Jarrah Cube

Another one rom that other place made around 2019

The style of this small box is based on a Japanese bento - lunch box, with several trays inside a lift-off lid.

It is just under 4" / 95mm square. The outer case/lid is made from marine ply, with each outer face veneered with 4 pieces of opposing grain jarrah. The inside is cherry veneer. It has ebony corners with ebony on the visible part of the base. I've experimented with the decoration of the case using techniques from Japanese lacquer wear. Having said that I've used polyurethane instead of Japanese urushi - lacquer.

On the top I've used the make-i technique. The maple design was painted onto the already highly polished polyurethane surface, using more polyurethane on a fine brush. Super fine gold dust is then sprinkled on to the still sticky polyurethane. Once dry the excess gold dust is brushed off and numerous coats of polyurethane are applied to build up enough depth so that it can be sanded level again without cutting into the gold design.

Two of the sides have flower designs using the chinkin technique. Here the design is scratched /engraved into the highly polished polyurethane surface using 'chisels. Polyurethane is then wiped and brushed into the engraving, the excess is wiped off, and again super fine gold dust is sprinkled on, which sticks to the polyurethane in the 'scratches'. Once dry the surface is sanded with 2000 grit wet and dry to remove any surplus gold dust. Then numerous coats of polyurethane are applied to fill in what's left of the scratches and to build up a surface that can be polished.

I've started to use micro-mesh sanding discs on a small palm sander to get a lustrous Japanese style lacquer wear finish. I'm going up to 4000 grit with the micro mesh pads and then using diamond cutting paste on a cloth rubbers up to 6000 or 10000, depend on what mood I'm in!!!

Usually I finish off the poly with wax polish - this box has no wax polish, the cutting paste providing enough of a sheen. 

The two interior trays and base use solid jarrah with an alternate pau and gold mother of pearl shell inlay around the tops, capped off with ebony. The base is ebony with a lace wood fillet on top and another small ebony fillet around the base of the bottom tray. If the outer case is made a snug piston fit directly with the trays, then as it is lifted the top tray would be pulled off with the air suction. The small fillet around the base of the bottom tray means the outer can be made bigger so air can escape/enter, but it then fits snugly against the fillet when full closed.

Despite the lack of finesse in gold dust designs, this was only the second time I'd tried the techniques, I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for looking.