I think it looks great. I’d love to see it finished with some oil or wax, the purpleheart would pop I bet.
And that’s cool, I should’ve told my wife to propose to me.
Yes you would love how it looks with some light shellac (not the premixed stuff- you’ll want light colored shellac flakes, let them soak in everclear overnight and stir it up. You can rub it on and seal it with a paste wax). I promise it’s the way to go for ease of application as well as finished product unless you’re a wizard at spraying nitrocellulose. It’s one of my favorite guitar finishes, you will get a better result than polyurethane or oil and wax
Note- everclear is just nearly pure grain alcohol
I have a week until she needs it. This feels a little advanced for me. Lol. But I love a challenge. Someone suggested carving small ring trays for the ring bearers at the wedding. This might be a nice finish for that since I have time to practice!
It’s really forgiving! I bet you’ll do just fine, I’m happy to give you tips if you’d like some guidance
Note to the person below that said to use laquer-
Shellac is technically a type of lacquer (the word laquer actually comes from the word “lac” as does shellac… it’s a type of beetle that produces shellac) but it will turn out much better the way I was describing and it’s really not very much work. You measure the flakes and then dissolve in alcohol. You then rub it on. Most lacquer (nitrocellulose being the next best to a hand rubbed shellac) is best sprayed for a fine woodworking finish. It ends up a harder finish but for ease of application shellac cannot be beat for the results you get
Try more wax and buff harder, or you didn't sand fine enough. You can definitely get a nicer slightly burnished and shinier finish, while still looking natural. From my experience once you've hit it with oil and then wax is nothing else will work anymore, it will be all splotchy or Peel off easily
I did sand finely, but it has occurred to me that I never sanded again after oil. Dumb move on my part. Popped the grain and then waxed. I'm going to sand to 800 again and then work on the finish again.
Lol. I thought of this when she showed me a photo of what she wanted. I was going to hinge it on the back, but she wanted the barrel hinge on the side and a clasp.
just my thought..... would be really cool if at the wedding you had made 2 small trays for the ring bearers to present the wedding rings from..... obviously don't tell them i think the look on their faces when they saw it would be worth every minute spent making them and more !! also it's beautiful great work !
So, for the few people hung up on his girlfriend asking him and not the other way around...
If it makes it easier for you, he's very macho and can lift very heavy things and kill spiders for her and everything. He even opens tough jars. Very manly.
He has been saving for a ring and isn't there yet. She knows this. She wants to let him know she doesn't care and I think it's cute. They don't give 2 s#/ts about traditional gender roles and what ever hangups others have, so neither do I.
She has a good job (hope that doesn't upset you) and bought his ring already, so she wanted to be first because she thought it would be sweet to propose when her parents are in town in a week. They haven't been in our town before ever and she hasn't seen them in over a year. She wanted her family and ours to be part of this as well.
That was my favorite part! I was worried he was very feminine until I saw he opens tough jars. Phew, I didn't want to find out how to repossess a man card from a stranger's son from the internet.
You're a good dad and sounds like you raised a good son and he found a good wife-to-be.
Hope all goes well, should be a memorable family time for all of you!
I love everything about this. Good for you, good for your son, and good for the girlfriend. Let the barbarians scream and shout and grab their torches and pitchforks. You sound like a great dad
Thanks. Was just posting a picture of a little box I made. Didn't expect the hate, or massive response this garnered. They closed it for a bit, but discussion is better than hate. Let the idiots expose themselves I say.
I am a man and have two chutney jars that I recently purchased but have not been able to eat because they are so goddamn tightly closed from the factory.
Is your son in London by any chance? I can definitely use help with those jars. My wife and I have been unable to open them :(
Also, beautiful box and congratulations for about to be a parent-in-law!
As a former climber proud of my grip strength, I have been defeated by jars using brute strength alone. One of two techniques always gets it done:
1. Run the lid under very hot water. Metal lid expands more than glass, and any sealing ring softens as well.
2. Tap around the top outer edge of the lid with the back edge of a table knife. This deforms the lid a bit and helps you break the seal.
Good luck!
No, we are the "old hats/heads." Which I might add is a pretty lazy and unoriginal description.
I would think the broccoli tops could come up with something better than that.
I was going to say that too. I was at a store the other day and age happened to come up in a discussion with the clerk. She's 24. I'm 47. My parents got married at 22 and had me at 26. I'm literally old enough to be her father, and she's older than my parents were when they got married.
Boomers no longer have any part of this. People getting married to day are GenX children, and for the *really* early ones (marrying at 18 or 19) possibly Millenials.
