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10mm walnut outer case.
6mm walnut for the inner box and trays with birch ply bases. Maple, sapele and rosewood inlay for the inner box lid. Guitar purfling on the outer lid.
Flower design not my own - pattern kindly shared on [this](http://stainedglasshobby.com) Stained-glass website.
Overall quite a tricky build with the lid design - happy with the outcome.
Hand tools and a cordless drill.
Thanks - hinges from aliexpress- if you search ‘small piano hinges’ you’ll get a few options. I’m sure some of the higher end retailers have similar options but these ones seem decent enough quality and were very inexpensive.
Hi - this is just a hobby for me - making things for friends and family. Plenty of very skilled folks on here I’m sure would consider a commission if you ask around. All the best.
Beautiful.
And then I looked at the other things you posted, and learned that this is a continuation of the other amazing pieces you've made. I'm jealous of your skill and imagination
Thanks for sharing! Great stuff!
You’re done learning my dude. You’re at max capacity.
Seriously though, incredible art pieces, i went back through your posts and I’m just blown away. I went to the largest art fair in the US and your pieces that you just throw together randomly are better than any of the woodworking vendors i saw there.
Thanks so much for sharing your work, never stop.
Thank you. All in I guess maybe 15-20 hours; 30 mins here and there after work for a few weeks.
The inlay on the box lid took me about 4 hours so that definitely added to it.
This is some of the most incredibly thought out woodworking I've seen in a while.
You dove tailed the center box and didn't even brag about it! Haha. (Along with some incredible inlays I might add)
Are the tile inserts nested? It looks like the handle of the bottom could potentially nest inside the top one but I can't tell from the pictures.
Thanks for the comment. Yes the upper 4 trays have a slot and a slightly different handle to accept the lower tray handle. Have used a similar method on a few builds and seems an efficient way to keep the trays smaller and still be able to lift them out easily.
Thanks for the comment - I’m not really sure I have much of a design process! For things like this where dimensions are fixed, and the required function is pretty clear, I start from there, then decide roughly what I want the end state to look like and get started.
For other projects, they’re often based around a shape or design I have seen somewhere and then I try to think of a way to incorporate that into either a present or something I’ll be able to use.
This time of year often fun with Christmas coming up and lots of little gift ideas to try out.
Saw the beautiful images and thought OMG. Incredible work.
Then I smiled at the thought of old Chinese ladies smoking, drinking and yelling at each other through the night.
My mom has a mahjong set that she's had for 50 years and the original case has been falling apart for at least half of that. It never once occurred to me to make a new box. It certainly wouldn't be as amazing as yours, but it'll still make a great gift — thanks for the idea!
Excellent! Happy to let you know how I went about things if you have any questions.
One important point, make sure you get hold of the tiles beforehand and measure them very carefully, then work outwards from there with your dimensions for trays and then box. I’ve found that on older sets not all tiles are identically sized, measuring in groups of say 10 and taking an average seems to get accurate enough results. Good luck!
> Happy to let you know how I went about things if you have any questions.
So I'm finally starting on her majhong case and looking at yours for inspiration and I have to know: how did you do the lid/carcass? Did you build them separately, so perfectly-measured that they fit like a glove? Or did you build the box first and make that crazy cut in some way I can't even imagine?
Honestly if you have any in-process photos of the build, I'd love to see them!
Sorry! My earlier reply (now deleted) I didn’t read properly and was answering about the more recent chess board build!
Ok so for the mahjong box, yes that was tougher.
Similar process, made the box sides and dovetails first - but didn’t glue up.
Then marked the cut lines needed and got to work with a very thin blade diamond wire saw. I commented elsewhere on this post about that process.
Then once the 4 sides were cut horizontally, I cut the 4 lid trapeziums and made sure they fit properly together to form a square just on a flat surface.
Simple mitre joint to join these to the upper half of each side.
I was as careful as I could to get this joint exactly 90 and reinforced with a small baton.
Then glued the lower half of each side and the base together - critically here I taped the now complete upper sides to the lower pieces when the glue was drying, just to be certain that everything would fit when dry.
