Cherry and Maple Bandsaw Box

This is my first bandsaw box. I had been wanting to try one for a while, and I had access to a large bandsaw in a woodworking class I was taking at the local art center. These boxes are just so fun and simple to make in crazy shapes!

It consists of cherry faces, about 5/8” thick, with about 4” of soft maple in between. I had the cherry from another project, so I went to the hardwood dealer looking for a thick piece of something and ended up with soft maple. The drawer pulls are walnut. As you can see, I got into some pretty large knots in the maple, but I guess it adds some “character”.

After spending a heck of a long time sanding, I finished it with a coat of Watco danish oil, then four coats of wiped-on polyurethane. Then, to try something new, I buffed it with fine steel wool and put on a coat of paste wax. I’m really pleased with how this turned out.

I was hoping that the maple would stay a bit whiter when I finished it, to bring out the contrasting woods more. I’m still honing my finishing skills, so if anyone has any advice on how to do that, please share.

The box was a gift for my fiancée, and she loves it. Success!

-- Rex