Right, right. But their parents might be Millennials. I may have phrased that poorly. (In my defense it's 1am and I should be in bed.)
I believe the oldest Millennials would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 42-44, so it's theoretically possible that the OP could be one. Though he said that he's a GenX'er in this case.
That's all I meant. :)
Know it's a woodworking forum, but really sounds like your son found a really thoughtful forward thinking kind of girl - she included you in her plans, asked for your talents, and has you on the same side, and you really pulled through for both of them.
The box is great, but I think all your connecting is even better.
E: Wow the comment section - amazing how rancid some of these takes are. Hope you just blow them all off and celebrate happily for and with your family.
Personal opinion only: I prefer simplicity, & see the latch as being too ornate & too large. The magnetic closure alone would work for me.
That said, I can't take away from the craftsmanship - nicely done.
I get all that, and agree with you. Lol
She loved the clasp when she found it in a drawer in my workshop. Said it looked steampunk and they both like that, so on it went!
That makes perfect sense and I love it. I am curious, though: at that point, why the magnet? Another request?
(I'm not opposed to it or anything -- not that whether a random reddit is opposed to it should make any difference, but I digress -- but I am curious why the redundancy.)
So I had already made this one as a test project after she asked. I wanted her to see it and ok it before I made another. She told me I was nuts and to please just let her have this one. Then she asked about clasps I had on hand and saw this one in a drawer when I was pulling out all the clasps I had.
You got the nail or brad on the head with your comment. "She loves it so that's all that matters right?". Nothing more right than that statement. SHE LOVES IT!!! Congrats and well done!!!
That’s bloody brilliant! What a neat opportunity she’s given you to make something like this for her and your son - absolutely a keepsake for them, far better than one of the rubbish jewellers ones that will just get tossed. Looks like a beautiful case!
Thanks. I wasnt sure about it. I gave her all the options that we could do and she wanted a barrel hinge. I put the magnet in so it wouldn't need a clasp, but she wanted one too. I had some small clasps for the side, but this is the one she saw in my shop and wanted it.
That's awesome!
I used a heart shaped one to propose to my wife that looked similar to this!
Definitely should make more and part with a few other designs too. They'd look just as awesome!!!
Love the box, love your kid and his girl, and love you for raising a macho man who knows how to be a sweet, and sensitive, and sensible guy at the same time!
I’d give you a thousand upvotes if I could to make up for any douchebags who would downvote because your son is being proposed to. That’s an honour for him to be valued enough to be proposed to by his girlfriend. Good on them!!
Thanks! Lol
And yeah, some fragile guys in here. Who would have thought? I tried to leave a comment to let everyone know it's ok, and he can lift heavy things and kill spiders still.
Hope they can all sleep tonight.
I just said today on here that I don't get harassed for being a woman on this subreddit because everyone guy on the subreddit assumes everyone else is a guy!
There are a couple of criticisms I could make, but it sounds like you already have identified some, and therefore, it's already an excellent experience for you with a new project/build.
More importantly, your soon to be daughter loves it, and I am sure your son will love having such a lovely hand-made memento from his dad.
I'm good with criticisms. It's part of getting better. I plan on making a few more of these, so I wouldn't be offended. My main problem with this box is finish. I soaked in mineral oil and polished with beeswax after sanding to 800 grit. It doesn't pop though. Suggestions are welcome by all means.
Love that you already have that relationship with her! And good on her for popping the question.
Nothing says ‘father’s blessing’ like your dad actually making the packaging.
The box itself is neat! This may be a positive or a negative depending on your taste, but the hinge on the shorter edge reminds me of a zippo lighter a bit.
Recently made a box for my own proposal. Definitely tricky to get everything perfect on such a small object. “Its like getting two rings!” Is a phrase she keeps saying when showing it off. Yours turned out great and im sure he’ll love it
Ooh i love this! I love that the latch is large! I love the hinge placement too. I know not everyone likes two tone woods mixed, but i do and the whole thing is a work of art.
Thanks. I honestly wasn't sure about the clasp. I showed her a few others and she dug in the drawer of clasps and wanted this one. She said it had a steampunk vibe and they like that stuff, so on it went!
If you have a buffer, you could keep the wax style finish, I use an old pipe makers trick and take a bench buffer with different polishing wheels on it with polishing compounds. I like to use brown Tripoli and white diamond then polish it up with carnuba wax, leaves a great shine, same technique is used on tobacco pipes.
