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This hand-made jewellery box uses dovetail joints to make the most of gorgeous Camphor Laurel timber.
The project
A while back I managed to grab hold of some Camphor Laurel with some great colours. I decided to make another jewellery box and handcraft the whole unit where possible.
I decided to do dovetail joints and use hide glue. I decided to make the lid from the pinkish material as its colours would present more of a challenge.
I hadn't used Camphor Laurel before so it was going to be interesting to see how the finish came up.
After cutting the dovetails and gluing and squaring the box I set it aside to dry. Then I cut the material for the lid.
This is where things can get a bit tricky. If the box is not square the lid will not fit correctly. I set the saw table so the blade cut just deep enough so as not to cut through, leaving a very small amount of material in place so the lid will not close up on the saw. I used a box cutter to release the lid.
I fitted and planed the bottom to ensure a good finish. I used a scraper to ensure all faces were square and ready for sanding.
The lid has been routed.
The sides have been scraped, sanded and given a good spray of metho to release all the small fibers that stick up for resanding. Using metho dries out the timber.
I made a set of feet using the same router form as the lid.
Then it was time for hinges and latches to be fitted and the final coat of sealer.
I gave the box a coat of Kunos oil. The pinks didn't stand out as I though they might but I was happy with the enhancement of the grain.
Then came a setback. After applying the final coat of sealer, which takes 24 hours to dry, someone who will remain nameless decided to test the drying time and left fingerprints in it. I had strip back and start again.
After a short delay and a bit of rework it was ready again. I am impressed with the Kunos oil and the finish. The only issue is that the oil is expensive and that it takes up to 24 hours to dry after the first coat.
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