Mahogany jewelry box - Final

Last post for this project!

Not a lot of pictures about the remainder of the build, mainly because I just didn't have time to take the pictures.  I procrastinated and waited til the last minute to finish this project and I had no time....haha.

For the vertical drawers, I spoke about adding accessories for hanging necklaces and earrings.  Here is the necklace side.  It is a piece of scrap walnut with a 45 degree cut on one corner.  On that 45 degree plane, I cut 3/8" holes with a forstner bit on the drill press.  After, I cut and shaped some 3/8" walnut dowels and glued them in.  Once they were dry, I hand sanded the assembly until smooth.  I then shot a few coats of rattle can lacquer for a quick and fast finish.  Finally, I installed them with some brass screws.  Each vertical drawer has a necklace rack on the outside side of the drawer.  The 45 degree cant allows for the necklaces to stay put when the drawer is removed and replaced.

Similarly on the inside side of each drawer, I made 3 racks for both drawers for dangly earrings.  Again, this is some scrap walnut that I cut to length first.  Then I marked out the kerfs with a marking knife across the width of the scrap walnut.  Using a crosscut filed handsaw, I cut the kerfs to about 3/16" deep.  Then I took the walnut piece to the table saw and ripped 6 pieces at about 3/16" thick.  The kerfs from the handsaw weren't quite wide enough to accommodate the wire from an earring that I borrowed from my wife to test.  So I took a piece of PSA sandpaper at 80 grit and folded it in half with the sticky sides toward each other.  This gave me a double sided piece of sandpaper and was the perfect width I needed.  I then "flossed my teeth" with the sandpaper through each kerf, opening them up a little and also smoothing them.

Next I cut some scrap maple as mounting blocks for the racks.  The maple stock is about 1/2" square and the same length of the walnut pieces.  I glued the maple to the walnut pieces, flush on the bottom and secured with brass screws.  Next I secured the earring racks to the drawer with brass screws from the opposite side.  You can see these screws from the picture above.  Dangly earrings should slide right into those kerfs and hang down with the walnut as a background and support.  I figured the walnut would help see the jewels better with the lighter golds and silvers against the darker background.

And here is the happy recipient of the jewelry box.  I am told that she immediately took it to her room when she got home and started loading it up with her prized jewels.  I can't ask for more than that!  :)

Overall, it was a great project and a lot of fun.  I hope it provides her joy for many years to come.  Although I have no jewelry of my own, I sure am sad to see it go.  I sure am proud of this piece.  Thanks for reading along!

The next posts will be centered mainly around my shop transformation.  I have something big coming and I need to get my shop ready for it.  I hope you will tag along!