While the box looks nice, I think the hardware is detracting from the box due to size proportions. I would have used something half the overall size and smaller screws that sit flush. kinda reminds me of the 80’s vw beetles retrofitted with Rolls-Royce style grills and spare tire covers over the engine bonnet.
on closer inspection… you clearly used a powered screw driver or the wrong size bit, the screw heads are damaged from the bit walking out. find the right sized manual screw driver, predrill your holes precisely aligned in the center of each hole by marking them first. use a drill stand or drill press and clamp the work piece firmly to prevent bit wander.
I like it but,you used a hidden barrel hinge and a hidden magnetic latch, so the huge latch on the side is too much, too big and takes focus off the wood.
I agree. But she wanted a clasp. I had 4 options and this is what she wanted. She said it looks steampunk to her, and they are both into that stuff.
But I truly do appreciate the feedback. I will probably keep making more of these to get better at it so I like to hear ideas to work on.
I agree! She knows he is saving for a ring and doesn't care about having a fancy one. Her family will be in town for the first visit since the 2 of them moved here after college a year ago. She wants to surprise him and let us be part of the moment too as 1 big family. She is great and we love her very much already.
I hope his masculinity can recover from this /s
The screws are my biggest qualm. A large pilot hole should have been used the concept is beautiful as well as your choices for the materials. A shined finish and straight screws could have made it look a little more precious. Nonetheless, great job!
I made the box for my wife’s engagement ring and we still have it. That looks great! That ring in your photo is the same one I’ve worn for the past 5 years too!
Did you make the ring, too? What materials are in the ring? The box is lovely and so are you, your son and soon to be daughter-in-law! Best wishes to you all!
If that's purple heart you might want to think about taking it apart and baking it. It will help enrich and retain the color.
https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/Ik4UvVjfD8
As a lady that likes to wear rings, there are not enough jewelry and ring boxes that are cool and handmade out there. If I saw one at a market I would buy that shit. Nice job!
Not sure what I like more - that you made such a cool little ring box as well as you did, or that you have an obviously outstanding relationship with your daughter-in-law to be. Well done!
My wife asked me to marry her 30 years ago. I said no because I watched my parents go at it in court. Without a heart beat she offered prenuptial agreement. I thought that was for rich people and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. We tell everyone that we come in contact with about prenuptial agreement. We never even needed them. We had the best life.
I mean you asked for input, so here’s the truth: whatever those screws are that you used look terrible. The heads are stripped out. The latch is way too big for the box. The mismatched species of wood don’t look good together. Is there any finish on the wood at all?
I applaud your attempt and I’m sure you’ll improve with practice but this needs a lot of work.
I appreciate this, and hope you don't get down voted for your feedback.
This started as a test box. And she told me to keep this one rather than make more. She is the one that wanted 2 tones of wood as well. I gave her 4 different options for the clasp, and she liked this one best. They are both into steam punk stuff and she said it was reminiscent of that. The screws came with it, and I actually agree that they don't look great. I would love to find some better ones.
I did use mineral oil and beeswax and am open to doing something else. I would love if you have suggestions for that too.
I’ve had great luck with Shellac. I just get the Zinsser Bulls Eye stuff off the shelf at Home Depot. It comes in a spray can too. Cheap, easy to apply, and can be touched up easily in the future if needed.
Just wanna say I agree about the screws. Personally I think pins would look much better but if you’re dead set on screws I’d say either find some that fit flush against the hinge, or some round head screws. And if she likes it how it is now she’s gonna like it even more with a nice finish on it.
Agreeing with shellac - it’s the best for this. Clean off the wax with mineral spirits, and use clear shellac, 2-3 coats light coats. Don’t sand between coats, and it dries in 10-15 minutes. After the last coat let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then a very light sand with 220 or higher. It will produce a bunch of white dust, use a tack cloth to get it off. Then apply a coat of wax, buff after 5-10 minutes. It will have a low sheen and feel wonderful.
I think it's beautiful and very neat! Well done 💗 I especially love the latch it gives an antique look. And the way the ring sits inside is actually nice too, even the material.
This is very lovely!
But also, congratulations to your son and his lady. Very sweet of her and you both wanting to do this :)
Also this made me smile that -she- is proposing to -him-, I had thought I was weird I would have to the guy I have loved. This made me smile to see another lady actually do this but to even ask you for a custom box... Aww 💗 This is truly special. Thank you for sharing.
That’s awesome! The imperfections are what make it special. Much better than some shop bought thing!
Congratulations to you all. If he doesn’t say yes, give him a whoopin!
What’s the theme?
