Rimu Jewellery Box with Drawers

**botesmj1** · 4th March 2022, 07:56 AM

Hi team, new project starting up. I’m planning to build the rendered jewellery box for a friends daughter using old NZ Rimu floorboards. The top of the box will be a traditional box with a lid that locks, similar to the tools chest I made some time ago.

My question for the experts are the following. The floorboards re grooved below, I can plane it down to remove the grooves but that results in a 15mm board which I don’t like. I would prefer to use the thicker 18-19mm board as is. I don’t mind the grooves inside the drawer openings as you won’t see it, in the top box it will be lined so it’s not a big concern there either. The issue is with the joints on the outer box. I was planning on doing dovetail but the grooves will be seen.

Is there any other joint you would suggest to use instead which will prevent the grooves to be visible? I was thinking of using a rebate joint which will essentially hide the groove but I’ll it be throng enough? I don’t want to use mitre joints as that will need splines for strength which I don’t want. Do you have any other suggestions?

**GraemeCook** · 4th March 2022, 01:50 PM

Interesting.

If you can space the grooves precisely so that they never run through a tail or a pine, then they will not intrude onto the outside of the carcase.

Dovetail Groove.jpgVaguely like this.

**botesmj1** · 4th March 2022, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Interesting.

If you can space the grooves precisely so that they never run through a tail or a pine, then they will not intrude onto the outside of the carcase.

Dovetail Groove.jpgVaguely like this.

Worth a shot, then just offset the other side to align the groove in a similar fashion [emoji1303]

**aldav** · 4th March 2022, 07:22 PM

How big is this chest? I'd think that 15mm thick material is enough for a chest up to, say, 450mm long whether it be dovetailed or mitre joined. Well made mitre joints in even 12mm material are very strong without splines, splines are often used only for visual effect. If you still want to use dovetails and the thicker material you could cut a 4mm rabbet on the end of the boards, but if you're going to do this you might as well just thickness the boards down to 15mm. Dovetails are really strong and you won't have any problems. Think about some of the furniture pieces guys on here have built with 19mm dovetailed material that are much bigger than your chest is likely to be.

**botesmj1** · 5th March 2022, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by aldav

How big is this chest? I'd think that 15mm thick material is enough for a chest up to, say, 450mm long whether it be dovetailed or mitre joined. Well made mitre joints in even 12mm material are very strong without splines, splines are often used only for visual effect. If you still want to use dovetails and the thicker material you could cut a 4mm rabbet on the end of the boards, but if you're going to do this you might as well just thickness the boards down to 15mm. Dovetails are really strong and you won't have any problems. Think about some of the furniture pieces guys on here have built with 19mm dovetailed material that are much bigger than your chest is likely to be.

Aldav, it’s about 400-500 wide by 300- 400 high

**aldav** · 5th March 2022, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by botesmj1

Aldav, it’s about 400-500 wide by 300- 400 high

In that case IMO you'd be safe to thickness the stock down to 15mm and dovetail the carcass. I suspect it would look better too, but that's only my opinion. Would be interested in seeing the opinion of some other box makers and small furniture makers.

**RGP** · 9th March 2022, 08:33 AM

If you square rout the grooves & glue in some matching splines, being on the inside it will never be notices.

**woodPixel** · 9th March 2022, 03:58 PM

RGPs suggestion was one I was going to make.

I used a number of floor boards exactly this way. Make up slats to insert into the grooves, plane down.

On those that are triangular, simply glue the slats in at 45° and plane down.

If you use a contrasting timber it will look deliberate and fancier

I think 19mm is far too thick for a box. 10 to 12mm is nicer.

**botesmj1** · 12th March 2022, 03:40 PM

So I decided to plane it down. Ended up with 16mm thick boards.

All planed down and joined.

**Treecycle** · 12th March 2022, 09:48 PM

Some nice looking Rimu there. Most of what I have seen is pretty plain but that looks to have a lot of character.

**botesmj1** · 14th March 2022, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Some nice looking Rimu there. Most of what I have seen is pretty plain but that looks to have a lot of character.

Will take some photos of the boards. This Rimu batch is a bit special [emoji4]

**John Saxton** · 14th March 2022, 03:28 PM

That Rimu is quite colorful has a fair bit of character to it. Rimu can be a bit plain at times ,have seen kitchens done out in it when we were on a visit to NZ.I bought some from a bloke in Petone for woodturning still have a bit of it left.

**botesmj1** · 14th March 2022, 05:07 PM

Some photos of the joined boards. It's some crazy Rimu have here [emoji16]

**botesmj1** · 21st April 2022, 05:36 PM

Some progress

**Treecycle** · 24th April 2022, 05:00 PM

Those dovetails look good. Lot of work there.

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