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Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

author-gravatar itssswojo Jul 20, 2019
  • This is my first major woodworking project since I’ve taken up the hobby a little less than two years ago. This was a surprise gift for my girlfriends 24th birthday; she absolutely loved it. I built this beautiful jewelry box using Curly Hard Maple for the drawer case as well as the drawer backs and sides. The drawer fronts are made of Sapele and drawer pulls are Black Walnut. The case features handcut through dovetail joinery as well as through mortise and tenons for the center divider. The drawers themselves are joined using both through and half-blind dovetails. Personally I love the contrast of dark and light wood where the Maple drawer sides meet the Sapele front. The drawers have been flocked black for a smooth soft feel. The remained of the wood surfaces were finished with 2 coats of boiled linseed oil and buffed to a light shine. The box features four horizontal drawers and one vertical drawer. I tried keeping grain consistency on the entire front and in my opinion it came out amazingly well

#simplecove #Summer2019WoodworkingContest #handmade #woodworker 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box
Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Drawer parts all laid out and marked. 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Using the marking wheel to mark the cut lines for the through dovetails

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

I skipped a lot of progress pictures because I’m still new to this whole stop and take pictures thing.. but here is progress on the drawer sides. 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Here are the drawe backs. One single large through dovetail should be sturdy enough 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Laying out the drawer back dovetails

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Test fitting the drawer sides and backs. The sapele drawer front are next..

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Playing around with getting the grain continuity just right

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Again.. lack of progress pictures but that ok, practice makes perfect. Half blind dovetails are done! The rabbit for the drawer bottom is also done!

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Test fitting the drawer parts

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Nice and tight fit!

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Case top and bottom with a slight curve. I think the curve adds a nice touch 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Case top and sides all fitted. 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Cleaning up the tenons for the center divided

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Using the blue tape trip to lay out the mortises

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

All of the case parts ready to be sanded before assembly

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

And here we have the finished case after it’s first cost of boiled linseed oil.

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

I used the cross cut sled on my table saw to add the curve to the drawer fronts. I made the first pass, moved the Sapele front over, raised the blade slightly and made another pass. Rinse and repeat about a million times and the curve is roughed out. I still don’t have a band saw so this was the method that worked for me. I then card scraped the saw marked off.

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

The drawer front curve is done! Card scrapes and sanded to its final shape

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Fitting the drawer slides onto the drawers.

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Too tight for the block plane so I’m using a chisel to finesse the fit of the slides 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

I used some scrap walnut for the drawer pulls. There is slight bevel to give a better grip 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Mid progress picture after applying boiled linseed oil to the first drawer

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Blue painters tape used to mask off the insides of the drawers. I didn’t want any oil getting onto the surfaces I planned on flocking 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

4 drawers done and ready for flock!

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

And here is the finished box.

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Y’all vertical drawer with c hooks for necklaces 

Photo of Maple and Sapele Jewelery Box

Black inside flock to give the drawers a nice soft feel

3 comments

Beautiful work, I love your grain match across your drawer fronts. 

@millerwoodcraft 

Thank you! It took a little longer but I’m glad I did it

@millerwoodcraft  said:

Beautiful work, I love your grain match across your drawer fronts. 

Really great design. The vertical drawer is a nice touch!!

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