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Page 1 of 16DP-00148 ©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2001

specially treated copper panelmakes this chest of treasuresas beautiful on the outside as

its contents on the inside.

JewelryBox

patina-topped

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To bring you the best and fresh-est project designs, we travelthroughout the country. On oneof these prospecting trips, wediscovered Peter Dellert, a tal-ented designer and builder fromHolyoke, Massachusetts.

Peter’s unique jewelry box fea-tures a striking copper lid with apatina pattern that you can dupli-cate easily. (See the instructions onpage 14.) But the beauty of thisbox lies more than skin-deep. Theremovable tray and system of inte-rior dividers multiply the storagearea and keep the contents neatlyorganized. A stylish, paper-thincork liner looks great and cushionsvaluable jewelry.

To make it easy for you to buildthis box, we assembled the hard-ware, cork lining, and other com-ponents into a convenient kit. Seethe Buying Guide accompanyingthe Bill of Materials, and you’llsoon have a gem of a jewelry box.

Note: In presenting this project toyou, we stayed true to PeterDellert’s choices in high-qualityhardware and other building mate-rials. You can purchase a supplieskit (not including wood) throughthe Buying Guide on page 9. It mayseem expensive, but when you con-sider that Peter charges $375 forthis box, you can understand whyhe selects only the best hardware.If you would like to hold downyour costs, simply substitute less-expensive hinges, make woodenfeet in place of the brass ones, andflock the surfaces otherwise cov-ered with cork.

First up, the box parts1 Using fi"-thick cherry, rip a 48"-long board to 3¤" wide for thecase front/back (A) and the casesides (B).2 Set your tablesaw’s blade and ripfence to cut the grooves along thetop and bottom inner faces of thecase pieces (A, B). After you makethese cuts, test-fit the thickness ofthe copper and hardboard for the

fi"

Fence

Support blockclampedto table

Fasten sides togetherusing double-faced tape.

¤" straight bitset ‹" aboverouter table

Drawing 1SPLINE-SLOT CUTTING

B

top panel (C) into its groove. Alsotest the fit of the cork lining andthe hardboard bottom panel (C)into its groove.3 Cut the case front/back (A)and the case sides (B) to thefinished length shown in theBill of Materials.4 Referring to Drawing 1 andPhoto A, set up your router table tocut the spline slots. Use double-faced tape to join the outside facesof the front/back (A) to each othertemporarily. Position the stopblocks 2Í" from the center of therouter bit. Switch on the router,then hold the front/back against theright stopblock and the fence.Lower the wood until it contactsthe table and support block, androut the slot by moving the woodto the left until it hits the stop-block. Repeat the process for eachof the remaining mitered ends.

5 Referring to the Drawing 2, notethat the grain of the spline runsalong its short dimension. Makethe splines by ripping a cherryboard 2fl" wide, and thickness-plane or resaw it to ¤" thick. Thencut four splines fi" long.6 Cut two pieces of hardboard forthe top/bottom panels (C) to thesize listed in the Bill of Materials.Cut the copper panel to the samesize, then apply the decorative fin-ish to the metal using the proce-dure described on page 14 and theleaf patterns found on pages 12and 13. The copper merely rests onthe top panel (C), but you’ll needto glue the cork liner to the bottompanel (C). To do that, simply brusha thin coat of white glue on the bot-tom panel and gently smooth outthe slightly oversized cork linerwith a block of wood. To applypressure while the glue dries, cover

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the liner with a piece of waxedpaper, add the top panel, then set atoolbox or other weighty object onthe stack. After the glue dries, usea utility knife to cut the liner flushwith the edges of the bottom panel(C).

Next, assemble the box1 To protect the top/bottom pan-els (C) from the protective finishyou’ll apply later to the wood,cover them with clear plastic foodwrap. Wrap about 1" of plasticover each panel edge, and secureit to the back of the panel withmasking tape.2 Dry-assemble (no glue) the boxparts (A, B, C), the copper panel,and the splines to make sure every-thing fits. If needed, cut a nick outof each panel’s corner to get themto fit.3 To keep glue squeeze-out offinterior corners, place a strip ofmasking tape along each mitercut, where shown on Drawing 2.Apply glue sparingly to all of themiters and splines, and assemblethe box. If the panels bow inward,making it difficult to add the finalbox side, cut a 2fl"-long scrap-wood spacer strip, and spring itbetween the panels to separatethem. Gently snug up the jointswith a band clamp, and make cer-tain that the assembly is squareand flat while it dries.

