I found some quartersawn Alaska yellow cedar for sale on the web last month, and decided to make a special box from it. The carved lid is a dust-magnet; but I couldn’t leave that much blank space in that beautiful wood.
H: 7″ W: 22″ D: 11 3/4″
$1,400 includes shipping in US.
SOLD
It’s a higher price than usual, but it’s not my everyday box. I had only carved a lid on a box like this once or twice before. Some time ago, Paul Fitzsimmons of Marhamchurch Antiques sent me a photo of a box from Exeter, England that used strapwork designs all over like this. I didn’t copy that box, but copied the idea.
As expected, there’s a till inside, this time with red cedar for the bottom & side, ash for the lid.

I tend to mostly use a wooden cleat/hinge arrangement for the lid. For this reason I made the back of the box from red oak – its strength is lent to the extended pin that engages the cleat, which is also oak.
I just finished it today and shot a series of photos once the lid was attached.

The rabbet joints are glued and pegged. I scrounged an off-cut from the lid to make these yellow cedar pegs for the front.
And one more view of the carving on the lid.
Really amazing. The texture! Would look great in Woburn-style crazy paint like your tool chest.
that’s a beauty Peter–the color of that wood is yummy and the carved top is fab. A a soft brush–the softness of a soft toothbrush–is an effective and easy way to dust what you carve. That’s what I do when I do it.
Peter, I have sent an email to your gmail account.
The carving and texture are exceptional. That is a really beautiful little box..
Nicely done Peter. Love the carved top!!
Your work is remarkably beautiful.