Well, unfortunately I have not been able to get any more work done on the spice cabinet since last post. But that does not mean I have not been busy. Quite the opposite in fact. I have been very, very busy working on some commission projects.
My shop looks like it has become a box factory. I spent 4 days making 6 apple crates for a local flower boutique. I burned in the name of the shop and a bee on every crate and nailed it all together. I tried to make them look as ‘rustic’ as I could. Not being into the rustic thing myself, I think I did and ok job.
Also on the agenda was a small dovetailed box with an inlaid shell on the lid. A few months ago I was asked to see an antique about possibly repairing some damaged veneer. Unfortunately it was damaged way past my skills to repair, but I was allowed to take some pictures. I know it was made in England using QSO, but I cannot guess at the date. Mid 18th century? If you know, let me know, because I would love to know more. 
I really like how the fans are jagged and not straight lines. I don’t know if I have even seen that before. I took a close up of the shell and had it imported into autocad and had a simple line drawing made of it. And I have been using that as my pattern. Here is the box that I made. I used one really thin coat of amber shellac to help warm the walnut, and then 3 coats of clear shellac, and then 4 or 5 coats of the LV French polish. Oh, and yes. I used hand tools to do just about everything for this box.
There has been quite a leanring curve on these shells, as I could not find any instruction on how to make these, I basically started out by using a really old magazine artical, and I made a little birds mouth jig tilted at 13°. Using my fret saw and really small blades… away I went. Some serious thinking and some scrap veneer, and I think I have it figured out. But you never know. Once of these days I will take some step by step pictures and post them, and see if someone else has a better way of doing things. Which I am sure is likely.
I am also trying like crazy to get some displays made for a friend, who has a show this coming weekend, so I need to be done before tomorrow afternoon. And once I have those done, then I have a ton of small turned projects and small boxes to make for a show in December. But, after this weekend I will have small breaks in between to be able to get some work done on the spice cabinet.
Again, sorry I have not gotten anything else done on the spice cabinet, but once I do I will keep you all posted.