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Cherry Jewelry Box

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Copyright Woodworker’s Journal © 2015 www.woodworkersjournal.com WJ171

Woodworker’s Journal

If you’re looking for an easy-to-makejewelry box, this little project is perfect.It features a removable insert andcapitalizes on the scroll saw’s abilityto make internal cuts with ease.

Cherry Jewelry Box By Carole Rothman

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Woodworker’s Journal

Your next step is to make the insertand compartments, using the 5/8"-thickpiece of cherry. I covered the wood withtape and attached a second copy of thepattern. Cut along the outer layout linefor the insert first, then drill an entryhole in each compartment, and cut outthe center compartments. After you sand

After cutting the box’s outer profile to shape, drilla starter hole in the insert area of the pattern tothread your blade through. Then cut out the largeinside waste piece with a #9 blade. Considersaving the waste piece for a future project.

line, insert the blade and follow the cutline to remove the center piece. Giventhe generous size of this waste piece, Iset it aside to use for another project. Ithen sanded the inner and outer faces,using a spindle sander, detail sander andbelt sander to remove any burn and blademarks that might be present.

Jewelry boxes are often made withcomplex joinery to give them an airof sophistication and high style. But

you can make a wonderful little heirloomwithout all the extra work, using just ascroll saw. Scroll saws often sit idle inmany shops because we don’t stretchtheir potential. Here’s a fun way to putyours back into service and prove that it’smore versatile than you might think.

Forming the Box and InsertIn selecting your wood for the box andthe lid, look for a good color matchbetween the two and an attractive grainpattern for the lid. I rough-cut bothpieces to size and jointed the long edgesthat would become the back of the box,using a portable drum sander with afence. Then make three copies of the pat-tern shown above. Starting with the boxbody, I applied clear packing tape to the11⁄8"-thick piece of cherry to help preventburning when cutting it, then attached acopy of the pattern with temporary-bondadhesive, matching the jointed edge withthe back of the pattern. Check your sawtable to be sure it’s level before cuttingthe remaining three sides of the box’sperimeter using a #9 blade.

To complete the box body, drill anentry hole just inside the inner cutting

Jewelry Box Full-size Patterns (Lid, Box and Insert) Inside edge of the box, outside edge of the insert

Entry hole Entry hole Entry hole

Entry hole to cut out the insert opening of the box

Note: Make three copies of this patternfor each box that you plan to build. Onewill be used for the lid, one for the boxand the third for the insert.

Woodworker’s Journal grants rights to copy this pattern for individual use.

Outside edge of the box and lid

Remove waste from insert. Remove waste from insert. Remove waste from insert.

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Smooth the inside edges of the box and removeall evidence of sawing with a small-diametersanding drum.

Woodworker’s Journal

the outer and inner faces completelysmooth, place the insert into the boxbody to check the fit. Mark any edgeareas that rub the box sides, and sandthem down until the insert slides intothe box easily.

I rounded the top inside edge of the box and all the upper edges of the insert. You can do this by hand or with a piloted roundover bit in my router table. The box interior and insert were given a final sanding, working progressively to 320-grit. But don’t sand the outside of the box at this time; it will receive further sanding after you attach the lid.

Creating the Bottom and SupportsNext comes the plywood bottom. I tracedthe inner edge of the box body directlyonto the piece of 1/8" plywood to get acutting line that reflected the sandeddimensions of the box interior. To make iteasy to position this piece again aftercutting it out, make a few referencemarks on the side and the bottom. I cutalong the line with a #3 blade and sand-ed the piece lightly to smooth the edges

and adjust the fit. Now use the bottompanel as a pattern for the velvet liner byplacing the plywood facedown on thepaper side of the velvet and tracing itsoutline. Trim the velvet to size, and set itand the bottom aside for now.

Making the box body from a singlepiece of wood is faster and easier thanusing conventional joinery, but it doesn’tallow for cutting the groove that typicallyholds the bottom in place. I compensatedfor this by providing support under thebottom, using 3/8"-wide strips of cherry,curved at the ends to conform to therounded inside corners of the box. To cutthese supports to shape, place the stripslengthwise under the box body, lining uptheir outer edges with the inner edges ofthe box. This will make it easier to tracethe curve of the corners directly onto thestrips. I marked the location of the strips,cut along the marked lines, and glued thestrips into position so their bottom facesare flush to the box bottom. Small clampshold them in place as the glue cures.

