Usually, it's hard to resist opening a small wooden box to see what's inside. With these turned gift boxes, however, the decoration on the outside grabs your attention first.
The secret is a colored epoxy inlay built right into the lid.
And although the dragonfly design looks intricate, creating the inlay is surprisingly straightforward. The basic process has two parts: Cut openings for the design with a scroll saw, then fill those openings with colored epoxy. Once the epoxy cures, turning the lid to its final shape reveals a crisp decorative pattern.
The technique also gives you plenty of room for creativity. Change the pattern, epoxy color, wood species, or profile of the box and you can create a completely different project using essentially the same process.
Start with a Single Turning Blank
Both the lid and box are cut from a single piece of wood. This keeps the color and grain consistent between the two parts.
For these boxes, the starting blank is 3" × 6" × 6". The dragonfly box shown here was made from 12/4 quartersawn white oak. Other versions used bubinga and figured Western maple.
At the band saw, slice a 3⁄4"-thick lid blank from the larger block. Keep the saw kerf on the thicker box side and set that portion aside for later.
Transfer the Epoxy Inlay Pattern
Choose your inlay design, make a copy, and attach it to the top of the lid blank with spray adhesive.
The dragonfly consists of several individual openings, so each one requires a pierce cut with the scroll saw.
Drill a small 1⁄16" or 1⁄32" starter hole inside each area. Thread the scroll saw blade through the hole, reconnect it to the saw, and carefully cut along the pattern.
A #9 skip-tooth blade was used here to make the cuts cleanly.
Take your time. These openings form the boundaries of the finished epoxy design, so careful scroll saw work pays off later.
Mix the Colored Epoxy
Once all the openings are cut, you're ready for the epoxy.
The epoxy used for this project was a 30-minute hobby epoxy. The longer working time provides enough opportunity to mix in the color and fill all the individual openings before the epoxy begins to set.
For this project, the mixture consisted of approximately: 2 fl. oz. epoxy + 2 fl. oz. hardener + 1⁄2 teaspoon colorant
Tempera powder was used to create the color, although liquid concentrates and powdered color tints designed for epoxy are other options.
Mix slowly to minimize the amount of air introduced into the epoxy.
Woodsmith Tip: Follow Your Epoxy's Mixing Ratio. The quantities above apply to the epoxy system used for this project. Other epoxies may require a different resin-to-hardener ratio, so always use the proportions specified by the manufacturer.
Fill the Inlay with Epoxy
Before pouring, cover the back of the lid blank with masking tape. This seals the bottom of the scroll-sawn openings so the liquid epoxy doesn't leak through.
Fill each opening with the colored epoxy. Use a small scrap of wood to work the mixture into voids and level it across the pattern.
If bubbles appear, the project used a blow dryer to help remove them.
You don't need to leave the surface perfectly clean at this stage. Unlike the simpler epoxy-inlay technique where the cured material is scraped and sanded flush, this inlay will be cleaned up while turning the lid on the lathe.
That's the feature that really distinguishes this technique.
Let the Epoxy Fully Cure
Give the epoxy plenty of time to harden before turning.
The epoxy used here requires at least 12 hours to fully cure, although giving it a full 24 hours provides an extra margin before taking it to the lathe.
Once cured, you're ready to turn the rough blank into a finished lid.
Mount the Lid to a Glue Block
You don't want faceplate mounting screws showing on the inside of the finished lid, so the lid blank isn't attached directly to the lathe faceplate.
Instead, use a sacrificial glue block.
Make the glue block from a piece of 2x6 cut to match the width of the lid blank. Mark diagonal lines from corner to corner on one face to locate its center, then glue the lid blank to the opposite face.
Rough-cut the assembly slightly oversized and round at the band saw.
Use the diagonal layout lines to center the faceplate on the glue block before screwing it in place.
Turn the Epoxy Inlay Lid
Start by truing the outside edge of the lid and glue block.
For the wide blank used here, the initial truing operation was performed at a slow speed of about 500 RPM.
Once the edge is running true, flatten the face of the lid.
For this operation, the lathe speed was increased to 2,000 RPM, and a square-end scraper was used to remove the paper and epoxy residue and flatten the face.
This is where the epoxy technique really pays off. As the face is cleaned up, the crisp inlay pattern begins to emerge from the wood.
Shape the Lid Profile
Use a round-nose scraper to establish the curved profile.
A simple cardboard template provides an easy reference for checking the shape as you turn.
Once you're happy with the profile, use a parting tool to cut a rabbet along the bottom edge.
This rabbet creates the lip that will eventually fit inside the box and hold the lid in position.
Sand the completed lid while it's still on the lathe.
Separate the Lid from the Glue Block
Don't try to part completely through the glue block with the lathe running.
Instead, use the parting tool to cut into the glue-block side of the joint until the lid is almost separated.
Turn off the lathe and finish separating the pieces with a handsaw.
Now you have a completed epoxy-inlay lid that can serve as the reference for fitting and shaping the matching box.
Turn the Matching Wood Box
Mount the thicker box blank to another 2x6 glue block using the same general procedure.
Rough the outside into a cylinder at a low speed, then flatten the top.
Next, begin hollowing the box with a round-nose scraper, working from the outside toward the center.
Stop frequently to check the depth with a combination square.
Fit the Box to the Finished Lid
Now the lid becomes your gauge.
Use a parting tool to create a wide, shallow recess across the top of the box.
The recess should match the depth of the rabbet on the lid.
As you approach the finished size, stop the lathe frequently and test the fit. Gradually enlarge the recess until the lid fits snugly.
Turn the Lid and Box Together
A seamless transition between the lid and box makes the completed project look like a single continuous form.
Once the lid fits its recess, secure it to the box with double-sided tape.
With the two pieces temporarily joined, turn their exterior profiles together.
Start near the bottom and work upward with a round-nose scraper, gradually creating the desired shape.
Then switch to a square-end scraper to smooth the sides.
Pay particular attention to the seam between the box and lid. Turning the pieces together allows you to create a smooth visual transition from one to the other.
Finish Hollowing the Box
Remove the lid and finish hollowing the interior.
Work from the outer edge toward the center, gradually enlarging the opening. Shape the inside wall to follow the exterior contour, then flatten the bottom with a square-end scraper.
Sand the box and part it from the sacrificial glue block.
The project shown here was completed with a wipe-on varnish, which highlights both the figure of the wood and the colorful epoxy inlay.
Experiment with Different Epoxy Inlay Patterns
The dragonfly is only one possibility.
The same technique was used to create boxes featuring stalks of wheat and a symbol for love.
And there's no reason to stop there.
Once you understand the basic process—cut the pattern, fill it with colored epoxy, let it cure, and turn the surface to reveal the design—you can experiment with your own patterns, colors, wood species, and box profiles.
Want a Simpler Epoxy Inlay?
You don't need a lathe or an elaborate pattern to add colorful epoxy details to a woodworking project. Our simpler epoxy-inlay technique uses a syringe to fill a groove, followed by scraping and sanding to level the cured epoxy.
MAKE A SIMPLE EPOXY INLAY → How to Make a Simple Epoxy Inlay in Wood
Learn the Basics of Working with Epoxy
Before tackling a project like this, it helps to understand how to properly measure, mix, apply, and work with two-part epoxy.
LEARN HOW TO USE EPOXY → How to Use Epoxy for Woodworking
