The following is a description of how one box was made.
(Click on image to enlarge)

Using the bandsaw to cut the excess wood off the bottom, I worked to keep the section that had the most distinctive grain pattern. For this box, the client selected a madrone burl, which grows in Northern California.

Squaring the bottom of the box.

Sanding the sides of the box to shape on a 4-inch-wide belt sander with 50-grit paper.

Determining how large the box needs to be to accommodate the cremains. This was tricky because the box was irregularly shaped. In order to visualize the volume, I used rice. I reproduced the box cavity with aluminum foil and poured in the rice to check the volume.

Cutting box to height.

Cutting out the interior with the bandsaw. The cut is usually made through the end grain. However, this block already had a large cut through the back, so I entered through this cut.

Box with center out. The cutoff is available to make a smaller box at a later date.

I glued up a sandwich of purpleheart and maple to create this inlay. The accent piece is temporarily glued to outside of box for the next step

Using a coping saw to cut the box to accept inlayed accent piece. Often I can use the bandsaw to do this if I can cut all the way through the piece.

Sanding edges to fit inlay. Next I fashioned the inner top from a thin piece of maple. To do this, I traced the inside top of the box onto the thin maple and cut it a little larger. I checked the fit and sanded until I achieved a snug fit.

Gluing maple bottom on box

Now I was ready to glue up the accent piece.

Next I fashioned the lid from birdseye maple. I experimented with different shapes for the lid in order to accentuate the lines of the accent piece. I eventually decided to continue the accent piece up into and through the lid and then slope the lid down to the accent piece.

The lid is glued to the inner lid. The lid is bandsawed and sanded to the final box shape.

I sanded the box with 80-girt and 120-grit on the belt sander.

Sanding the box with 150-grit and 220-girt paper with a palm sander.

Applying top coat of 3-4 coats of precatalyzed lacquer. I use an HVLP sprayer.

Hand-rubbing with Micro-mesh sandpapers after the finish has dried for 12 to 24 hours. Depending on the desired gloss, I can use a progression of papers ranging from 3600-grit to 12,000-grit.

The box is completed!