FEATURE Joshua Friend, untitled, 2011, Sipo mahogany, figured maple, 4" × 8" (10 cm × 20 cm) CROSSGRACrossgrainIN JEWELRYJe w e l r y BOXESBo x e s Joshua Friend like it when a customer chal- boxes—expanses across the width together. For this reason, I do not lenges me to expand my turning of boards are usually larger than try to achieve a tight or suction fit of I repertoire. Recently, a woman expanses across endgrain where the the lid, which would be more likely asked if I would make her a jewelry pith may be unavoidable. Wider to fail over time. Instead, I employ box. I had turned plenty of endgrain diameters afford excellent opportuni- a tight fit only during the turning boxes, but never one large enough to ties to use the lid to showcase grain process and then intentionally be regarded as a proper jewelry box, patterns, feature unusual figure, or loosen it for the final fit. Lifting a lid with dividers and a soft, welcom- add embellishments, such as chip off a jewelry box should not require ing interior. I began to consider how carving. Also, the lid and body of the two hands. those standards could be applied to box can be made from different pieces Another consideration is the a turned jewelry box. Ultimately, the of wood, which opens up possibili- dryness of the wood. With most inquiry led me to explore turning ties for using contrasting species, like lidded boxes, endgrain or crossgrain, lidded crossgrain boxes (also called maple and walnut. it is wise to start with wood that is lidded bowls). For endgrain boxes, the lid and thoroughly dried to minimize the body are usually made from the same effects of wood movement as a result Benefits and considerations piece of wood, with the grain con- of changes in moisture content. This Unlike traditional endgrain boxes tinuing from the body to the lid. This especially holds true for crossgrain where the grain runs parallel to the means that when the wood expands boxes. Professional turner Mike ways of the lathe, crossgrain boxes and contracts with changes in mois- Mahoney noted about his crossgrain are turned in a perpendicular, or ture content, the body and lid are cookie jar, pictured on page 52, “I faceplate-grain, orientation. This likely to move proportionately with carefully dried the pieces: I brought orientation allows for larger diameter one another and the original good the rough-turned pieces into the fit is main- house for a few months to give them a tained. The natural environment.” Photo 1 shows lid and body several lids for jewelry boxes, which of a crossgrain I rough turned both inside and out. box, however, The general shape is defined, and may behave I left the lids slightly thick. Rough differently turning allows the wood to do most with seasonal (and hopefully all) of its moving prior movement, to final turning. especially Noted demonstrator and teacher 1 if varying Richard Raffan said, “The lidded Several crossgrain box lids are rough turned for drying. species are used bowl is still my favored project woodturner.org 47 2 3 4 5 6 Turn a shallow tenon on Establish the lip of the lid. Shape the outside edge of Hollow the inside of the lid. Leave extra thickness in the the top of the lid. the lid. middle to accommodate the knob. through which students may prac- Remove the faceplate and remount extra thickness of wood at the center tice facework techniques, and they the lid into a four-jaw chuck using the to provide a decorative element and to are excellent design projects too.” tenon. In this orientation, you can accommodate the knob, which later So, with these considerations in work on the inside of the lid using will be glued into a recess on top of mind, let’s make a lidded crossgrain light cuts with sharp tools—remem- the lid (Photo 6). jewelry box. ber that the lid is mounted with only Remove the lid from the chuck and a shallow tenon. After truing up the set it aside. The top of the lid, includ- Start with the face with a gouge, cut straight in with ing the knob, will be turned with the inside of the lid a parting tool about ⅛" (3 mm) deep lid jam fitted onto the body after the It is advantageous to begin with the lid to establish the lip of the lid (Photo 3), body has been hollowed. since the lip of the body will be formed which later will mate with the lip of according to the lid’s established the body. Turn the body dimensions. Use material that is at Shape the outside edge where the and top of the lid least 1" (25 mm) thick (not 4/4 dimen- lid will sit on the body (Photo 4). Mount the body material onto the sional lumber, which is only Unlike a typical endgrain box, where lathe, using a screw chuck or faceplate. ¾" [19 mm] thick). Mount the lid the outside profiles of the lid and Since this box will be used to store onto the lathe using a faceplate, but body are shaped together, I shape jewelry, presumably with items stored be aware of the length of the screws the two components of crossgrain in a single layer, the finished depth you choose and how deep they will go boxes separately. In this orientation, need only be about 2½" (65 mm). A into the lid. Later, you will hollow out however, there is a likelihood of the taller box is not necessary. the inside of the lid enough to turn wood chipping out as the tool exits True up the outside and bottom face away the screw holes. I find that ¾" the lid material, so I typically employ and form a tenon (Photo 7). Then bring screws are long enough for a secure a design that does not require a flush up the tailstock and advance the live hold but not so long that the result is a cut from lid to body. center’s point into the tenon to make too-thin lid after the holes are turned Next, use a bowl gouge to hollow a reference mark, which will be used away. Turn a shallow tenon, about 3⁄16" the inside of the lid (Photo 5). later when jam chucking the body. (It (5 mm), and begin to rough shape the Undercut the inside enough to will help you mount the body so that it outside of the lid (Photo 2). remove the screw holes. I like to leave will run true.) Remove the body material from the lathe and remount it by holding the tenon in a chuck. Measure the diam- eter of the lip inside the lid (Photo 8) and transfer that measurement onto the body with a pencil. Use a parting tool to cut straight into the wood, Joshua Friend, untitled, 2012, Walnut, figured maple, 4" × 8" (10 cm × 20 cm) 48 American Woodturner October 2012 FEATURE just a bit outside of this line to form a lip that the lid will later be jam fitted onto (Photo 9). It is important at this point to leave this lip oversized so that the lid does not yet fit onto it. There is a good chance that when the body is hollowed, the release of tension in the wood will cause the 7 13 Turn a tenon on the body material. Make an adjustment to the lip to perimeter (lip) to change shape. If the ensure a jam fit of the lid. wood is sufficiently dry, the hollow- ing will not cause much movement, but possibly enough to compromise a good jam fit of the lid, which is why I make the final jam fit of the lid after the body is hollowed. Shape and sand the outside 8 14 Measure the diameter of the lip inside (Photo 10) and then hollow and sand The inside of the lid fits over the lip of the lid. the body and for the next step, a jam the inside of the body (Photos 11, 12). fit is required. It is not necessary for the inside profile to match the outside, as is usually the case with a bowl form. In addition, leave the wall thickness somewhat thicker than for a bowl to provide enough wood on the lip to ensure that 9 it will not break off. Transfer the inside diameter of the 15 Turn a cylinder for the knob. Next, make adjustments to the lip lid’s lip to the body and turn a lip. to ensure a jam fit of the lid (Photo 13). This can be done gently with a sharp parting tool or gouge. The goal is to achieve a fit that is tight enough to be able to final turn the lid (and knob) while it is jam fitted onto the body 16 (Photo 14). Take small cuts, turning off 10 With the lid jam fitted onto the body, Shape the outside of the body and sand. cut a recess into the center of the lid to the lathe frequently to test the fit. If receive the tenon on the knob cylinder. too much material is removed, either moisten the wood fibers with water or apply masking tape around the perim- eter of the lip to create a tight enough fit of the lid. With the lid jam fit onto the body, 11 it is time to add the knob material. A Hollow out and shape the inside of 17 knob serves an important function, the body.