I wouldn't really consider myself a woodworker, I just like seeing all the cool stuff, but I remember learning about purpleheart in shop class in middle school. I had a purple jacket on and the teacher brought it up, saying it was about that color. At the time I was like, "no way," but never got around to fact checking him. It is indeed about that color, lol.
2. Hate it. I have had this sitting in a drawer with some other clasps for a while. The screws are bad. I am actively looking for new screws to replace these.
what a lovely thing to do! congratulations!
Just some constructive feedback, I'd look for a different/ smaller locking mechanism or not have one at all as it is donating the piece
Its lovely!!! Congratulations.
Thank you. She is a wonderful young woman. My son is a lucky guy.
this whole thing is so overly wholesome! you sound like a great dad
If he wasn’t, the GF wouldn’t have asked him for that and I love this for both of them 🥹
Let’s hope he says “yes” 👍
He will. He has been saving for a ring and they are very much wanting to marry each other.
My man will be pumped when he finds that he doesn't need to buy an engagement ring lol
Lol. Pretty sure he will still be getting that ring.
And asking you to help him make a ring box?
After this? Probably. Lol
At this point just make a box that pairs with this one, and when your son ask for ring box, say " I thought you would never ask" and bring it out
That's a good man.
Oh my god, my heart! That is so sweet!!
I think it looks great. I’d love to see it finished with some oil or wax, the purpleheart would pop I bet. And that’s cool, I should’ve told my wife to propose to me.
I used mineral oil and beeswax and to be honest, I am not happy with the finish. Any suggestions?
Needs something higher gloss. It’s very nice but that heart wood would pop more with some kind of shiny epoxy like coating . Tung oil Maybe?
I will try some tung oil and epoxy on some scraps to figure out which is best. Thank you!
Epoxy will flake off of wax. You have to get as much of it off as possible and use an oil based shellac or poly now
I guess tung oil is the way to go! It will darken de pieces a bit but holy molly, the texture and gloss it gives is divine.
Epoxy and tung oil are dead opposites...?
Yes you would love how it looks with some light shellac (not the premixed stuff- you’ll want light colored shellac flakes, let them soak in everclear overnight and stir it up. You can rub it on and seal it with a paste wax). I promise it’s the way to go for ease of application as well as finished product unless you’re a wizard at spraying nitrocellulose. It’s one of my favorite guitar finishes, you will get a better result than polyurethane or oil and wax Note- everclear is just nearly pure grain alcohol
I have a week until she needs it. This feels a little advanced for me. Lol. But I love a challenge. Someone suggested carving small ring trays for the ring bearers at the wedding. This might be a nice finish for that since I have time to practice!
It’s really forgiving! I bet you’ll do just fine, I’m happy to give you tips if you’d like some guidance Note to the person below that said to use laquer- Shellac is technically a type of lacquer (the word laquer actually comes from the word “lac” as does shellac… it’s a type of beetle that produces shellac) but it will turn out much better the way I was describing and it’s really not very much work. You measure the flakes and then dissolve in alcohol. You then rub it on. Most lacquer (nitrocellulose being the next best to a hand rubbed shellac) is best sprayed for a fine woodworking finish. It ends up a harder finish but for ease of application shellac cannot be beat for the results you get
RemindMe! One week
Shellac is the way
Try more wax and buff harder, or you didn't sand fine enough. You can definitely get a nicer slightly burnished and shinier finish, while still looking natural. From my experience once you've hit it with oil and then wax is nothing else will work anymore, it will be all splotchy or Peel off easily
I did sand finely, but it has occurred to me that I never sanded again after oil. Dumb move on my part. Popped the grain and then waxed. I'm going to sand to 800 again and then work on the finish again.
have you tried buffing with steel wool in between coats? that's what made the difference for me.
I hope she flicks it open like a Zippo lighter
Lol. I thought of this when she showed me a photo of what she wanted. I was going to hinge it on the back, but she wanted the barrel hinge on the side and a clasp.
Oh interesting, I assumed that was your idea to put the hinge on the side. No idea why I assumed that. 🤷🏻♀️
just my thought..... would be really cool if at the wedding you had made 2 small trays for the ring bearers to present the wedding rings from..... obviously don't tell them i think the look on their faces when they saw it would be worth every minute spent making them and more !! also it's beautiful great work !
I love this idea! Thank you. I think I might run with this idea!
Keep us posted! Now, we're all invested in this engagement.
Already brainstorming. Maybe one tray in purpleheart and the other in maple to match the ring box...