Once the glue dries on the supports,glue the bottom panel in place.

MATERIAL LIST

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Exploded View

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Full-size Handle Pattern

T x W x L1 Box Body (1) 11⁄8" x 4" x 61⁄2"2 Lid (1) 1/2" x 4" x 61⁄2"3 Insert (1) 5/8" x 33⁄8" x 6"4 Bottom (1) 1/8" x 33⁄8" x 6"5 Bottom Supports (2) 1/4" x 3/8" x 6"6 Handle (1) 1/4" x 3/8" x 2"7 Adhesive-backed Velvet (1) Cut to fit8 Solid Brass Hinges (2)* 3/4" x 5/8" wide

*Available at www.rockler.com, item #29250

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Woodworker’s Journal

Adding the LidTo make the lid, attach the third copyof the pattern to a 1/2"-thick piece ofcherry, matching the cutting line for theback of the lid with the jointed rearedge. Cut the top out and sand it lightlyto remove burn or blade marks. At thispoint, I compared the profiles of the lidand box, marked any lid overhang, andcorrected significant discrepancies bysanding. Final matching will be doneonce the lid is installed.

Before attaching the lid, take two pre-cautionary steps. First, since the finalthickness of the rear wall will depend onthe amount of sanding you’ve done, andsince the hinges mount from the back,check to be sure that your hinge screwswill not protrude into the box body. If itlooks too close for comfort, snip off their

tips. Second, I cut two 3/4"-wide stripsfrom a playing card, cutting crossways,and set them aside. These strips, and theremainder of the card, will be insertedbetween the box and lid on both sides ofthe hinges, to ensure that the lid will closeproperly. Once these preliminaries arecompleted, set the lid in place on the boxand so their edges line up. Clamp themtogether. Draw a line 7/8" from each sideof the box, on both the box and lid, tomark the outward position of each hinge.Then insert the three pieces of playingcard between the box and lid, position thehinges, and mark the screw holes with anawl. I put each piece to be drilled into avise to hold it firmly and wrapped maskingtape around the bit to serve as a depthstop. Now stabilize the hinges with a dotof epoxy, and screw them into place tomount the lid.

Sand flush any places on your jewelrybox where the lid and box don’t line up. Ithen set my sander table to 45°, sanded abevel around the front and side edges ofthe lid top, and rounded the bevel to forma gentle curve. (The bevel serves as a

guide for sanding.) Once shaping is com-plete, give the exterior a final sanding,endingwith320-grit.Cutandsandyour lidhandletoshape—Iusedascrapof bloodwoodformine.Markthecenterofthe lid, and glue the handle along the lower edge.

Finishing UpFor my finishing process, I started with alight coat of shellac to seal the surfaces,then rubbed the wood down with 0000steel wool and tacked it off to remove thedust. Several light coats of clear glossspray lacquer followed. A final rubout with0000 steel wool removed any irregularitiesand left an attractive matte finish.

Now place the velvet, backing stillattached, into the box to see if it needstrimming. When you are satisfied withthe fit, remove the backing and stick it tothe bottom. Place the insert inside, andyour project is ready for jewelry.

Carole Rothman is the author of WoodenBowls from the Scroll Saw (Fox Chapel).

A second copy of the same template serves as a guide for cutting out the insert and its three compartments (left). Cut to the waste side of the layoutlines, depending on which portion of the insert you are creating — its outer or the inner edges. Use your box’s inside edge to trace the shape of thebottom panel before cutting it out of 1/8"-thick plywood (right). That way, it will match your box’s interior shape as closely as possible.

The bottom rests on two supports glued to theinside edges of the box. Trace and cut theseto shape using the box interior as a guide.

Strips of a playing card act as spacersbetween the box and lid when installing thehinges, to ensure correct hinge operation.

The author cut the lid’s bloodwood handle toshape, then smoothed the profiles further andeased the edges with her spindle sander.

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