Recipe Box (My First Box...Done!)

Hey Jodi Lynn
This is a very beautiful recipe box. a good selection of woods and I particularly like the panel with your name and flowers.
The problem you had with the lid cane be caused by a number of things. When planning wood it is best to alternate from one side to the other so you re leave any inner tension the wood may have equally in addition it allows for equal release of moisture in wood. anther cause could be your wood was not dry and when wood drys it can cup particularly if you leave it flat on a table that means it will dry quicker on the top then on the bottom causing cupping. anther problem can come from buying your wood and building something right away with out letting you wood normalize to the humidity from your shop compared to were it came from.
One more cause is to finish one side and not another this to allows moisture to inter one side more than the other causing…you guessed it cupping. or it could be all of the above. sometimes in spite of all are efforts wood just moves because of internal pressure and we can’t stop it. To try and flatten your top take the top and clamp a straight piece of wood across the lid with a smaller piece in the middle forcing it to bow back to its flat position but applying warm or hot water to the concave part of the board .Try to do this slowly because you could break the the lid. continue until the lid it flexed just a little to much in the opposite direction of the cupping. Then let dry a day or more depending on how humid your weather is. then reapply your danish oil to both sides and cross your fingers.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks Jim…(Although, Jodi is my wife…)

Lots of good things to consider there. It will take some time to remember to keep all these things in mind! That is part of the fun though, right!

Greg

-- If, in your life, you attain the means to help; you incur the responsibility to act.

Excellent box…. even moreso being your first!

I don’t really see a problem with attaching the lid before applying the oil. I do this sometimes as well. If you really wanted to be a purist, you could attach the lid, adjust the fit, then remove the hinges before finishing.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Wow! Your first box. I might just quit making them. It is really original. Everything about is nice, but I especially liked the window. Don’t believe I’ve seen anything like it before. yes, I have seen a lot of windows, but not on a box! Looking forward to your projects, keep up the good work. Nobody cares if it takes a day or a year to complete a project, its the result that counts and your wife will enjoy it forever.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Very well done. Great design and wood combination . Can’t wait to see what the next one will look like.

Fantastic results. I immediately made it a “favorite” box. I’m still in the box making phase of my addiction to this thing called “WOOD”. Thanks for inspiring me even more.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.