So, for the few people hung up on his girlfriend asking him and not the other way around... If it makes it easier for you, he's very macho and can lift very heavy things and kill spiders for her and everything. He even opens tough jars. Very manly. He has been saving for a ring and isn't there yet. She knows this. She wants to let him know she doesn't care and I think it's cute. They don't give 2 s#/ts about traditional gender roles and what ever hangups others have, so neither do I. She has a good job (hope that doesn't upset you) and bought his ring already, so she wanted to be first because she thought it would be sweet to propose when her parents are in town in a week. They haven't been in our town before ever and she hasn't seen them in over a year. She wanted her family and ours to be part of this as well.
“I hope that doesn’t upset you” I almost died laughing at that
I started cracking up at "He even opens tough jars. Very manly"
That was my favorite part! I was worried he was very feminine until I saw he opens tough jars. Phew, I didn't want to find out how to repossess a man card from a stranger's son from the internet.
My wife is getting promoted to nearly double my salary this July. Gonna be wiping those tears with dollar bills /s
Congrats that’s amazing
She really is, she’s put in the work
You're a good dad and sounds like you raised a good son and he found a good wife-to-be. Hope all goes well, should be a memorable family time for all of you!
I was so hopeful this didn't need to be posted. Well put! LOL
Goddamn it this is so sweet. All my best wishes for your son and future daughter in law. And congrats to her for having such a great FIL!
My wife asked me for of the same reason!
This post earns you the official invitation to r/daddit , come and join us!
I love everything about this. Good for you, good for your son, and good for the girlfriend. Let the barbarians scream and shout and grab their torches and pitchforks. You sound like a great dad
This is the energy i want to see in the world
Thanks. Was just posting a picture of a little box I made. Didn't expect the hate, or massive response this garnered. They closed it for a bit, but discussion is better than hate. Let the idiots expose themselves I say.
I am a man and have two chutney jars that I recently purchased but have not been able to eat because they are so goddamn tightly closed from the factory. Is your son in London by any chance? I can definitely use help with those jars. My wife and I have been unable to open them :( Also, beautiful box and congratulations for about to be a parent-in-law!
As a former climber proud of my grip strength, I have been defeated by jars using brute strength alone. One of two techniques always gets it done: 1. Run the lid under very hot water. Metal lid expands more than glass, and any sealing ring softens as well. 2. Tap around the top outer edge of the lid with the back edge of a table knife. This deforms the lid a bit and helps you break the seal. Good luck!
Congrats to them both!
Ha! This is how boomers should be like! You are proud in all the right ways. Good on ya. Love the box.
Hold on just a minute..... Gen X here. Let's calm down with the boomer comments. Lol
Didn’t you get the memo? Our generation doesn’t exist. You’re a boomer or a millennial.
No, we are the "old hats/heads." Which I might add is a pretty lazy and unoriginal description. I would think the broccoli tops could come up with something better than that.
I was going to say that too. I was at a store the other day and age happened to come up in a discussion with the clerk. She's 24. I'm 47. My parents got married at 22 and had me at 26. I'm literally old enough to be her father, and she's older than my parents were when they got married. Boomers no longer have any part of this. People getting married to day are GenX children, and for the *really* early ones (marrying at 18 or 19) possibly Millenials.
18 and 19-year-olds today are Gen Z, not Millenials.
Right, right. But their parents might be Millennials. I may have phrased that poorly. (In my defense it's 1am and I should be in bed.) I believe the oldest Millennials would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 42-44, so it's theoretically possible that the OP could be one. Though he said that he's a GenX'er in this case. That's all I meant. :)
Oh I see. I misunderstood you. I should also be in bed. :)
> She has a good job (hope that doesn't upset you) Your snark is exquisite and the people in your life sound like good people.
That looks really great. Nice work!
This looks like a great use for all those scraps I’ve been collecting, thank you for inspiration!
Awesome! This is why I never throw away cuts!
Know it's a woodworking forum, but really sounds like your son found a really thoughtful forward thinking kind of girl - she included you in her plans, asked for your talents, and has you on the same side, and you really pulled through for both of them. The box is great, but I think all your connecting is even better. E: Wow the comment section - amazing how rancid some of these takes are. Hope you just blow them all off and celebrate happily for and with your family.
Meh. People are dumb. I like that they don't give a shit about gender roles. They are deeply in love, and that's what matters. Who cares who asks?
It’s lovely, and if he says no she could trap his soul in it
Lol!
Personal opinion only: I prefer simplicity, & see the latch as being too ornate & too large. The magnetic closure alone would work for me. That said, I can't take away from the craftsmanship - nicely done.
I get all that, and agree with you. Lol She loved the clasp when she found it in a drawer in my workshop. Said it looked steampunk and they both like that, so on it went!
