Project Information
Finished this eyeglass storage box today for my wife who has a very large collection of reading glasses that often get lost. The project is veneered and incorporates marquetry. The box is lined and has dividers and a sliding tray for storage.
Addendum:
The response to the box has been remarkable and I really appreciate everyone's interest. I thought I would add some additional details here since there have been a lot of questions.
The box is constructed of veneered plywood and the veneer was applied using a vacuum press. I have also done this using hide glue but find (and I might be alone in this) that it was difficult to press the marquetry panel cleanly using that approach. Maybe I just need more practice with the hammered veneer approach for marquetry. I also find that the cleanup after the glue sets was more challenging than I expected due to the rigidity of the glue. I realize this is counter to the usual teaching but I just find I get more reliable results with marquetry using cold press glue and a vacuum press. Hammer veneering normal sheets of veneer is no problem but the marquetry moved around a bit too much. I know that Patrick Edwards has this slick technique using hide glue substrates on some special European non-waxed butcher type paper but I have not tried that myself. Cool stuff though and worth a look if you are interested.
The hummingbird design is NOT my own original drawing although I did execute it completely in marquetry. I purchased the drawing pattern from Vincent Doan (https://amazoncanvas.com/patterns.php?catid=19&kitcnt=1) - he sells several patterns in various forms of licensing. The patterns come as illustrator files that can be manipulated easily, scaled, printed for cutting, etc.
The quadrant hinges were done using a router and a chisel with the assistance of the Rockler hinge mortise jig mentioned in the comments. The lining is a blue/purple soft material whose name I don't know (I think its probably close cropped blue Yeti fur or something…). The dividers are just grooved 1/8" cherry that fit together snugly and are removable. The sliding tray (also lined with yeti fur) slides across the dividers smoothly due to the lining.
The box holds 8 pairs of reading glasses as well as whatever you want to put in the tray. Can be easily repurposed with a custom divider to hold watches, other jewelry, etc.
Thanks again for all the interest!
Rick
Addendum:
The response to the box has been remarkable and I really appreciate everyone's interest. I thought I would add some additional details here since there have been a lot of questions.
The box is constructed of veneered plywood and the veneer was applied using a vacuum press. I have also done this using hide glue but find (and I might be alone in this) that it was difficult to press the marquetry panel cleanly using that approach. Maybe I just need more practice with the hammered veneer approach for marquetry. I also find that the cleanup after the glue sets was more challenging than I expected due to the rigidity of the glue. I realize this is counter to the usual teaching but I just find I get more reliable results with marquetry using cold press glue and a vacuum press. Hammer veneering normal sheets of veneer is no problem but the marquetry moved around a bit too much. I know that Patrick Edwards has this slick technique using hide glue substrates on some special European non-waxed butcher type paper but I have not tried that myself. Cool stuff though and worth a look if you are interested.
The hummingbird design is NOT my own original drawing although I did execute it completely in marquetry. I purchased the drawing pattern from Vincent Doan (https://amazoncanvas.com/patterns.php?catid=19&kitcnt=1) - he sells several patterns in various forms of licensing. The patterns come as illustrator files that can be manipulated easily, scaled, printed for cutting, etc.
The quadrant hinges were done using a router and a chisel with the assistance of the Rockler hinge mortise jig mentioned in the comments. The lining is a blue/purple soft material whose name I don't know (I think its probably close cropped blue Yeti fur or something…). The dividers are just grooved 1/8" cherry that fit together snugly and are removable. The sliding tray (also lined with yeti fur) slides across the dividers smoothly due to the lining.
The box holds 8 pairs of reading glasses as well as whatever you want to put in the tray. Can be easily repurposed with a custom divider to hold watches, other jewelry, etc.
Thanks again for all the interest!
Rick
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