Small Keepsake Boxes
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The Wood
All three boxes were made from a single walnut slab cutoff given to me by a family member. I re-sawed the cutoff into quarter-sawn planks so wood movement over time should not be much of an issue.
The top and bottom are made from 1/4” birch plywood for additional stability. So the top matched the sides, I cut a roughly 1/8” thick piece of walnut and glued it to the plywood using contact cement.
The inside of the box is lined with aromatic cedar that I had left over from another build that I cut down to about 1/8” thick and trimmed to a friction fit by hand.
The Joinery
I wanted to make sure the boxes stay strong for many years to come. So I used a rabbet joint and reinforced it with 1/16” brass pins. This should be much stronger than a standard miter joint.
The Finish
I kept the finish simple on these boxes by using walnut oil. Just a couple of quick coats. The boxes will spend most of their time in a bedroom on a shelf so they don’t need to stand up to a lot of abuse or the elements.