Retirement Box Revisited

I posted a picture this morning of a box that I made for a man I worked with for 19 years. Here are some pictures I took of the box prior to adding the finish. The primary wood is Myrtle, with a spalted maple top, the hinges are Cherry, the handle I think is Bloodwood, the sides of the drawer is Ceder. I included a ruler on one shot so you can better gauge how tall the box is. Along the corners are also pieces of Bloodwood, which I used for contrast. While the Bloodwood is currently a red/orange color, I understand it will turn brown with exposure to sunlight. All the rest of the wood is fairly stable, as far as color goes.

This is the most challenging box that I have made, and I am glad I pushed myself to get to this stage. The next retiree won't be so lucky.

I lathered BLO on the spalted Maple prior to assembly to allow it to absorb as much as it could before I assembled the box initially. I put 2-3 coats each day for 3 days, and it was still soaking the BLO up. The box bottom (above the drawer) is myrtle wood that I sanded down to about 1/8" thick. Planning Myrtle wood can be hazardous as it has a tendency to tear, so I always finish the last 1/8-1/16" with a drum sander. I also wetted the outside surface of the Myrtle wood with water, then finished sanded it to 240 grit. The inside I sanded only to 150 grit.

Here are some additional pictures taken last night before I wrapped it up.

This final set of pictures is with a finish called Doctor's Workshop, that is a combination of Walnut Oil, Carnauba Wax and Shellac. I brushed it on and wiped off the excess.

Enjoy, and be careful of the splinters.

Another retirement

I've taken a set of pictures for this project, but was waiting until after delivery to post them. Delivery is today, so here is the box.