Thread: Another variation of the documents box

Thanks to the inspiration I have got from Jim (alias POWDERPOST) and DIY DAN I built my version of a documents box.

As base I use two 6mm plywood shelves which I veneered from both sides. Upon this shelves I glued a 5mm frame of cherry. Hier is a Sketchup model picture



For the exterior side of the box I choosed a veneer from which I couldn't find the name. Although I have a 160-pieces veneer refernce collection and did a search in "the Woodbook" I did not find the name of the wood.

Perhaps some of the experts from the other side of the globe have an idea.

In any case the stuff is very brittle and hard to cut. But with a veneer saw and a sharp Japanese knive I finally managed it. The inner sides of the box was veneered with kings wood which were much easier to handle. For decoration I put inlay stripes which I ordered some years ago in Spain on the front and back side of the box. The letters are simple goldpaper which I found in a hobby shop in town.

After 5 times grinding the box with sandpaper I painted the box with a ready shoppped brushable shellack lotion. Then waiting for 4 hours to let the shellack dry, brush the box with steel wool and then repeat the whole process 4 times. After this I :

1. was fed up to the back teeth
2. could not see or smell shellack any longer
3. did not saw any advancement in the whole process
4. and determined not to use shellack for the rest of my life

When the last shellack cover was dry I applied antique wax (kind of honey wax) to the exterior sides of the box. This wasn't a good idea at all!
The box glittered like a bacon rind. Because I dont like such a finish on my works I had to remove the glitter with steel wool after this stupid treatment.

Here is the front view of the box




And here is the back view





The spine of the "book" is better to be seen in the total view.



For the inner sides of the box I tried to use a book matched veneer. This was not really successful. But in veneering I am still a newby . To my excuse I can say that I had to puzzle together one DIN A4 side from 6 small veneer pieces Veneering is really a puzzle work. But fortunately it is only the inner side of the box and so only an attentivly user will notice the faults




When I tried to put the box into the bookshelf another failure appeared. The box is about 3mm too high to fit in my bookshelf. Fortunately there is enough place upon the bookshelf. The solution looks now like this.



After a long philosopical meditation I came to the conclusion that the box looks much better where it stands now.than if I would have put it in the bookshelf. Or what do you think about it?


Regards
Detlef