Has anyone figured out a way to prevent this? 
It could be in the wood choices.  Maple and walnut shouldn't do that.
A real fine scrape leaves a clean surface, sandpaper clogs it.

 This is the last of this type box I’ll make until I figure out what to do with them 

CAn't help ya with that.


Nice box!

You don't always get what you go after,but you do get what you wouldn't have got if you didn't go after what you didn't get. Blaze Foley