Now, mark for hinges andseparate the lid1 Unclamp the box after the gluedries. Use a pencil and square tomark the hinge locations on theback of the box, where shown onDrawing 2a.2 Lock your tablesaw’s fence ‡"from the inner side of the blade,and raise the blade about ¨"above the surface of the table.With the top of the box against thefence, make a cut along both endsof the box. Referring to Photo B,clamp spacers into the kerfs, andmake the cuts along the front andback of the box. Referring to

Position the front/back parts against the fence and right stop-block, and lower them onto the running bit.

A

6‰ x

13‰

" co

rk

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BO

X A

SS

EM

BL

Y

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CA

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ombo

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C

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red

ends B

3¤"

7"

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2fl

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line

3¤"

14"

A

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Drawing 2aHINGE & LID-CUTTING DETAIL

‡"

¤"

Cutline

1fi"1‹"

1‹"1fi"Mark hinge locations

before cutting off lid.

B The spacers clamped into the end cutskeep the wood from pinching the bladeduring the final cut.

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Photo C, remove saw marks byrubbing the cut edges on a fullsheet of 100-grit sandpaperspray-glued to a flat surface.Remove the tape from the insidecorners of the box and lid.3 Referring to Drawing 3, use asquare to transfer the hinge-location marks from the back ofthe box bottom and lid to theirinner edges.4 Use a ‹" bit in a small router, asshown in Photo D, to remove mostof the waste within the hinge’s out-line. Rout close to the lines, thenfinish the mortises with a chisel.Drill pilot holes for the hingescrews, test-fit the hinges, thenremove them.

C

D

Move the lid over a sheet of glued-down sandpaper, and you’ll quickly erase saw marks.

Clamping a 1fi"-widescrapwood block to thebox provides no-tipsupport for the router.

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Make a stylish handle1 Cut a fi×2fi×12" piece of solidscrapwood (any wood that paintswell). Referring to Drawing 3a,mark the radius and cutline on thewood. Use a scrollsaw or bandsawto cut just to the waste side of theradius, then sand to the line.2 Referring to Photo E, put a ‹"round-over bit into your table-mounted router, and rout the topand bottom faces of the radius.Use your mitersaw to cut thehandle to length.3 Refer to Drawing 3 to drill thehandle-mounting holes through thelid. Holding the handle in place,push a finishing nail through theseholes to mark the position of theÏ" pilot holes in the handle.Screw the handle into place.

Machine and assemble thedividers and tray1Referring to the Bill of Materials,prepare blanks for the parts you’llneed for the divider and trayassemblies (Parts E, F, G, H, I, J,and K) by planing or resawingcherry to the required thicknesses.Then rip the blanks to width.2 Crosscut the case divider (E) andthe case divider front/back (F) tofit inside the box.

3 Lay out the dadoes on parts Eand F, where shown onDrawing 4.4 Center the case divider (E) insidethe box, and position the casedivider front/back (F), but do notglue any of the pieces. Crosscutand fit the case sub-dividers (G),but do not glue them.5 Crosscut the tray front/back(H) and the tray ends (I), makingsure that the tray ends fit easilybetween the front and back of thebox assembly.6 Referring to Drawings 5 and 5a,lay out and rout the rabbets,grooves, and dadoes in parts H andI. Note that the horizontal groove inthe tray ends (I) stops at the verticaldado near each corner.7 Cut the tray bottom (L) fromhardboard to the size listed in theBill of Materials. Glue the corkliner, using the same procedureyou used earlier. When the gluedries, cover the piece with plasticwrap and test-fit it. Glue and clampthe tray assembly.8 Crosscut the tray divider (J) tofit, then rout the dadoes, whereshown on Drawing 5. Crosscut thetray sub-dividers (K) to fit.

You’re ready for finish andfinal assembly1 Remove the hinges and handle,as well as all the dividers from thetray and box. If necessary, patchthe plastic wrap. Do any touch-upsanding necessary, but don’t sandthe divider parts too much, or youcould change their fit.2 Apply your choice of finish.We used three coats of MinwaxFast-Drying Polyurethane ClearSatin. We primed the handle,then gave it three coats of satinblack spray paint.3 Use a crafts knife to cut away theplastic wrap, then remove the tape.Referring to Drawing 3, drill holesinto the bottom of the box for thebrass feet. Use a dab of silicone orepoxy to secure the shank of eachfoot into its hole. Glue and screwthe handle into place. Install thedividers, then replace the hinges.4 Have a ¤"-thick mirror cutslightly undersized for the innerlid. We installed ours with fourdabs of silicone on the back ofthe mirror. ¿

E

Using a 12"-long blank for the handle keeps yourfingers safely away from the router bit.

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E

F

C

A

B

C

F

¤ x 5Í x 12Í"mirror

Glue brass footinto a ˇ" hole‹" deep.