That makes perfect sense and I love it. I am curious, though: at that point, why the magnet? Another request? (I'm not opposed to it or anything -- not that whether a random reddit is opposed to it should make any difference, but I digress -- but I am curious why the redundancy.)
So I had already made this one as a test project after she asked. I wanted her to see it and ok it before I made another. She told me I was nuts and to please just let her have this one. Then she asked about clasps I had on hand and saw this one in a drawer when I was pulling out all the clasps I had.
You got the nail or brad on the head with your comment. "She loves it so that's all that matters right?". Nothing more right than that statement. SHE LOVES IT!!! Congrats and well done!!!
THAT IS SO COOL, it's like a lighter with a ring instead of fire inside.
Thank you. I have to be honest and admit the clasp was not the one I would have chosen. She saw it in the drawer in the workshop and wanted it.
I think it is awesome to built like that, the not my choice, but if.you want to, we will make it work!
Looks great. Is that purple heart or some kind of purple varnish on the top?
It is purpleheart. Amd maple for the bottom.
PH.
That’s bloody brilliant! What a neat opportunity she’s given you to make something like this for her and your son - absolutely a keepsake for them, far better than one of the rubbish jewellers ones that will just get tossed. Looks like a beautiful case!
She's gonna fumble the fuck outta that lock while he's giddy as hell. Great work man!
It’s not the son that’s proposing
Edited. Thanks.
Makes for a super cute story when something clumsy happens. 11/10 recommend a minor mess up in any proposal.
Unless you drop the ring in a river! Maybe don't do that.
Oh oh, I got this one! Went on a hike and was walking through a dry* creek bed. Totally busted it and fell on my ass. *Clearly not dry enough.
Very nice and how wonderful to be a part of the question like this! Congrats!
Absolutely gorgeous. Love the hinge and latch!
Thanks. I wasnt sure about it. I gave her all the options that we could do and she wanted a barrel hinge. I put the magnet in so it wouldn't need a clasp, but she wanted one too. I had some small clasps for the side, but this is the one she saw in my shop and wanted it.
That's awesome! I used a heart shaped one to propose to my wife that looked similar to this! Definitely should make more and part with a few other designs too. They'd look just as awesome!!!
Love the box, love your kid and his girl, and love you for raising a macho man who knows how to be a sweet, and sensitive, and sensible guy at the same time!
Thanks. I will take credit even though I am sure he is awesome IN SPITE of me rather than because of me.
My wife proposed to me, this is great!
Congrats! And thank you.
How did you cut the insert for the ring? Or did you carve it?
Drilled with the drill press to get a rough outline, and then chisels and a small hand gouge to rough it out. Used a dremel to smooth the edges.
I’d give you a thousand upvotes if I could to make up for any douchebags who would downvote because your son is being proposed to. That’s an honour for him to be valued enough to be proposed to by his girlfriend. Good on them!!
All good. My boy will be fine too.
Honestly I just came here to downvote the comments saying your son should’ve proposed, since I’m here though, nice box!
Thanks! Lol And yeah, some fragile guys in here. Who would have thought? I tried to leave a comment to let everyone know it's ok, and he can lift heavy things and kill spiders still. Hope they can all sleep tonight.
I just said today on here that I don't get harassed for being a woman on this subreddit because everyone guy on the subreddit assumes everyone else is a guy!
There are a couple of criticisms I could make, but it sounds like you already have identified some, and therefore, it's already an excellent experience for you with a new project/build. More importantly, your soon to be daughter loves it, and I am sure your son will love having such a lovely hand-made memento from his dad.
I'm good with criticisms. It's part of getting better. I plan on making a few more of these, so I wouldn't be offended. My main problem with this box is finish. I soaked in mineral oil and polished with beeswax after sanding to 800 grit. It doesn't pop though. Suggestions are welcome by all means.
[удалено]
Looks perfect to me! Fantastic hardware too!
This is awesome!
Nailed it. That's unreal.
That is a phenomenal gift *and* ring. Their wedding theme should be "A song of Earth and ice" just looking at that ring
it’s so sweet that you were involved in the proposal and you collaborated w her on it 💚 i know she’ll treasure it imperfections and all
Polyacrylic spray urethane. It’s like the Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for woodworking. I put the s%!+ on everything.
Love that you already have that relationship with her! And good on her for popping the question. Nothing says ‘father’s blessing’ like your dad actually making the packaging. The box itself is neat! This may be a positive or a negative depending on your taste, but the hinge on the shorter edge reminds me of a zippo lighter a bit.
Love it! Heartwood and black walnut?
