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Build idea

Splined walnut keepsake box

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a walnut keepsake box with a lid and pale maple corner splines concept — not a real build.

A small mitered walnut keepsake box with maple corner splines and a lift-off lid engraved with a name or date on a laser. It is built from thin stock on the table saw; the laser only engraves.

Rough size
About 5 1/2 in long x 3 1/2 in wide x 2 3/8 in tall
Wood
Thin walnut, Thin maple for the splines

Laser: never leave it running, keep an extinguisher in reach, and with an open-frame laser everyone in the room wears eyewear rated for its wavelength. See laser and CNC shop safety.

Tools you might use

  • Table saw with blade guard, riving knife, push sticks, and a crosscut sled
  • Flat-top-grind blade
  • Shop-made spline jig
  • Laser for engraving only
  • Clear packing tape and a few spring clamps
  • Flush-cut saw, block plane or sanding block, and 150-, 180-, and 220-grit paper
  • Combination square, tape measure, calipers, and pencil
  • Safety glasses, hearing protection, and a dust mask

Our tool picks for this idea: Wood glue

Right tool for the job: Diode or CO2 laser for wood: which kind should you get? · Which push stick or push block should you use on a table saw?

Need a block plane? See our block plane picks.

Key techniques

Diagram of the finished keepsake box. Front view: a walnut box 5 1/2 inches long and 2 3/8 inches tall with its 1/2-inch lid on, and two thin maple splines across each corner, 9/16 inch from the top and bottom of the 1 7/8-inch sides. End view: 3 1/2 inches wide. From above: the lid with two scored borders, the outer one 3/8 inch in from the edge, and a 3 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch zone in the middle for the engraved name or date.
Diagram of the finished piece. Sizes are approximate, not a tested plan. Reader build photos welcome.

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