Behind the Scenes, Making a WoodyThings Keepsake Box

We’re happy to share with you exactly how we put together one of our most popular, best-selling items… The Military Keepsake Boxes!

After we receive an order, we immediately check out the custom order details, which includes the box dimensions. We then head straight to the workshop and start making some sawdust!

First we cut the pieces to side. We make two sides, a front and a back, a top and a bottom. We then cut a few strips for the solid wood slats.

After we cut the pieces we sand them using coarse and fine sandpaper. We typically finish each box with 220-grit.

After sanding, we stain each piece and allow it to dry. Alternatively, you can wait until the end to do this step, but we prefer to do it before we apply any glue to the box. Staining the box afterwards can lead to uneven coats of stain.

We nail the boxes shut, followed by clamping the pieces together. Once dried, usually overnight, we create ridges on the table saw.

Afterwards, we glue slats, nail and clamp into place. We then allow the slats to dry for a few hours, typically for 8 hours or so.

After completing the box we cut it open, and then sand/trim the edges in order to touch up any imperfections. We may need to re-stain certain spots at this point. We then wood-burn/personalize the box to the recipient’s request, before adding the keepsake box hardware. We use brass-plated hinges and latches to secure the box.

That’s it!

Do you have any additional tips or suggestions? Comment below.

Equipment used to record:

• Nikon P7000 http://amzn.to/2vmMKhp
• iPhone 6 http://amzn.to/2sm1dYn

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