Things that go bump in the night!

Okay, so this isn't really about things that go bump in the night. I am sure there are better places on the web to read ghost stories than on a handmade box website. This post is about and idea I had to make a bumpy box. Not just any box, but a jewellery box made with a gentleman in mind for storing things like watches, cufflinks, collar stiffeners etc.

I was thinking that I could make a box, but make it 'bumpy' by cutting into it. Still lost? Here are some pictures that might help.

So here is a large router table I had to make for this project - the one I had wasn't big enough hence this one.

On the table is a piece of walnut (actually it is made from strips of 4mm walnut, stuck together and then stuck onto a core of 6mm MDF. Wanted to make sure it was stable and didn't move). If I run the lid over the router bit along a long edge and then a short edge, I will cut out two shapes. If the fence if then moved by a set amount and the process repeated, the whole lid will then have a pattern cut into it. Yeah?

There is the bumpy patter. The piece of paper is my cutting guide I used to work out size and distance.

Because I am human and not a machine (I have passed the Google test), I can't accurately 100% move the fence by the amount every time. There is some 'experimental error' and this has to be accounted for. Easy, as the lid is over sized to start with, and once all the passes are complete, the lid can then be cut down to give the actual final size. Then the size of the box can then be worked out.

Once the lid has been shaped, the machine marks need to be cleaned up without changing the profile of the bumps.

By pure chance, I had a marker pen that was the correct diameter for sanding.

Additionally, walnut cuts pretty good with sharp tools, so this helped too.

Once the box is glued up, I then route all the way round the sides of the box. Now you can see why I needed such a big router table!

When you consider the amount of time spent so far making the box, if something went wrong now......don't think about it. Just keep a clear head, don't get disturbed, and concentrate.

That pen comes in handy again!

At this stage, the lid is still attached to the box - but only just. I have already partway cut the lid off. It is easier to sand the box when still whole.

There you go. A bumpy gentleman's watch and jewellery box.

Tags: #jewellerybox, #watchbox, #gentlemanswatchbox, #handmadebox, #bespokejewellerybox, #handmadejewellerybox