Curly Keepsake Box

Curly Keepsake Box

I’ve been hanging on to a small supply of curly white oak for a few years now. Good thing about being a wood hoarder is when you rediscover the beauty of a piece of wood that’s been in the rack for a long time.
For the body of the box I chose a very figured piece of curly white oak. I wanted contrast from the four legs so I chose curly maple to compliment the white oak.
I prefer NGR dye stains over typical wiping stains. There are no binders in a NGR dye stain, so the color goes deep into the grain of the wood as opposed to wiping stains that sit on the surface. I used Solar Lux Brown Maple for the oak.
To give the curly maple legs an added pop I dyed them as well. I used Transtint Vintage Maple dye mixed in filtered water. I applied generously and sanded back once dry. I used 220 grit sandpaper with a gentle approach to sand back the dye. The dye penetrates deeply in the curl and is less affected by sanding back. Doing this step a couple times really creates the bands of color.
The box is hinged with brass pins. I buy 1/8” brass rod by the foot to make the pins. The box is top coated with satin lacquer. And the inside is lined in ruby red velvet.