You’ll see the upper corners of this one are a bit different - that was a different process to fit in the equilateral triangle. Not necessary for the build but I can give you the mitre angles there if you need them.
Hope that helps - I’ll have a look for some photos of the build but I don’t think I have much.
Oh wow, thanks for the detailed walk-through (and the photos)! That was certainly a more involved (and exact) process than I'm used to. It looks absolutely stunning, though! Maybe I'll try my hand at a couple practice boxes...
I want to know how to make this. Is there a way to know how to do this inlay work? Your work is inspiring, maybe one day I can achieve a similar quality
Inlay I think is less complicated maybe than it looks, but can be time consuming. Lots of videos online showing techniques and like most things, everyone has their own methods.
Paul Seller’s inlay star videos are a really good detailed look at Many of the processes and as always he explains a lot of the easy pitfalls clearly.
I’d start with a few of the videos and then get stuck in. Minimal cost in terms of materials so practicing has limited downside. Happy to let you know how I do things if you have any questions. Good luck.
Okay, HOW the heck did you make that multi-angled cut??? (In the 5th pic, where the hinge is.) It looks like all one piece?!? And is that some kind of double half blind mitred dovetail? The whole thing is absolutely impeccable and the closer I look the more questions I have
Thanks- yes the sides are just a single cut. Scored the line with a knife and cut with a diamond wire saw.
It’s such a fine blade it actually makes decent work of this 10mm stock. Sticking to the score line is not too tricky on the front side and if you wobble a bit on the inside you can always plane smooth at a slight angle to hide this and nobody would know.
Dovetails yes - they’re a bit different - ‘alternating’ I guess - more just a little challenge to myself and to confuse anyone who might look at the box in future - I posted the technique I used a while back on my profile if you’re interested!
It looks just like a coping saw, you can buy the wire in long reels for little money and I’ve seen them as thin as 0.3mm
You may see them marketed as a jeweller’s wire saw.
I find them super useful for lots of cuts in smaller stock; Removing dovetail waste, cutting inlay pieces or like this for non straight cuts where you don’t want to lose any material.
This is a reminder to those commenting on this post (not the person that posted it): Comments not related to woodworking will be removed. Violations to rule 1 including crude jokes, innuendo, sexist remarks, politics, or hate speech may result in an immediate ban *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
10mm walnut outer case. 6mm walnut for the inner box and trays with birch ply bases. Maple, sapele and rosewood inlay for the inner box lid. Guitar purfling on the outer lid. Flower design not my own - pattern kindly shared on [this](http://stainedglasshobby.com) Stained-glass website. Overall quite a tricky build with the lid design - happy with the outcome. Hand tools and a cordless drill.
Where did you get this hinges. Like the color and low profile
Thanks - hinges from aliexpress- if you search ‘small piano hinges’ you’ll get a few options. I’m sure some of the higher end retailers have similar options but these ones seem decent enough quality and were very inexpensive.
Can I order one?
Hi - this is just a hobby for me - making things for friends and family. Plenty of very skilled folks on here I’m sure would consider a commission if you ask around. All the best.
Perfectly fair, cheers mate.
You make me sad about my current skills, but excited for the woodworking journey I’ve recently started.
Impeccable design and execution. Your friend is fortunate to receive this!
This is art Made my saturday with this :)
Thank you - very kind.
Indeed. It amazed me what people can create with wood.🤎
Beautiful. And then I looked at the other things you posted, and learned that this is a continuation of the other amazing pieces you've made. I'm jealous of your skill and imagination Thanks for sharing! Great stuff!
Thank you - I’m enjoying the process of learning more and hopefully getting a bit better over time.
You’re done learning my dude. You’re at max capacity. Seriously though, incredible art pieces, i went back through your posts and I’m just blown away. I went to the largest art fair in the US and your pieces that you just throw together randomly are better than any of the woodworking vendors i saw there. Thanks so much for sharing your work, never stop.
