Sawing the lid off.
A close up of kerf with paduk miter spline.
Cutting the rest of the kerf with my hand saw.
.. and cleaning up the top.
Which one do you like best?
With out dye stain on the left, with on the right.
Sawing off the top – Jewelry Box Update
What does the test piece look like with a coat of clear finish on it?
The test piece has a coat of shellac on it.
With an oil finish the walnut will develop a great color over time. The dye looks too dark to me.
Yes, I thought so too. Oil is an interesting idea. That requires mainteance though, correct? This box will be in Texas in the hands of my 18 year old niece.
You can wet sand it and partially fill the grain pores. It takes time in between coats to fully dry, The interior shouldn’t have any oil because it would smell. Shellac would suit the interior.
I was just watching this and it looked similar to what you were suggesting and a good way to go. I’m going to try it on a test piece.
http://www.woodworkerssource.com/blog/wood-finishing/how-to-get-a-beautiful-wood-finish-on-your-tropical-walnut-woodworking-projects/