GG

GG

G

GG

1fi"1‹"

1‹" brass hinge› x 1‹" mortises„" deep

Drawing 3EXPLODED VIEW

1"

6fi"

9/64" shank hole,countersunk onthe inside face

#6 x ‡" brassF.H. wood screw

D

‹"

‹" round-overs

H I

LI

HK

6‰ x 13‰"cork

A

B

D

Drawing 3aHANDLE DETAIL

‹" round-overs top and bottom

R=1‹"

fi x 2fi x 12" stockÏ" pilot holes‹" deep

Œ"

L

C C

D

fi x 2fi x 12" Scrapwood

CUTTING DIAGRAM

*Plane or resaw to thicknesses listed in the Bill of Materials.

¤ x 12 x 30" Hardboard

BA

fi x 7‹ x 48" Cherry

A B

H I

E FF

G G G KJ

*

** *** ** *

*

K*

FINISHED SIZEPart T W L Matl.Qty.A case front/back fi 3¤" 14" C 2

B case sides fi" 3¤" 7" C 2

C bottom/top panels ¤" 6‰" 13‰" H 2

D handle* fi" 2›" Œ" S 1

E case divider ›" 1" 13" C 1F case divider

front/back ‹" 1" 13" C 2G case sub-dividers ¤" 1" 2Å" C 10

H tray front/back ‹" Œ" 6‹" C 2

I tray ends ‹" Œ" 5Í" C 2

J tray divider ›" fl" 6" C 1

K tray sub-dividers ¤" fl" 2Å" C 4

L tray bottom ¤" 5Ø" 6‹" H 1

*Cut from fi×2fi×12" blank and trim to size.

Materials key: C–cherry, H–hardboard, S-scrapwood.

Buying Guide: Brass feet (4); 1‹×1" brass boxhinges with screws (2); #6ׇ" brass flatheadwood screws (2); .016×6‰×13‰" copper sheet;6‰×13‰" cork wall covering; 5fl×6‹" cork wallcovering (both paper-thin Designtex cork wall cov-ering M6466 cork cubed); ¤×5Í×12Í" mirror;label paper printed with leaf pattern for top. Order kitJB-1 from Schlabaugh and Sons Woodworking, 72014th Street, Kalona, IA 52247, call 800/346-9663 toorder and current prices.

bill of materialsjewerlry box

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E

2„"

2„"

2„"

2„"

2„"

¤"

¤"

¤"

13"

¤"

dado

es¤

" de

ep

¤"

dado

es¤

" de

ep

FG

GG

GG

›"

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DIV

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F

13"

1"

G

2Å"

1"

G

GG

G

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The purchase of these plans doesnot transfer any copyright or otherownership interest in the plans, thedesign, or the finished project to thebuyer. Buyer may neither reproducethe plans for sale nor offer for saleany copies of the finished project.

Produced by Marlen Kemmet

Written by Robert J. Settich with Jim Downing

Project Design: Peter Dellert

Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson

Graphic Design: Jamie Downing

Photographs: Wm. Hopkins; Baldwin Photography

©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2001

¤" dadoes¤" deep

H

I

2Å"

6‹"2"2"

6‹"

Œ"

¤" groove¤" deep¤" frombottom edge

H

¤" rabbet¤" deep

¤" rabbet¤" deep

¤"

fl"

K

1Œ"

1Œ"2"

¤" dadoes ¤" deep

6" fl"J

5Ø x 6‹" cork

Drawing 5TRAY

L

K

K

K

Œ"

5Í"

I

H

I

¤" rabbet¤" deep

¤"

¤"

¤"

¤"

Drawing 5aCORNER DETAIL

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fi‹ ‡

1"

SCALE

To ensure full-sized patterns are correctsize, your printer should be set to printat 100% (not fit to page). Measure full-sized patterns to verify size.

6‰ x

13‰

" co

pper

LEAV

ES

FU

LL-S

IZE

PAT

TE

RN

S

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fi‹ ‡

1"

SCALE

To ensure full-sized patterns are correctsize, your printer should be set to printat 100% (not fit to page). Measure full-sized patterns to verify size.

LEAV

ES

FU

LL-S

IZE

PAT

TE

RN

S

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For great reactions, try simple chemistryPatina Technique

Ammonia fumes are all you need togive shiny, new copper a weatheredlook. But if you want to includesome eye-pleasing designs, let usshow you the secret.

Any material that can keep thefumes away from selected areascan act as a “resist” and producedesigns on copper. To make theornamental panels, we began withthe procedures that Massachusettscraftsman Peter Dellert uses togreat effect.

Eventually, we came up with anew twist on the technique thatmakes it easier for a beginner toget reliable, attractive results.Give it a try and add a terrific dec-orative technique to your project-building repertoire.