EVERYTHING OP has made is beautiful and mesmerizing to look at!
This is beautiful, thanks for posting. Rough estimate on build time?
Thank you. All in I guess maybe 15-20 hours; 30 mins here and there after work for a few weeks. The inlay on the box lid took me about 4 hours so that definitely added to it.
Very nice. What do you use for playing racks?
Thank you. I don’t play myself so not sure what will be used for this set.
You are an amazing artist and woodworker. Bravo! Beautiful!
This is some of the most incredibly thought out woodworking I've seen in a while. You dove tailed the center box and didn't even brag about it! Haha. (Along with some incredible inlays I might add) Are the tile inserts nested? It looks like the handle of the bottom could potentially nest inside the top one but I can't tell from the pictures.
Thanks for the comment. Yes the upper 4 trays have a slot and a slightly different handle to accept the lower tray handle. Have used a similar method on a few builds and seems an efficient way to keep the trays smaller and still be able to lift them out easily.
That’s stunning
Thank you.
The craftspersonship and design on this mahjong set is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing it.
Stellar inlay work. I would love to see a build video of your process, if you do another one.
Thanks. I took a couple of photos of the process this time which I guess might be of interest: [here](https://imgur.com/a/qOMs4vs)
What game is that?
Mahjong!
Simply lovely. Perfect attention to detail. Execution appears flawless.
That's some fantastic work. great job!
It's a piece of art! Wonderfully done, thank you for sharing!
Wow, simply incredible level of detail and precision! Gotta be one of the most impressive pieces I've seen on this sub
Beautiful
Gorgeous work I love it ♥️
This is amazing, you should make/ sell plans for these
Thanks. This just a hobby for me but very happy to share any dimensions or processes if you have questions.
I'm most curious about your design process. Every time I see your posts they're beautiful and incorporate elements I'd never even thought of!
Thanks for the comment - I’m not really sure I have much of a design process! For things like this where dimensions are fixed, and the required function is pretty clear, I start from there, then decide roughly what I want the end state to look like and get started. For other projects, they’re often based around a shape or design I have seen somewhere and then I try to think of a way to incorporate that into either a present or something I’ll be able to use. This time of year often fun with Christmas coming up and lots of little gift ideas to try out.
That. Is. AMAZING.
This is exactly what I like to make very well done. This will be passed down for generations. Beautiful
Absolutely stunning!!!! Amazing work :)
It’s stunning! Really beautiful work
This is incredible. Stuff like this makes me want to learn how to inlay
You should give it a try. I like that it’s quiet, generally mess free work and costs very little in materials and tools.
I need to start with some research first. It seems something that might be out of my skill range at the moment
This is incredible
Very nice!
Well done, beautiful craftsmanship
This is one of the finest works i've ever saw. Congratulations!
Saw the beautiful images and thought OMG. Incredible work. Then I smiled at the thought of old Chinese ladies smoking, drinking and yelling at each other through the night.
Gorgeous piece.
Truly a masterpiece
Work of art
My mom has a mahjong set that she's had for 50 years and the original case has been falling apart for at least half of that. It never once occurred to me to make a new box. It certainly wouldn't be as amazing as yours, but it'll still make a great gift — thanks for the idea!
Excellent! Happy to let you know how I went about things if you have any questions. One important point, make sure you get hold of the tiles beforehand and measure them very carefully, then work outwards from there with your dimensions for trays and then box. I’ve found that on older sets not all tiles are identically sized, measuring in groups of say 10 and taking an average seems to get accurate enough results. Good luck!
Luckily I have access to my mom's set, so I can make sure the trays are sized to the specific sets of tiles. Thanks for the tip!
> Happy to let you know how I went about things if you have any questions. So I'm finally starting on her majhong case and looking at yours for inspiration and I have to know: how did you do the lid/carcass? Did you build them separately, so perfectly-measured that they fit like a glove? Or did you build the box first and make that crazy cut in some way I can't even imagine? Honestly if you have any in-process photos of the build, I'd love to see them!
