Thread: 3 Drawer Jewellry Chest

This design is based on one by Tony Lydgate as shown in his book, The Art of Making Elegant Wood Boxes.

The primary timber is recycled Australian Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis). This honey brown timber comes from the demolition of a Brisbane warehouse built in 1908. The timber was chosen for its figured grain, pitch lines and borer holes.

I carved the handles from Ebony.

The drawer frames are American Maple.

The timber was sanded progressively through to 1500 grit paper.
The finish is three coats of Ubeaut Shellac with a light sanding between each, two coats of Ubeaut Hard Shellac, polished with Ubeaut EEE Ultrashine and topped off with Ubeaut Traditional Polish.

The challenge in applying the finish is that the natural fissures in the timber tended to become clogged with wax and fibre from the buffing clothes that I used. This had to be patiently hand picked and removed with tweezers.

The finished result pleased me and for future products I will be looking for timber with natural flaws to add character.

Comments appreciated!