# My first international jewelry box



## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

I have been selling boxes for a little while now to pay for a portion of this expensive hobby. Here is a box made from red hawthorn burl for the lid and sycamore for the body. The buyer needed it to hold 25 sets of cufflinks. The pics are a little dark, so I threw in a photo of the red hawthorn board before construction. Does anybody know what a red hawthorn tree is, or ever seen it as burl?


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## Geoguy (Feb 22, 2008)

Very nice - I've never heard of red hawthorn, but it is beautiful.

Nice job!


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## woodworks (Feb 12, 2008)

Never heard of red hawthorn (or any other color of hawthorn) but it is pretty. Where did you aquire it? 
Nice job on the cufflink box.


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## stuart (Jan 20, 2008)

very very nice....


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

sharp looking box Jeffery. just out of curiosity, what makes it an international box?


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## stuart (Jan 20, 2008)

umm.. I thought it just sounding cool that way...[me thinks]


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

The box is my first international one because I made it for someone in Singapore. Doing my little part in evening out the trade deficit. American wood, hardware, finish, and first use of my "new" old Delta Homecraft TS and handmade wood planes. The only place I have found this wood is an ebay seller that is a small sawmill in OK, and they only post a board or two every couple of weeks. I got a bunch of it last year because I was the only bidder, but it has a lot of cracks and character that need to be worked with. It is extremely dense, machines well when routing and cutting, chips out badly when planing, finishes glass smooth when sanded to a fine grit.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

very cool and congratulations on your first international box. 
thanks for the detailed reply.
i was hoping to see some more of your work in your gallery. your's is a little more empty than mine. :laughing: one of these days i'll get around to taking some picts and adding them.


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

I have added some pics to my gallery is anyone wants to check them out.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

i like your other boxes as well. :thumbsup:
now i guess i've got to get my act together and build stuff and post pictures. :smile:

Jeffrey, on the multi wood boxes with one species framing another (Aspen & Bubinga box) how do you account for expansion of the inner wood? or do you? maybe with smaller pieces of wood it's not so much an issue..?


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

In the frame and panel boxes, I only apply a flexible glue to the center 1" of the end grain sides of the panel and the panel "floats" inside a deeper, loose fitting cut in the box sides. This allows for expansion and contraction, the glue just holds the panel in the center. There is a thin gap around the perimeter of the lid between it and the frame to provide room for the expansion. I know the lid is a small piece of wood, but the pieces trying to hold it are even smaller. My mother has some of my grandfathers small boxes made of one species that are solidly glued and a couple are warped 1/2"-1" from back to front and not a single split seam or crack. I have not had one move yet and most were built in the winter with low humidity and now live in Houston with high humidity. If you account for the differences, you can mix any woods.


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## Spartan_Caver (Apr 2, 2008)

Full Marks for: Choice of wood, Style, Finish. But those hinges, the bright brass in the photo was the first thing that caught my eye. I will have to say that they look like the ones that you can get at the Homebre Depot. Sorry but that is my opinion and I am not sticking to it... Antique finish maybe? find or spray paint some black ones? Anybody else find the flash of the brass too much?


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## woodman42 (Aug 6, 2007)

Nice work Jeffrey!


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

The red hawthorn was so hard it broke the screws to the high quality hinges I had with proper pilot holes. Had to get ingenoious and cut out the hinge area, glue in a strip of walnut, and fit the only hinges I had around to get the job done. The customer loved it so I am happy.


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## woodworks (Feb 12, 2008)

jeffreythree said:


> The red hawthorn was so hard it broke the screws to the high quality hinges I had with proper pilot holes. Had to get ingenoious and cut out the hinge area, glue in a strip of walnut, and fit the only hinges I had around to get the job done. The customer loved it so I am happy.


That's the bottom line IMO. If the person who is paying like's it, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Besides, the only time you see them is when the lid is open. I'm sure he doesn't leave it open all the time. So what if he does, it looks good from here.:thumbsup:


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## Spartan_Caver (Apr 2, 2008)

*New to Shorthand*

IMO?
Yep, first rule of carpentry, if the customer is pleased then cash the check. 
My God, what I get paid for...  My Father who was my first mentor would have a full on Water Buffalo  if he were to see what I get paid for doing... It's not like I will do sloppy work, it is not like I have no feelings of guilt for doing a below par job, its more like people A.> Don't know any better, B.> Don't pay any better. So, unless you are getting paid for taking the time to "Tap" out and thread the screw holes, run down some better quality screws, pay for better quality screws, and the customer doesn't care or know any better, then cash the check and have a nice night out. 
As I said Full Marks for the box.:thumbsup:


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Apparently Hawthorn trees are fairly common but often are very hard to distinguish. Looks like this might help you determine a little more about your wood.

http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/hawthorne.asp


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## davo (Mar 30, 2008)

Say what I say. 

It's character, not a mistake!.


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