Shop Project #01 • Laser
Finger-Joint Catch-All
Open box 6" x 4" x 2-1/2" outside. Desk tray, valet box or a first finger-joint project.
View Plan & Build Guide →
Completed Shop Build • Finished with DuraGrain Hardwax Oil (12 fl oz — 0.0 g/L VOC Tung, Walnut & T1 Carnauba)
Plan & CAD Downloads
Production-ready CAD vectors nested in inches with layer names encoding operation type and exact cut depth.
⇩ Download Standalone Printable Plan PDF
⇩ Primary Cut DXF
Layered CAD/CAM vectors
⇩ Laser Cut SVG
Red = Cut, Blue = Score
⇩ Complete Lidded Keepsake Box Project Archive (.ZIP)
Includes Plan PDF + All Multi-Sheet / Underside DXF & SVG Cut Files
Individual Sheet / Underside DXFs: lidded-keepsake-box-sheet1.dxf • lidded-keepsake-box-sheet2.dxf
Free to download, print, build (including items you sell), and share—just please do not edit or modify the files and redistribute them.
Bill of Materials, Hardwood Species & Shop Tooling for Lidded Keepsake Box
Accurate stock preparation is half the battle when building the Lidded Keepsake Box. Verify your blank dimensions and thickness before adhering the template or zeroing your CNC/laser axis:
| Part Name | Qty | Stock Thickness | Part Bounding Box (W × H) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom | 1 | 1/4" | 7" × 5" |
| Front/back | 2 | 1/4" | 7" × 3" |
| End | 2 | 1/4" | 5" × 3" |
| Lid | 1 | 1/4" | 7" × 5" |
| Lid locator | 1 | 1/4" | 6-1/2" × 4-1/2" |
Recommended Hardwood & Sheet Stock Selection
For laser-cut finger-joint boxes and desk organizers, use void-free Baltic Birch plywood (B/BB grade) or hardwood-core veneered MDF/plywood, and always measure actual sheet thickness with digital calipers before cutting. For CNC-routed keepsake boxes, valets, trivets, and wall racks, select kiln-dried American Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry, or White Ash planed dead-flat so pocket depths and through-tenon shoulders register with sub-thousandth accuracy.
Required Shop Tools, Blades & Bits
- CO2 or diode laser. Drawn for 0.236" (6 mm) Baltic birch with a 0.008" kerf.
- The lid is the full outside size; the locator plate glued under it drops into the box opening with 1/64" clearance per side.
- 40W+ CO2 or Diode Laser Cutter with honeycomb bed & air assist
- PVA wood glue, painter's tape for clamping, and 180–220 grit sandpaper to clean laser edges
How to Cut, Carve & Assemble the Lidded Keepsake Box
Follow this numbered shop sequence to take your Lidded Keepsake Box from rough lumber to a crisp, heirloom-grade piece ready for finishing:
Step 01
Measure Actual Stock Thickness & Verify Machine Setup
Before running your machine, measure your actual stock thickness with digital calipers (nominal stock: 1/4" (6 mm) Baltic birch, two 14" x 10" sheets). Import the color-layered SVG or DXF into your laser software at 100% scale (inches). Assign Red lines to Cut and Blue lines/text to Score/Engrave.
Step 02
Cut both sheets and dry-fit the box
Cut both sheets and dry-fit the box: the front and back own the corners, the ends slot between them, and the bottom's fingers fill the bottom edges.
Step 03
Machining & assembly stage 2
Glue the box walls and bottom with a thin bead of wood glue on the fingers, clamp or tape square, and wipe any squeeze-out.
Step 04
Machining & assembly stage 3
Center the locator plate on the underside of the lid (set the lid on the box with the locator seated inside the opening, then glue and press).
Step 05
Machining & assembly stage 4
Sand the faces through 220 grit and finish with DuraGrain Hardwax Oil (12 fl oz) using the included #0000 white palm pad, then buff dry after 15 minutes.
