Bandsaw Jewelry Box

Butternut Bandsaw Box

Woods: Butternut, Curly Maple

This was my first attempt at a bandsaw box. I made this box at a class taught by Dan Splinter (he states that is given name not his woodworking pseudonym) at the local Woodcraft.

This box is made of butternut, the close cousin to walnut. Butternut is very soft compared to walnut. It is close to as soft was basswood. That makes cutting and sanding much easier. I happen to think butternut is an attractive wood for these types of boxes. The pulls are made of curly maple. Even though curly maple is rather expensive and often hard to find, the small amount used for this box makes the cost insignificant.

As the name suggests, this project requires a lot of bandsaw work. If you don't like bandsaws or sanding I suggest you skip this project. In fact my friend Terry calls these boxes "sanding boxes" because it actually takes a whole lot longer to sand than it takes to make the cuts on the bandsaw. Fortunately, I like to use the bandsaw which makes up for the fact that I hate sanding. Since the butternut is so soft it sands quickly. Try this project with hard maple and you'll never try this project again.

This box is finished with a "tung oil" finish. In truth it was more of a wiping varnish. In any case, a wipe on finish is a very good choice for a project like this. It is easy to apply and looks good.

To learn how to make boxes like this I suggest you purchase the book
Building Beautiful Boxes With Your Band Saw by Lois Keener Ventura. It has a number of different designs from very simple to very complex.