Jewelry Box – Walnut & Curly Maple

September 24, 2025October 12, 2025jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

This jewelry was handcrafted in my personal shop, using some of my favorite materials: walnut, curly maple, and split leather (suede) as a liner.

The highlight of this box is the book-matched beautifully figured curly maple top. I’ve been holding onto this piece of wood for decades, waiting for the right project. This is it!

The top tray is perfectly fitted to the main box, and features thin and sturdy quarter-sawn maple dividers. Both levels feature a wonderful-to-touch, dark green, real suede interior.

I used Brusso stop hinges (here)—some of the finest hardware available—to ensure smooth, precise movement and lasting durability.

Dimensions: 11-3/8” wide, 8-1/2” deep, 3-5/8” tall. The walnut is about ½” thick. The lower tray is 1-1/8” deep inside, and the upper tray is 1-1/4” deep.

This box is suitable for men or women. It’s also only available through the Microsoft Online Auction, as part of the 2025 Give Campaign.

Essential Oils Storage Box

July 3, 2016jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

After completing Nicole’s tea box a couple of years ago, I still had some of that hardwood left over, and wanted another challenge. Nicole’s cousin asked if I could make her a storage box for her essential oils. I had no idea what those even were, but a few minutes with Bing and I knew everything I needed to know – this box needed a lot of tiny little spots for storing little bottles.

This time, I got to play with my new thickness sander , and made a stack of 1/8″ thick maple strips. Laying out a grid of dividers, cutting them on the table saw, planing the sharp corners off each piece so they were nicely touchable… I think it turned out nicely.

10900029_10152888748914724_1569928322982251457_o

10818383_10152889619639724_4373187372413807400_o

1557254_10152888748829724_4426711093324809366_o

10917200_10152888748799724_7443149906958141693_o

10931598_10152888748814724_4264523906337572675_o

10925487_10152888748949724_6298484649926870609_o

Walnut Wall Cabinet

July 3, 2016July 3, 2016jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

About a year ago, I bought a plank of walnut that had the most wild and interesting grain. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it, but I knew it would become something special. Flipping through back issues of Fine Woodworking, I found this plan. It called for the cabinet to be built in cherry, but I immediately thought that I wanted it in walnut instead. I added another drawer, and built the drawer fronts from a piece of curly maple I’d been sitting on for about 20 years.

I know I’m violating all sorts of design rules about building frame and panel doors – that the grain in the stiles and rails should be straight. Hey, I don’t care, I love how this turned out. I also skipped the turned door know in favor of something a bit more stylish.

This cabinet let me practice my hand cut dovetail technique, courtesy of Rob Cosman’s hints.

Jewelry Boxes – His & Hers

GalleryMay 18, 2016July 3, 2016jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

I wanted to make a set of boxes for a young couple we know. Flowing from my earlier work on the ‘Tea Box’, I wanted further practice on milling the internal dividers. So, out came the walnut and maple lumber. Throw in some Brusso hinges (of course), and some split pigskin liner material, and here’s what happened:

11157539_10153132030249724_1325974995414764107_o

Floating Shelves

May 18, 2016jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

Some friends of mine are renovating their home, and asked for a pair of floating shelves for their kitchen, to hold coffee mugs and the like. Part of their reno work included putting in new hardwood floors, using engineered oak flooring. It occurred to me that I could use that material for the shelves.

Pulling some white oak from my stack of hardwood, and reading some web blogs as to how to make floating shelves (!), this is what I ended up with. To test out the design, I hung them first in my garage (fancy!), to make sure they actually held weight. No worries, they’re build like tanks.

Thanks, Caleb & Dani, for the chance to work on this fun project!

20160424_204544000_iOS 20160507_151713000_iOS 20160514_184041431_iOS

Military Medal and Challenge Coin Display Cases

GalleryNovember 22, 2014November 25, 2014jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

A couple of years ago, I was asked to build a set of display cases for a friend who was retiring from the US Navy. He wanted three boxes – a display case for a US flag that had flown over one of his ships, a case for his medals and ribbons, and a case for his collection of challenge coins. Well, we’re about 2/3rds done with this commission. He still hasn’t received his flag, but when he does, I’ll build a display case for it.

Meanwhile, here is what I delivered to him. These cases are made from cherry wood, Brusso hinges, Lexan (I should have used tempered glass, I know), blue velvet, foam-core (for holding the medals and ribbons in place), and Deft spray varnish finish.

The display box for the challenge coins also has a hidden (well, not that hidden) compartment beneath the tray used to display the coins. The ‘ramps’ are just wedges that I made from 2×4 stock, cutting the angles on the bandsaw.

Tea Box

November 21, 2014November 24, 2014jonathanagill2014 Leave a comment

I’ve just completed a Tea Box for my lovely wife, Nicole. She’s a big tea drinker, and wanted a way to store and serve her ever-growing tea collection. A friend gave me a big chunk of wood some years back, and I wondered if it would be a good candidate for use in the Tea Box. I noticed that from the end (quartersawn) view, there were some pretty grain patterns. I have no idea what kind of wood this even is, but it’s hard as nails, and takes a beautiful finish. Dividers are some leftover maple and walnut, and I added a black velvet bottom, though if I did this again, I would have used the same wood as the sides and top, and left the bottom open to view. Still, I like how it turned out.