The creation of a wooden jewelry box is a long, and sometimes arduous process. Be that as it may, it is also one that more often than not is filled with attention to detail, careful planning, and yes, even love. Probably because most woodworkers are men and most jewelry boxes are for women, these are the objects that many woodworkers challenge themselves on, really putting a lot of care into creating something that will be beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. How do they do this?
First comes the wood selection. A woodworker will pick perfect wood for the job, as the amount of material required for the construction of jewelry boxes is tiny compared to that required for a dining table, for example. For this reason, he may have a rare piece of wood stashed away for just this purpose. Exotic hardwoods are also often used, especially the darker colored woods that give contrast when used with lighter ones. These semi-precious woods may also be used as inlays or pulls, also to give contrast and to otherwise provide visual interest.
After this step, the wood must be milled to larger-than-finished dimensions so that it may season, allowing for any warping that may take place. They the pieces can be cut out and are usually finished before assembly as they are small and can be difficult to sand when already assembled. Finally comes the finish, which unbeknownst to many is often actually the most labor intensive part of the process (assuming you include sanding in the process). Whether using oil or urethane, multiple coats are used and each coat must be dried, and usually sanded, before the next one is applied. In the case of oil, several weeks may be required between coats for full drying!
Once all the steps are carried out, you can see the beauty of the finished jewelry box and enjoy its use.
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