Pro Shop Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Grain Orientation & Short-Grain Strength
Always orient the long grain of your board strictly parallel to the X-axis (left-to-right on the template). Diagonal grain runout across a narrow utensil neck, hook tenon, or featherboard finger creates short grain that can snap under everyday load.
2. Progressive Sanding (120 → 180 → 220 Grit)
Never skip grits or sand raw hardwood above 220 grit before applying natural polymerizing oils. Over-polishing raw wood to 400+ grit burnishes the wood cells shut and prevents DuraGrain Walnut Oil or Hardwax Oil from anchoring deep inside the fibers.
3. Water-Popping & Wiping Excess Oil Dry
For kitchen utensils and trivets, misting with warm water before your final 220-grit pass eliminates raised-grain fuzz permanently. When applying DuraGrain finishes, always wipe the surface 100% bone-dry after 15–20 minutes so the oil cures inside the wood rather than turns tacky on top.
0.0 g/L VOC Architectural Finish • Includes #0000 Pad & Microfiber Cloth
The DuraGrain Single-Coat Architectural Cure Protocol for Lidded Keepsake Box
Whether you cut the Lidded Keepsake Box on a CNC router or a CO2/diode laser, spray lacquer and wipe-on polyurethane pool inside finger joints, gum up kerf-cut living hinges, and leave a plastic film that peels or clouds over time. DuraGrain Hardwax Oil bonds molecularly inside the wood grain in a single wipe-on, buff-off application—with 0.0 g/L VOCs and zero toxic fumes in your shop:
Step 01 • Scrub In with #0000 White Pad
Apply Thinly with the Included 3"×4.5" #0000 Non-Abrasive Pad
Sand all surfaces to 180–220 grit (cleaning any laser char from finger tabs if applicable) and vacuum away dust. Pour a small ribbon of DuraGrain Hardwax Oil (12 fl oz) and work it evenly into the wood using the included 3"×4.5" #0000 white non-abrasive palm pad. The pad shears the Pure Chinawood Tung Oil, Refined Walnut Oil, and T1 Carnauba Wax deep into end-grain pockets, dados, and miters without runs or sags.
Step 02 • 15-Minute Buff-Off
Buff Bone-Dry with the Included Dark Charcoal Microfiber Cloth
Allow the oil-wax blend to penetrate for 15 minutes, then buff the entire piece completely dry using the included 12"×12" 300 GSM edgeless dark charcoal microfiber buffing cloth. Because our formula cures by oxidative cross-linking rather than solvent evaporation, it leaves a dead-flat, velvet-matte tactile finish that highlights natural walnut, maple, cherry, or Baltic birch figure and spot-repairs effortlessly.
Complete Kit • Includes #0000 White Pad + Charcoal Microfiber Cloth
DuraGrain Hardwax Oil (12 fl oz)
0.0 g/L VOC Pure Tung Oil, Alkali-Refined Walnut Oil, T1 Brazilian Carnauba & USA Beeswax architectural finish. Formulated & poured in Pittsburgh, PA.
$34.99
Shop Hardwax Oil Kit →
Shop Refill • 3"×4.5" Non-Woven Applicator Pads
10-Pack #0000 White Applicator Pads
Keep extra shop-grade #0000 non-abrasive white pads on your bench for CNC pockets, boxes, and furniture builds—zero steel-wool rust specks.
$9.99
Shop 10-Pack Pads →
More Boxes & Organizers Woodworking Plans
Shop Project #03 • Laser
Drawer Organizer Trays
Three open trays on a 3" grid (3x3, 3x6, 6x6, all 2" tall) that tile together in a drawer.
View Plan & Build Guide →
Shop Project #04 • Laser
Living-Hinge Box
4" x 3" x 2" round-cornered box. One kerf-cut strip bends around all four corners.
View Plan & Build Guide →
Shop Project #05 • CNC Router
Carved Keepsake Box
8" x 5" x 2-1/4" box hollowed from one block, with a lid whose plug fits the opening.
View Plan & Build Guide →