Keepsake Box for Forestry

gdon_2003 · February 23, 2025, 4:48am

I am in a woodworking club in Nacogdoches, Texas. Our SFA (Stephen F Austin) University sponsor asked me to make a keepsake box for one of his colleagues. I got the Black Walnut from a wood bin at the University. I used my IBox to do the finger joints. I glued up some tiger maple stripes on the lid and engraved a message the Professor asked me to inscribe. The lid has a 15 degree bevel around the 4 outside edges. The box is sanded to 120 grit and will be sanded to 220 and I will apply a wipe on poly for a finish on the outside and the lid. The inside I will use some lemon flavored wax to finish out the inside. The poly stinks forever if you put it on the inside every time you open the lid. The Box is 14" X 9" by 6" tall. The lid was dadoed 1/8" so it fits inside the box.

I got the black walnut as a 2" slab and processed it down to .75" for the sides of the box and lid.

The engraving was an advanced vcarve .1" deep with a #122 1/16" end mill and a 15 degree vee bit.

Redlander · February 23, 2025, 1:24pm

Really nice project and message for future generations!

gdon_2003 · February 26, 2025, 9:19pm

This has been a very productive week. I finished my keepsake box. I will deliver it Saturday and display it in my Wood Workers Club of East Texas meeting. The box was Black Walnut. I used my IBox to do the finger joints. The lid has tiger maple stripes. The bottom was engraved on my SO3 XXL with HDZ. The engraving was an advanced vcarve with #112 1/16" flat end mill and 15 degree vee bit .1" deep. The box was sealed with Zinnser Universal Sanding Sealer (Dewaxed Shellac) and 2 coats of Satin WipeOn Poly.

The

I used the golden mean to design the box. The box is 14" long X 8" wide and 6" tall. The lid has a 15 degree champher around the top and 1/8" dado so it fits down inside the box slightly.