# Wedding present boxes



## The Everyman Show (Jul 10, 2009)

Here is my first real project for the new season. My wife’s niece, who is also her goddaughter, is getting married this coming weekend so we thought it would be nice to get them a gift that was from the heart and this is what we settled on. These two boxes are made from Red Elm and Hackberry. We wanted two different woods that have similar grain patterns but different colors and these two wood choices give us that. I have never worked with either one of these woods before and they worked pretty easy. I did have to do some creative cutting around the gray stick marks from the Hackberry. My research found that when Hackberry is first harvested anything that touches the green wood causes some kind of chemical reaction and leaves a distinct gray mark across the wood. I was able to get around all but one gray mark. The boxes measure 13” x 8-1/2” x 4-1/2” and the top is cut at about ¾” down. 
Those of you who have seen my projects before know that I really don’t like end grain showing and that is the reason for the triangle segmented tops. The process takes a little bit of work but I am so much happier with the end result. The Yin and Yang design on the tops seemed like the right thing to do considering they are wedding presents. Throughout the design and construction of each box, where one is Red Elm the other is Hackberry and vice versa. I made the decorative splines out of alternating strips of each material and they are ¼” thick. The interior flat surfaces of the base and the lids are a very simple 7/8” checkerboard design using the same materials just to give some depth to the boxes.
We get to deliver them this coming weekend as we celebrate their pending nuptials.


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

Those are a pair of truly handsome boxes John! You've given the bride and groom something they'll cherish their whole lives. That was a great idea!!


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## CuznMike (Nov 24, 2010)

Well done!


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Very nice looking boxes. I like your generous uses of splining. Looks nice.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Very nice boxes, checkerboard is a nice touch.:thumbsup:


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow, I'm speechless. Those are absolutely beautiful. I love the design. Who wouldn't love a pair of gorgeous boxes like this. I'm sure they will be cherished for years to come.
Hmmmmmmm, I guess I wasn't speechless after all. :laughing:


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## Chippin-in (Feb 4, 2010)

Vey very nice. They will love them, no doubt.

Robert


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Fantastic presents and great use of alternate grain patterns to give more "depth" to each piece. I wish someone had given us something like that... far more practical than some of the things people often provide to newlyweds.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Both boxes are fine pieces of craftsmanship. I hope you signed and dated them somewhere. I like those hinges you used. They are a PITA to install, but a nice touch, as are the splines. What finish did you use?












 







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## The Everyman Show (Jul 10, 2009)

Thank you all for the comments and the kind words. My wife and I are very happy with the end result and we also agree with Frank in our assessment of the presents we received.
ACP you are right on. I was generous with the use splines for two reasons; the first being it was the primary way to hold all the components together other than just relying on glue (TB-2) and secondly I wanted to over emphasize the two different woods and how they are used and intermingled with each other. What is the white wood on one is the red wood on the other so the 5-ply splines in the Red Elm are: white, red, white, red white and in the Hackberry they are: red, white, red, white red.
Cabinetman I have never used those hinges before and I agree with the PITA comment. I was amazed at how much material needs to be removed in order for them to work. I used four coats of Sam Maloof Poly, Oil, Oil finish. I have made that my finish of choice, although I prefer lacquer myself, the wipe on finish is certainly easier to apply.


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## BigBull (Feb 10, 2010)

Those are really nice John. Great job. Boxes like that are not as easy to make as one might think.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

The Everyman Show said:


> I have made that my finish of choice, although I prefer lacquer myself, the wipe on finish is certainly easier to apply.


Lacquer used to be my finish of choice, but I switched to waterbase polyurethane years ago. I agree with you that the wipe on oil base finish is an easy finish. Desirable if there is no ability to spray, and you can put up with the dry time. 












 







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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Very cool. Really like the contrast of checkers inside the box!

~tom


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

Those are some great looking boxes. Works of art actually. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Where did you get the hinges you used? Those are much better than the ones I have been using.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*very cool*

The use of the Yin and Yang symbol for His n' Hers and the light and dark wood all give them a real personality. Talk about those hinges...man I hear Ya, having used them in the keepsake box I made a while back. They are worth it though. Very nice details and scale, John. :thumbsup: bill


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## Ledhead (Aug 3, 2009)

Fantastic job on some gorgeous boxes.


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## The Everyman Show (Jul 10, 2009)

RetiredLE said:


> Those are some great looking boxes. Works of art actually. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> Where did you get the hinges you used? Those are much better than the ones I have been using.


Thank you. I got these particular ones from Woodcraft. They were about $11.00 per pair and worth every penny, but they also have a slightly heavier duty set for about $30.00 per pair but I didn’t need them to be industrial strength so I went with the smaller ones. I will disclose there is no template or measurements included in the packaging so you have to whittle away until the arm goes all the way down without getting caught on something.


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I will check them out.


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## Chippin-in (Feb 4, 2010)

Were the checkerboards done using an endgrain-type cutting board process?

Thanks

Robert


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## The Everyman Show (Jul 10, 2009)

Chippin-in said:


> Were the checkerboards done using an endgrain-type cutting board process?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Robert


Yes Robert it is very similar to that method only I made the stock material only 1-3/4" wide so I could cut it down to thickness on the tablesaw, then I glued it to the substrate at the same time I glued it together to form the sheet.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

beautiful


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## dining sets (Apr 24, 2011)

Well done!!!!!!!!!!!


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## dining sets (Apr 24, 2011)

well!!!!!!!!!!!


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