It was these trays that sparked the design of the entire clam jewelry box (I designed it inside out). I wanted to create a jewelry box with pivoting internal trays and what better shape could there be than a half circle (although I already have ideas for a rectangular jewelry box with similar internal design). There were many challenges with the design of the trays....
Learn MoreI didn’t think there would be challenges to the abalone dot inlays, but there was. Maybe one day I’ll make my life easy and design and build a rectangular jewelry box like everyone else. A few of the inlays had to be drilled out and redone because they got tilted in the hole as I was tapping them in. Of course they were glued in to place with a quick...
Learn MoreMaking the half-circle front to the clam jewelry box can be done in two ways: A bent laminate ( bending veneers around a caul) A solid wood front built up with segments. I chose to use solid wood because I wanted the lid to be flush with the body of the box and I wanted the most durable method. The laminate/veneer method couldn’t tolerate the sanding necessary to...
Learn MoreMy newest and most challenging jewelry box ever will be this this one, ‘The Giant Clam’. I chose to work on the lid first because it seemed like the most challenging part. I knew I wanted to make the lid segmented for reasons of both aesthetics and wood movement/stability. The lid will be 18″ long by 9″ wide. Since I didn’t have much in...
Learn MoreThe finger pull for lifting the lid off the leaf box is accomplished using a vertical oscillating spindle sander. I have a Jet spindle sander and it doesn’t have the ability to tilt the spindle, so I had to make a jig to hold the leaf box body at a 45 degree angle as seen in the photo. The jig slides against a fence which I clamp to the table top and is aligned...
Learn MoreThe first thing I do when making a new batch of leaf boxes, or any project for that matter, is to look through my previous notes. I then prepare my tools and make sure they have everything they need; such as, sanding belts/discs, router bits, finishing supplies, hardware, etc. That way, if I don’t have something I need, I can order it early in the process. Next, I...
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