It has been a long old while since I have posted on this blog. Up until a few weeks ago, I had oodles of time in the workshop because I only worked in the evenings. Shortly after I finished my workbench however, I took on a new job during the day. This has meant that my workshop time has been drastically reduced. I’ve still managed to put in some hours here and there, so I thought I’d fire off a series of posts over the next few days, to show off a project that I have recently completed.
It is a commission piece from the same chap who commissioned the Treasure Chest. As usual, the remit was broad: another jewelry box, but totally different from the last one.
It just so happened that I had been toying with the idea of making a box with inlaid dovetails; that is, double dovetails in contrasting wood species.
I had already picked out the timber I wanted to use – walnut and maple – and so I set to work designing the look, and drawing up a cut list, before dimensioning the components in the usual way.
Once the four sides were planed down to size, I marked out the first set of dovetails, sawed the cheeks and chopped out the waste.
I made shallow rebates on the inside faces of the tails (the reason for this will become apparent later), and then glued and clamped the four sides together.
When the glue was dry I cut the box up, discarding two of the sides and planing the tails so that the contrast wood was flush.
I then marked out the second set of dovetails and repeated the process.
Even if I say so myself, I was very pleased with the dry fit of the box. Not bad for a first attempt. The next job would be to make the dividers for the inside, but that can wait for another time.
goatboys woodshop 
Great visual effect!
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