mac McAtee
Once the weather warmed up to where it was consistently above 50° at night I worked on it when I had the time. So some of the early work drug out and the final work went rather quickly. Talk about a non-answer!

Cold!?! Why, up here we're still waiting for it to get above 50° in the daytime!

Very nice work Mac. Someone is going to be very happy.

Bill

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Hi Mac,

It looks wonderful, thanks for posting it!

Take care,
Jim

[Dave Anderson NH]

I particularly like the figure on the drawer fronts. I hope you took great care in working with the Potassium DiChromate, that stuff can be really dangerous. I also am fond of the base styleyou used.

All in all, a great piece of work.

[Bob Lasley]

Mac,

I can't say anything that hasn't been said so I'll just say what everybody else did, great job! I don't know of a female type human that wouldn't love it sitting on their dresser.

Bob

[Dennis Peacock]

<Talk about a non-answer!>

Well.....I could say that I am more confused now than ever. :D

Would you consider sending me the final dimensions you settled on for the case? The plan seems to be a little too large for what I am looking for and was wondering what you ended up with for dimensions.

Never mind about "how long" it took you....it will take me TWICE as long no matter what.....the summer heat is ON and well combined with the humidity and shop time will be extremely rare for me until September 16th.....when the weather begins to cool some....

[Doug Cowan]

Looks terrific. I like your reduced proportions. I had intended to build one for my wife for christmas last year, but other obiligations got in the way. Same story for her birthday in May. I have got my fingers crossed that I have the time to finish it for this Christmas.

[Ron McNeil]

Mac,

That's a great looking jewelry box. Wonderful job, someone is going to be happy.

[Lee Schierer]

That turned out very nice. I recall watching Norm build his. DOn't think he could have done it as well.

Lee

[Noah Alkinburgh]

That is a very sweet looking jewelry cabinet. I have been thinkin of making one and thinking of making one and...well you get the idea.

Please do post your final dimensions...Let us all learn from your toil :)

Noah

[Byron Trantham]

How did you finish the insides? Do you use one of those flocking kits, velvet with the sticky back or some other method? I've made a few of these boxes and my wife cuts velvet to fit and then uses spray glue to attach the stuff.

You really did do a nice job and I know the recipient is going to enjoy it for years to come.

[Jim Becker]

Originally posted by Byron Trantham
How did you finish the insides?

Byron, in the version I built (full sized) I used the self-adhesive velvet material specified in the "measured drawings" and available from Rockler (http://www.rockler.com/index.cfm?sid=AF331). It's not inexpensive, but I didn't feel like futzing around with glue, etc. You can see the results below. I also did some interior barriers using thin ash strips. These were installed after the red velvet was applied. There is also a sliding tray in each of the drawers for additional versatility. (larger images are availabe in the Gallery of my site)

[Eric Apple - Central IN]

Way cool. I made the same chests of cherry and did a blue flocking. I also built dividers into each section prior to flocking. The size as you said is a little large. But they largest drawers have become sort of small keep sake places for the owners. The hidden drawer is surprisingly well hidden when closed. Fun project.

[Mac McAtee]

for the good words.

I am at work right now and don't have the altered drawing handy. When I get home tonight I'll post the main dimensions the altered version.

Jim, I like the extra compartments in the drawers, I might steal that on the next one.

[Jim Becker]

Originally posted by Mac McAtee
Jim, I like the extra compartments in the drawers, I might steal that on the next one.

You're welcome to steal what I already stole from "whomever"! These compartments were very easy...just thin strips, overlapping cuts to build "the puzzle" and some CA glue to hold it all together. Thin strips of cherry also hide the edges of the velvet material for a real clean look.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

What a beautiful chest to hold all the bobbles, bangles and beads.
:D

[Merle Clor]

Looks great!

[Ken Wright]

and a real nice job on the finish ... class act!

I've got a big slab of cuban mahogany that I need to make something from .... maybe a jewelry box.........