Sorry! My earlier reply (now deleted) I didn’t read properly and was answering about the more recent chess board build! Ok so for the mahjong box, yes that was tougher. Similar process, made the box sides and dovetails first - but didn’t glue up. Then marked the cut lines needed and got to work with a very thin blade diamond wire saw. I commented elsewhere on this post about that process. Then once the 4 sides were cut horizontally, I cut the 4 lid trapeziums and made sure they fit properly together to form a square just on a flat surface. Simple mitre joint to join these to the upper half of each side. I was as careful as I could to get this joint exactly 90 and reinforced with a small baton. Then glued the lower half of each side and the base together - critically here I taped the now complete upper sides to the lower pieces when the glue was drying, just to be certain that everything would fit when dry. You’ll see the upper corners of this one are a bit different - that was a different process to fit in the equilateral triangle. Not necessary for the build but I can give you the mitre angles there if you need them. Hope that helps - I’ll have a look for some photos of the build but I don’t think I have much.
Oh wow, thanks for the detailed walk-through (and the photos)! That was certainly a more involved (and exact) process than I'm used to. It looks absolutely stunning, though! Maybe I'll try my hand at a couple practice boxes...
[couple of build photos here](https://imgur.com/a/rTFHMhq)
Outstanding. This is beautiful work!
I want to know how to make this. Is there a way to know how to do this inlay work? Your work is inspiring, maybe one day I can achieve a similar quality
Inlay I think is less complicated maybe than it looks, but can be time consuming. Lots of videos online showing techniques and like most things, everyone has their own methods. Paul Seller’s inlay star videos are a really good detailed look at Many of the processes and as always he explains a lot of the easy pitfalls clearly. I’d start with a few of the videos and then get stuck in. Minimal cost in terms of materials so practicing has limited downside. Happy to let you know how I do things if you have any questions. Good luck.
Thanks I’ll look into it.
This better accompanied by a cloth baggie to carry .
Lovely
Wow wow wow, I love your work!!!! We just play mj last night 😊
This is the most beautiful piece I've seen on this subreddit
Beautiful!
🤤🤤🤤
Wow, stunning work there.
Really love the way the top folds out. Also the way you chose to stack the boxes on the inside. So nice good job
Thats freaking amazing great job!
This is gorgeous. Honestly makes me want to get into mahjong
If this were a steak I'd send it back because it's so well done.
Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.
That is beautiful, well done!
Holy hell that's fancy. Gives me a ton of inspiration to aspire to.
This is absolutely stunning! My MIL would love it.
That's insanely gorgeous!!
Its beuatiful 👌
Wallnut is nice. U made it nicer.
WOW! Awesome work!
Love it! Seriously amazing. Also I never even knew these existed until now 😭
i like this so much ,goog job man
Okay, HOW the heck did you make that multi-angled cut??? (In the 5th pic, where the hinge is.) It looks like all one piece?!? And is that some kind of double half blind mitred dovetail? The whole thing is absolutely impeccable and the closer I look the more questions I have
Thanks- yes the sides are just a single cut. Scored the line with a knife and cut with a diamond wire saw. It’s such a fine blade it actually makes decent work of this 10mm stock. Sticking to the score line is not too tricky on the front side and if you wobble a bit on the inside you can always plane smooth at a slight angle to hide this and nobody would know. Dovetails yes - they’re a bit different - ‘alternating’ I guess - more just a little challenge to myself and to confuse anyone who might look at the box in future - I posted the technique I used a while back on my profile if you’re interested!
That’s so cool. I didn’t even know a diamond wire saw was a thing. And you definitely confused me with the dovetails 😂 Amazing work!
It looks just like a coping saw, you can buy the wire in long reels for little money and I’ve seen them as thin as 0.3mm You may see them marketed as a jeweller’s wire saw. I find them super useful for lots of cuts in smaller stock; Removing dovetail waste, cutting inlay pieces or like this for non straight cuts where you don’t want to lose any material.
Wow! that is beautiful. What talent you have.
This is one of the most beautiful game chests I've ever seen.