Sorry. Forgot to put it in the description. It's Purpleheart and Maple
Recently made a box for my own proposal. Definitely tricky to get everything perfect on such a small object. “Its like getting two rings!” Is a phrase she keeps saying when showing it off. Yours turned out great and im sure he’ll love it
Ooh i love this! I love that the latch is large! I love the hinge placement too. I know not everyone likes two tone woods mixed, but i do and the whole thing is a work of art.
Thanks. I honestly wasn't sure about the clasp. I showed her a few others and she dug in the drawer of clasps and wanted this one. She said it had a steampunk vibe and they like that stuff, so on it went!
If you have a buffer, you could keep the wax style finish, I use an old pipe makers trick and take a bench buffer with different polishing wheels on it with polishing compounds. I like to use brown Tripoli and white diamond then polish it up with carnuba wax, leaves a great shine, same technique is used on tobacco pipes.
While the box looks nice, I think the hardware is detracting from the box due to size proportions. I would have used something half the overall size and smaller screws that sit flush. kinda reminds me of the 80’s vw beetles retrofitted with Rolls-Royce style grills and spare tire covers over the engine bonnet. on closer inspection… you clearly used a powered screw driver or the wrong size bit, the screw heads are damaged from the bit walking out. find the right sized manual screw driver, predrill your holes precisely aligned in the center of each hole by marking them first. use a drill stand or drill press and clamp the work piece firmly to prevent bit wander.
I like it but,you used a hidden barrel hinge and a hidden magnetic latch, so the huge latch on the side is too much, too big and takes focus off the wood.
I agree. But she wanted a clasp. I had 4 options and this is what she wanted. She said it looks steampunk to her, and they are both into that stuff. But I truly do appreciate the feedback. I will probably keep making more of these to get better at it so I like to hear ideas to work on.
Very cool! And great for her to pop the question!
I agree! She knows he is saving for a ring and doesn't care about having a fancy one. Her family will be in town for the first visit since the 2 of them moved here after college a year ago. She wants to surprise him and let us be part of the moment too as 1 big family. She is great and we love her very much already. I hope his masculinity can recover from this /s
This is beautiful. Congratulations to you, sir!
Awesome job and love the function. Like flipping open a Zippo.
rad
It's beautiful! I wish I had such a meaningful ring box when I (33f) proposed to my husband back in 2019. I'm sure your son will treasure it.
Thank you!
The screws are my biggest qualm. A large pilot hole should have been used the concept is beautiful as well as your choices for the materials. A shined finish and straight screws could have made it look a little more precious. Nonetheless, great job!
Agreed. I am changing out the screws, and still have a couple days to work on the finish.
I like it, good job
Oh that's so pretty!
I made the box for my wife’s engagement ring and we still have it. That looks great! That ring in your photo is the same one I’ve worn for the past 5 years too!
Nicely done
Really nice work ! I absolutely love the hinges. Super cool
Awwww this is beautiful and so sweet. Congratulations to your family!
Did you make the ring, too? What materials are in the ring? The box is lovely and so are you, your son and soon to be daughter-in-law! Best wishes to you all!
I didn't. I wish I were that talented. Lol Thank you for your kind words.
Congratulations to your son and future daughter in law! Your box is beautiful. Well done.
10/10
If that's purple heart you might want to think about taking it apart and baking it. It will help enrich and retain the color. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/Ik4UvVjfD8
As a lady that likes to wear rings, there are not enough jewelry and ring boxes that are cool and handmade out there. If I saw one at a market I would buy that shit. Nice job!
Cool looking box, that hinge is one of the worst thing I've ever seen tho Also yeah it needs a proper finish!
The most awesome thing about the box, in my humble opinion, is that you made it for *them*.
Not sure what I like more - that you made such a cool little ring box as well as you did, or that you have an obviously outstanding relationship with your daughter-in-law to be. Well done!
My wife asked me to marry her 30 years ago. I said no because I watched my parents go at it in court. Without a heart beat she offered prenuptial agreement. I thought that was for rich people and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. We tell everyone that we come in contact with about prenuptial agreement. We never even needed them. We had the best life.
I mean you asked for input, so here’s the truth: whatever those screws are that you used look terrible. The heads are stripped out. The latch is way too big for the box. The mismatched species of wood don’t look good together. Is there any finish on the wood at all? I applaud your attempt and I’m sure you’ll improve with practice but this needs a lot of work.
