The body itself is a 16-piece-per-row turning. I used some lumber salvaged from an old piano that was given to me. I initially thought it was cherry, but the chatoyance made me question that. The top band and one of the etchings are walnut.
The other etching is maple; the designs were laser-etched and then filled. I’ve included a photo showing the black and white fillers I used. I preferred the DAP over the Wunderfill, and it’s more convenient coming in a tube.
The underside of the lid is made from padauk, which also forms the registration for how the lid fits onto the box. In hindsight, I should have made this as a ring instead of using a solid piece, as the top ended up heavier than I think it should be. I could have put it back on the lathe, but since I had already glued the handle on, I’ll need to use the bandsaw to thin it down.
The handle is made from maple and walnut veneers that I cut on the bandsaw. I built a jig to bend the veneers after soaking them in water, clamping them in place until dry. Pre-bending makes the final glue-up easier. Originally, these curved veneers were intended as a divider in the bottom, with a tray sitting above, but I changed direction. The handle was cut down from the larger S-shaped bent pieces.
The jig wasn’t very well made, so I ended up using clamps and gluing one layer at a time, letting each set slightly before adding the next.
The handle is supported by two brass pins that stand proud of it’s top.
The two etchings were finished with semi-gloss lacquer. Everything else was finished with OSMO and then waxed for a subtle sheen.
Cool, complex box John. The lid is really nice with the symbolism and that elevated handle is trick! The pics of the bending and form is a handy reference, you planned that out well. Nice look!
