Keepsake box

Built these boxes as a wedding gift for my brother in law and his wife. Matching boxes with alternating wood and matching locks. First box was oak front&back with poplar sides&top, second was poplar front&back with oak sides&top. Some notes:
- Dovetailed sides using a Craftsman jig (through dovetails would have been preferred).
- “Feet” on the bottom using a bandsaw to cut a curve with the radius of a nickel into a template and flush trimming the rest.
- Curved top idea came from Woodsmith magazine: cut a slight angle into the top, leaving a triangle when viewed from the side, then use a hand plane to ease up the harsh angles, sanding to smooth out the curve.
- Half mortise lock: in retrospect I found a full mortise lock is probably easier; lots of chiseling and a substantial amount of elbow grease and cursing before the locks fit right. Then the escutcheon nearly got the better of me, but I achieved victory in the end.
- Finishing: General Finishes Shaker Maple water based gel stain, shellac sealer, 2x water based polyurethane topcoat. Gel stain for poplar is always a good idea, and it worked out well for the oak.

In the end my brother in law appreciated them much more than his new wife; but she’s new to the family, she’ll learn.

-- "Never give a sucker an even break." -W.C. Fields