Of course, you don’t have to limityour designs to the leaf shapesshown here. Try any natural, geo-metric, or artistic shapes you like.You can find countless samples inclip art books and software. And itisn’t just for box lids and housesigns, either. It could be just thething for a serving tray, door panelinsert, mailbox, or any number ofother applications.

First, some shoppingYou’ll need a sheet of flat, medi-um-gauge copper, self-adhesivelabel paper, table salt, non-sudsyhousehold ammonia, the patternson pages 12 and 13, and a plasticcontainer with a snug-fitting lid.If you prefer to make your owndesign, we’ll tell you how to dothat with some leaves and a pho-tocopier.

You’ll find copper at home cen-ters and lumber yards, or checkunder “sheet metal work” in theYellow Pages of your phone book.Those companies often have a sup-ply of copper and will sell you what

you need, maybe at a better price.Look for label paper at an officesupplies store. You can find vari-ous sizes of plastic boxes, with lids,at a department store.

Now, the art partWe used Japanese maple leaves forour design. Put our pattern in aphotocopy machine and copy itonto self-adhesive label paper. Or,to make your own design, arrangeleaves on the glass surface of thecopier, and run a test copy.Rearrange them until you like thedesign and the leaf edges appearcrisp on the photocopy. Then, loadself-adhesive label paper into theappropriate tray of the copier, andprint the final version.

Using paper was the innovationthat gave us the consistent resultswe sought. Our first effortsinvolved gluing real leaves to thecopper. But that produced varyingdegrees of crispness along the leafedges and varying amounts ofresidue underneath the leaves.Next, we tried plastic leaf shapes,but we got sharp, shiny images thatlooked too artificial. So we triedself-adhesive paper, and liked whatwe saw.

Cut the copper to size withshears or a utility knife, and sandit with 180-grit sandpaper untilit’s uniformly shiny. Clean it withdenatured alcohol to make surenothing remains that will interferewith the next steps. Wear gloveswhen handling the copper fromnow until it goes into the ammo-nia fumes, so it won’t pick up anyoil from your fingers.

After the solvent evaporates, peelthe backing off the label paper andaffix it to the copper. With an X-acto or other sharp knife, carefullycut around the leaves’ outlines, as

shown in Photo 1. You also cancut “veins” into the leaves for amore realistic appearance. Removethe white paper surrounding theleaves. Clean off any stubbornadhesive with lacquer thinner, thenwait a couple of minutes while thesolvent evaporates.

Spray a light mist of water overthe copper. Then sprinkle on aneven, moderate dusting of ordinarytable salt, as shown in Photo 2.Different amounts bring differentresults, so it’s best to test the tech-nique on a couple of small pieces ofcopper first.

And finally, chemistryNow, you’re going to use ammoniato transform that bland coppercolor into a mottled blue. Ammoniafumes will linger while you carryout this procedure, so set things upoutdoors, in the garage, or in somewell-ventilated part of the housewhere the smell won’t bother any-one. Wear a respirator mask, too.The strength of those fumes cansurprise you. Pour fi" of ammoniainto the container. Place blocks ofwood or other disposable supportsin the box to suspend the copperabove the ammonia. Lay the copperon the supports and immediatelyput the lid on the container.

Ammonia fumes by themselvesturn copper a dark, olive color. Thesalt produces a bluish, crustyresidue. But each paper leaf acts asa resist, keeping the salt and fumesaway from the copper underneath.

Check the progress after about4 hours to see if the patina isdeveloping evenly. Leave thecopper in the fumes as long asyou like, but don’t expect muchmore than very subtle changesafter the first 6 hours.

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1

2A sharp-looking design callsfor attractive shapes, a goodlayout, and precise cuttingwith a sharp knife.

Any coating of salt will bringresults, but the density does

make a difference. Run a cou-ple of tests before you work

on the piece for your project.

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When you remove the copperfrom the container, as in Photo 3,you’ll see a dark backgroundaround the paper leaves. Workingon a piece of cardboard or scrapplywood, scrub off the paper withlacquer thinner and a stiff-bristledbrush, as in Photo 4. If some darkspots remain on the copper leafimages, that’s fine. The leaves lookmore natural that way.

Lightly scrub the background, butdon’t overdo it. You want to elimi-nate any “muddy” appearancewithout knocking off all of the blueresidue created by the salt andammonia. As the workpiece dries,you’ll see the finished color start tocome through.

Let the copper dry, then applyone or two coats of paste wax. Thatwill protect the patina and give itsome luster. Or, you can spray thecopper with lacquer.¿

3

4Remove the copper when thepatina appears complete.Remember to wear a respiratormask whenever you have thelid off your container.

Scrub with moderate pressureand check the look of the piece

as you go. If you accidentallyremove too much patina, care-

fully add salt where you want itand fume the copper again.