Assembling the box and top

The box and top parts could be made as one and then sawn apart, but I didn’t do that here. I cut the parts separately and assembled them separately. It takes a little longer, but is a bit safer with such a large box. I’m not keen on balancing the small ends on my tablesaw, or creating a large jig to steady the whole box.

1. Sand the inside faces of all the parts.

2. Apply finish to the insides of the box sides with a little Danish oil. You need to finish them first because it’s easier to do it now rather than after assembly, when you’d have to mask the leather bottom.