Design Overview

This rosewood box project exemplifies simplicity, precision, and material beauty. The idea originated from discovering a stunning and heavy piece of Bolivian Rosewood, which I sought to showcase through a minimalistic yet elegant box design.

Key Design Decisions

Minimalist Form: To maximize the visual impact of the wood and minimize wastage, I opted for mitered corners without splines and a friction-fit lid. This design choice ensures the wood's beauty is displayed on all six sides, adhering to the design philosophy of making the design invisible while highlighting the material.

Efficient Material Use: The initial step involved re-sawing the 3/4” thick wood into four book-matched pieces of 1/8”. This process required precision and skill, especially given Rosewood's high Janka hardness (~2000 lbs). The re-sawing was accomplished with a 1/2” wide 4 TPI blade, maximizing material yield and ensuring the resulting pieces were suitable for the box's construction.

Precision and Craftsmanship: The double-wide top and bottom were created by edge jointing and gluing the 1/8” boards, resulting in a virtually invisible seam through the top center.

Construction Techniques

To maintain continuous grain flow, the sides of the box were machined from a single long board, with the only material loss being the 1/8” table-saw blade kerf from the 45° miter cuts. For the friction-fit lid, I machined a 1/8” dado on the inner side of the box prior to glue-up, then cut a second 1/8” dado on the outside after assembly (see the cross-section below). This method ensured a precise fit, with minimal material loss.

Personalization and Aesthetics

The final prototype showcases the natural beauty of the Bolivian Rosewood, with the grain flow and seamless joints enhancing its aesthetic appeal, thus creating a product that is not only functional and durable but also visually stunning.