My sister needed a nice box to put envelopes and gift cards into when she got married but I didn’t want to go through the trouble to make something nice only to have it never seen again once the wedding was over. Instead, I made the box so it’ll also double as a keepsake box that she can use after the wedding. To convert the box from card box to keepsake box, I made a rectangular finial that drops into the slot to hide the slot.
The joinery was miter joints reinforced with purpleheart splines. The sides were attached to the base using No. 20 biscuits. The lock is fully mortised and the hinges are half mortised.
Overall I thought this was a fun project and was well worth the effort when I saw the look on my sister’s face when I presented it to her. Even though I’d been giving her periodic updates, she was thrilled with the result.
Amzing box! what is the approx size? I would like to build something similar for a wedding but having trouble locating a common size? was it big enough? would you recommend larger/smaller?
how much do u charge to make this?
Very nicely done. Can you tell me where you purchased the full mortise lock. I’m building a jewelry cabinet and have had trouble finding one that looks like yours.
Thanks.
Fred,
I found the lock at Woodcraft. The item number is 125589 and it normally runs for $42.99 but their website says it’s on sale right now for $34.39 (as of 3-2-12). This is one of the more pricey locks Woodcraft carries but I settled on this one because it was made mostly of real brass versus being plated. It also had a decent looking escutcheon plate, which I think helps dress up the key hole. I like the design of the key that came with this lock too, but they’re pretty much interchangeable with the replacement keys Woodcraft sells if you don’t like the one it comes with.
I hope your jewelry cabinet comes out nice!
A very thoughtful gift Jeff and very nicely done! I’m sure your sister will enjoy it for years.