Several months back I began experimenting with veneer cutting with a new diode laser. In my second trial, I assembled a compass motif onto a panel. This panel has been kicking around the shop and I figured I should get it "used" in some form before it gets trashed.
Quickest to make a box, just a box, and incorporate this into the lid. The veneers include a walnut burl for the field, maple & mahogany for the compass, mahogany corner tiles and zebrawood & dyed maple for the border.
Box is about 11" x 4".
Keeping with the walnut theme, I prepped 4 sides by resawing
I like doing the M&T type corners for the simplicity and Kel's boxes reminded me of this style, along with the lid and handle layout.
Slots cut in the side ends with a 1/4" (overkill) slot bit on the router table
Needed corner legs so I raided my stash of arroyo-combing mesquite. This was slabbed form an 8" diameter trunk, about as big as it gets here 🤫
Legs were squared and also cut for floating tenons (here attached to the sides) You can see the dado for the 1/4" BB bottom panel. The frame for the top was a simple stub tenon style, no miters (yea!) Mesquite used for the lift handle.
Legs were tapered and edges rounded over I pre-finished all the basic parts before assembly. Danish oil (allowed to dry a week), vinyl sealer and pre-cat Mohawk satin. Some red fabric "77" sprayed to the BB bottom and ready for the base assembly. The bare areas on the sides are for gluing the ledges that support an upper tray. The tray is my usual except I went with 1/4" versus 1/8" stock. Unfinished Jatoba.
Glued and assembled on a surface granite to keep it all aligned during the clamping. Rabbet around the perimeter for a 1/8" plywood bottom I use a 20" PSA disc mounted on 3/4" melamine (120 & 180 grits) for flattening out stuff. Get a good cardio workout, really want to motorize this someday! A 1/8" round over bit with a 1/8" pilot gives full radius into the corners
Bottom covered in the same red fabric and glued/clamped into place Some ring holders placed into the side compartments, rest left up to the end user to decide.
Great build. Wish you showed your veneer cutting technique. The 3/4” plywood turned on edge, around the edges of the compass works well. I would never have thought of it.
Didn't you mean to saw just another beautiful box. Thanks for all the pictures and explanation for amateurs like me. I really love ti see how it is done.
Thanks again, wasn't intending to spend much effort on this but it came out ok for what I had envisioned. Now to come up with some other designs, the making of the parquetry is the fun part, the rest is just trying not to screw up 🙂
Hairy, had a biggie. When assembling I had the holes already drilled for the lid hinge pins. Glued everything together and noticed that the front (with the lift notch) was on the same end as these holes. 😱
Fortunately, the shop was at about the minimum for the glue (55) and the parts came off without needing a hammer. Hate it when that happens!
Just a box, no way. It more than that. A beautiful crafted Jewlery box, with the burl and the compass, then the inside all decked out. Very well done Splinter.
