Double curved jewellery box course

Description

The format and shape of these boxes has become a sort of signature of mine. A few other makers have made boxes to the same basic shape, and most are kind enough to credit me with the design and refer to it as an ‘Andrew Crawford’ box. But making a curved form box is considerably more involved than making a rectangular format box - please see my notes on ‘experience’ below. All my box making courses are for a maximum of four people and offer a friendly and informal environment for learning some of the techniques that I regularly use to produce my boxes – and for meeting other like-minded enthusiasts. As with my other courses, many of the processes that that this project involves are transferrable to other areas of woodwork. WHAT YOU MAKE: each participant makes a stylish, double-curved, veneered and inlaid jewellery box, approx 13” x 10” x 5”. All surfaces are curved, with the lid having a distinctive double curve, or ‘serpentine’ shape. All surfaces are veneered with the lid, front and back being book-matched and all edges are inlaid for their protection and enhancement. These processes on curved surfaces/edges present significant challenges - I show you how! The interior is fitted with two trays and lined throughout with pig suede. To save time some basic preparation of some elements will have already been done, but participants have choices as follows: • Veneer – many to choose from, participants are welcome to supply their own by arrangement. • Inlays – several to choose from. • Trays - choice of several woods. • Lining material - a choice of plenty of colours of beautiful pig-suede for lining. The box will be completed in the 11 days, all except the french polishing. Participants will be polishing a practice panel alongside the main project throughout the course with a view to completing the process on the box in their own time. The final result could be a jewellery box, a stationery/writing box, or just a box - the choice is yours. WHAT YOU LEARN: during 40 years of box making, and 25 years running courses, I’ve made every mistake in the book (and plenty that aren’t), so I make sure you don’t! During the course you will learn how to: • Construct a curved box carcass. • Glueing up so that it’s absolutely square WITHOUT having to measure diagonals. • Create a strong, stable and light lid by lamination. • Cut off the lid quickly, easily and neatly - the boxes are glued up ‘closed’. • Select, prepare and use highly figured veneers. • Achieve perfect book-matches. • Apply veneers to the curved surfaces in the correct order. • Inlay around curved edges. • Make PERFECT mitres where your inlays meet at all corners. • Apply boxwood squares around all edges - including compound mitres. • Level all faces to produce perfectly smooth, continuous surfaces. • Fit smartWare to a curved form box. • French polish from start to finish, achieving a bright, clear, stable finish. • Create elegant, well-fitting trays to maximise the space within your box. • Line your box throughout to a professional finish with pig-suede. • Sharpen and use the mighty scraper – the most versatile and best value tool you will EVER own. • Select and use abrasives correctly for shaping and preparation for finishing properly. • …and many other tricks and tips along the way! EXPERIENCE: making a box on which every exterior edge and surface is curved and veneered is considerably more involved than making a rectangular format box, so some experience and understanding of basic hand skills is certainly an advantage for this course. I’m not offering this to complete beginners. Having said that, I do design the processes so that they are manageable with only a moderate level of skill. Many who attend my courses remark that what they’ve made is the best thing they’ve every created!

What's included in the price?

All materials and tools are provided, although participants are welcome to bring their own veneers (by arrangement) and/or hand tools if they like. Excellent coffee, tea and biscuits are available throughout. Lunch is in the local pub on day one, each pays own, then subsequent days either in the pub, or sandwiches in the workshop by mutual agreement.

Cancellation policy

Medium - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts

Maker

smartBoxmaker

with Craft Courses since 2025

Message the tutor

Andrew Crawford is an internationally renowned and respected craftsman specialising in the creation of distinctive one-of-a-kind high-end boxes and cases. He has worked for an impressive list of private and corporate clients worldwide for more than 30 years. Originally trained as a musician specialising in C18th flutes, until recently Andrew was performing and recording regularly with many of the top UK period instrument ensembles. A love of wood led Andrew to study guitar and C18th flute making at the London College of Furniture. But he has avoided the obvious marriage of music and wood - musical instrument making - preferring to make use of some of the skills and approaches he picked up to develop a style of box making he has made his own, featuring as it does multiple curves, fine veneering, distinctive inlaid motifs and complex interiors. Since moving from a cramped shared London workshop to extensive barn conversion workshops on the Acton Scott Estate in beautiful South Shropshire, his activities have largely shifted from making towards teaching and writing. He has written three popular books on box making, and many hundreds of box makers, both amateur and professional and from all over the globe, have benefitted from his courses. These range from weekends to 2 weeks, both project and technique-based, both group and one-to-one, and cover a wide range of subjects including veneering, inlaying, box design, use of materials, french polishing and many other related techniques. Andrew, often known professionally as ‘smartBoxmaker’, has also been an invited instructor in Australia and the US. Being a perfectionist and dissatisfied with the box hardware generally available he has designed his own premium hardware. His ‘smartWare’ box hardware is now regularly used by 100s of discerning professional and amateur box makers all over the globe, being regularly referred to as the ‘Rolex’ or ‘Rolls Royce’ of box hardware.