Magnolia box

I truly love this box!  It represents the use of three different techniques to create the magnolia--inlay for the leaves, raised inlay for the first tier of petals, and compound cutting for the second and third tiers. I created the patterns for the petals from photos of magnolias, and spent quite a bit of time sanding them until they "looked right".

The main difference between this project, and those that use compound cutting for all elements of the flower, was the need for careful positioning of the inlays.  The location of compound cut petals can be adjusted at the last moment, since they are attached with glue, but inlay locations need to be planned in advance and positioned precisely.  Once that's done, however, the project proceeds quite easily, and is, I think, worth the extra work.

Designing by trial and error

Sometimes the only way to visualize a new project is to play with the pieces to see what works.

This project will be an oval box with flowers.  I am working out the final arrangement by using replicas of the petals and seeing how they fit together.  Loops of masking tape hold them in place and I can change things around until I get the look I want.

The leaves and petals at this stage are cut but otherwise still unfinished, and the larger flower will be purpleheart, not poplar.  The components are similar enough to the finished versions to give me an idea of what it will look like.

Now that I have finalized the patterns, what remains is to prefinish the box, complete and prefinish the leaves and petals, then glue the flower components into place.  Stamens will be added, and then the project can be given several coats of lacquer to finish it off.

Box variation

I'm working up a few boxes that use conventional construction, and pairing them with some flower variations.  Here's the first one, using stamens made from yellow veneer and purple flocking.  Still a lot more things to try before I move on to something else.