Treasure Box - Series #2 - Post #20: Veneering the lid and preparing the bandings

Last time I posted I had glued down the boxes bodies with the inside already french polished

I worked on gluing the marquetry panels to the trimmed to size lid

My favorite moment is when you see it glued down right way up for the first time, it appears slowly while you remove the paper

This glueing of the marquetry on both side had to be precise has they had to be perfectly centered as well as the right way up as when you open the box

the owner will appreciate to get the inside bird the right way up.

Patrick and I were slightly stress over that eventuality. But nothing of the sort.
The other part of last weeks work was to create the hidden tray from blood-wood

Made to fit each box and numbered, with a the space in the back for the mechanism that Patrick and I decided on to release it. More on it in couple weeks.

There is also a recess to receive a gilt leather to make a real nice writing surface

Another part that I had to prepare was the base on which the tray will slide and the mechanism will be fixed. It is also a good way to old the small ebony bid we wanted as a base for the boxes

Last but not least was the preparation of all the banding for the marquetry.
Like the center oval it will be composed of 2 white bone and one ebony purflings

This means a bunch of ebony string inlay needs to be cut

As wells as ebony bands

To combine them. Each bone purflings has to be butted cleanly to the next one to hide as well as possible the joints on this super white material. Here is only the banding for the small sides

Here is to give an idea of the effect

Next time, all the banding will be glued and we will have the real effect with everything in place ready for installation of hardware and mechanism as well as finish.
Thank you for following!

-- Patrice lejeune

sreterLast time I posted I had glued down the boxes bodies with the inside already french polished

I worked on gluing the marquetry panels to the trimmed to size lid

My favorite moment is when you see it glued down right way up for the first time, it appears slowly while you remove the paper

This glueing of the marquetry on both side had to be precise has they had to be perfectly centered as well as the right way up as when you open the box

the owner will appreciate to get the inside bird the right way up.

Patrick and I were slightly stress over that eventuality. But nothing of the sort.
The other part of last weeks work was to create the hidden tray from blood-wood

Made to fit each box and numbered, with a the space in the back for the mechanism that Patrick and I decided on to release it. More on it in couple weeks.

There is also a recess to receive a gilt leather to make a real nice writing surface

Another part that I had to prepare was the base on which the tray will slide and the mechanism will be fixed. It is also a good way to old the small ebony bid we wanted as a base for the boxes




Last but not least was the preparation of all the banding for the marquetry.
Like the center oval it will be composed of 2 white bone and one ebony purflings

This means a bunch of ebony string inlay needs to be cut

As wells as ebony bands

To combine them. Each bone purflings has to be butted cleanly to the next one to hide as well as possible the joints on this super white material. Here is only the banding for the small sides

Here is to give an idea of the effect


Next time, all the banding will be glued and we will have the real effect with everything in place ready for installation of hardware and mechanism as well as finish.
Thank you for following!
-- Patrice lejeune Last time I posted I had glued down the boxes bodies with the inside already french polished

I worked on gluing the marquetry panels to the trimmed to size lid

My favorite moment is when you see it glued down right way up for the first time, it appears slowly while you remove the paper

This glueing of the marquetry on both side had to be precise has they had to be perfectly centered as well as the right way up as when you open the box

the owner will appreciate to get the inside bird the right way up.

Patrick and I were slightly stress over that eventuality. But nothing of the sort.
The other part of last weeks work was to create the hidden tray from blood-wood

Made to fit each box and numbered, with a the space in the back for the mechanism that Patrick and I decided on to release it. More on it in couple weeks.

There is also a recess to receive a gilt leather to make a real nice writing surface

Another part that I had to prepare was the base on which the tray will slide and the mechanism will be fixed. It is also a good way to old the small ebony bid we wanted as a base for the boxes




Last but not least was the preparation of all the banding for the marquetry.
Like the center oval it will be composed of 2 white bone and one ebony purflings

This means a bunch of ebony string inlay needs to be cut

As wells as ebony bands

To combine them. Each bone purflings has to be butted cleanly to the next one to hide as well as possible the joints on this super white material. Here is only the banding for the small sides

Here is to give an idea of the effect


Next time, all the banding will be glued and we will have the real effect with everything in place ready for installation of hardware and mechanism as well as finish.
Thank you for following!

-- Patrice lejeune

- See more at: http://lumberjocks.com/Patricelejeune/blog/58114#sthash.C4XudI7g.dpuf

Treasure Box - Series #2 - Post #19: Finishing the insides and glueing the boxes

I have been carry on working on the boxes with a 2 weeks pause for our february teaching session at the American School of French Marquetry. Great class, here are some pictures

More here

Anyway. Before the class started I had to finish the inside of the boxes with French Polish, before the room was taken over by the students.

There is different way of holding the pieces with nails bent in places

Or with small wood blocks

I like to have it lay out in circle so I can just turn around… endlessly it seems some times. I left the edges of my side accessible to finish them also at the same time.

I started to polish the blood wood first, as it has a tendency to bleed and I did not want to drag to much the color around.

For the center panel, I started with the outside until it was fixed, then the tulip, and finally the center. This helped me minimizing any color transfer.

I work on the pore filling until I have a nice smooth satin surface. For me the pore filling is the most important step in french polish.

Now, ready to glue

I did not took a picture of cutting the panel to create part of the hidden tray mechanism but I will develop that on the mechanism trade, the next one.

I used Old Brown Glue, to give me plenty of time to glue the piece

But also the reversibility which offers an easy cleaning with cold water.

This morning, first box glued. 3 more to go and I can start working on the base, the tray and the lid, while Patrick works on the mechanism.

Just for your curiosity, Patrick posted on the mechanism we decided to use on the boxes trays on his blog. And we also did a small video.

See you on the next episode!

-- Patrice lejeune