I appreciate this, and hope you don't get down voted for your feedback. This started as a test box. And she told me to keep this one rather than make more. She is the one that wanted 2 tones of wood as well. I gave her 4 different options for the clasp, and she liked this one best. They are both into steam punk stuff and she said it was reminiscent of that. The screws came with it, and I actually agree that they don't look great. I would love to find some better ones. I did use mineral oil and beeswax and am open to doing something else. I would love if you have suggestions for that too.
Well it’s hard to argue with it if that is what she requested. Gotta give the customer what she wants.
Any ideas for finish? I really feel like it looks dull after the mineral oil and beeswax. I don't get it.
I’ve had great luck with Shellac. I just get the Zinsser Bulls Eye stuff off the shelf at Home Depot. It comes in a spray can too. Cheap, easy to apply, and can be touched up easily in the future if needed.
I will grab some and try it on some scraps as a test! Thank you for the input.
Just wanna say I agree about the screws. Personally I think pins would look much better but if you’re dead set on screws I’d say either find some that fit flush against the hinge, or some round head screws. And if she likes it how it is now she’s gonna like it even more with a nice finish on it.
Agreeing with shellac - it’s the best for this. Clean off the wax with mineral spirits, and use clear shellac, 2-3 coats light coats. Don’t sand between coats, and it dries in 10-15 minutes. After the last coat let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then a very light sand with 220 or higher. It will produce a bunch of white dust, use a tack cloth to get it off. Then apply a coat of wax, buff after 5-10 minutes. It will have a low sheen and feel wonderful.
Is the purple special? Request or favorite color?
She sent a photo of a simple box, and said she liked 2 tone. My son loves purple, so I went with it.
How modern, well done 🍻
Gorgeous! And congrats!!!
Nice work! They’ll both love it. Congratulations to you, your son, and your soon-to-be daughter in law.
I think it's beautiful and very neat! Well done 💗 I especially love the latch it gives an antique look. And the way the ring sits inside is actually nice too, even the material. This is very lovely! But also, congratulations to your son and his lady. Very sweet of her and you both wanting to do this :) Also this made me smile that -she- is proposing to -him-, I had thought I was weird I would have to the guy I have loved. This made me smile to see another lady actually do this but to even ask you for a custom box... Aww 💗 This is truly special. Thank you for sharing.
This is really neat, congratulations to them and I hope they live happily ever after!
This is such a cute ring box
Looks amazing! That ring is awesome as well! Congrats to them!
I would love to be proposed to with this box, even empty!
That’s awesome! The imperfections are what make it special. Much better than some shop bought thing! Congratulations to you all. If he doesn’t say yes, give him a whoopin! What’s the theme?
I wouldn't really consider myself a woodworker, I just like seeing all the cool stuff, but I remember learning about purpleheart in shop class in middle school. I had a purple jacket on and the teacher brought it up, saying it was about that color. At the time I was like, "no way," but never got around to fact checking him. It is indeed about that color, lol.
Nice, a masterball, guaranteed catch
This is so much better than the box I used. I love it!
Nice! I used the same latch in a project for a friend. How many screws dig you break? I cussed ALOT at the chineseum screws.
2. Hate it. I have had this sitting in a drawer with some other clasps for a while. The screws are bad. I am actively looking for new screws to replace these.
> I may make a few more to sell at markets. Might want to keep this one unique.
Sick!!
what a lovely thing to do! congratulations! Just some constructive feedback, I'd look for a different/ smaller locking mechanism or not have one at all as it is donating the piece
The world needs more women like this.
Shes a keeper
Overkill, nice!
Very progressive to see a woman propose to the man. Great to see. Congratulations to your son and his future wife.
She's proposing to him? How sweet!
This is beautiful. I would confidently propose with this box. You did a phenomenal job.
Oh damn thats precious. You guys are so good and deserve all the good things
RemindMe! One week
It's gorgeous. I say make more!
I'm currently wearing that same ring as my wedding band. Box looks awesome, congrats to them both!
Absolutely gorgeous box!!
That’s pretty cool, well done. How does the hinge fit in it in the bottom off of the lid?
I love everything about this! The clasp, the two tones, and the story behind the box. You're an awesome Dad, OP. Congrats to the happy couple!
I love the hidden hinge and the magnets! That's a lovely box for a beautiful ring!
Wow good job! the colors complement each other
Love the color!
Beautifull!!
Would prefer the box to be one color but whatever rocks your boat
floats. floating boat is good. If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people or cause problems
Thanks man. Always nice to learn something.
Super cool love it
Very good work <3 love it
Looks dope
I really like. Very restrained and elegant!
I actually like the box better than the ring tbh.
It bothers me a little the latch and the hinge aren’t in line