At our April meeting, John Shannon shared his process for turning elegant lidded boxes, offering members plenty of practical tips along the way. John begins with a blank where the grain runs parallel to the lathe bed. Using a bowl-style blank with alternating grain can create problems with lid fit, as seasonal wood movement may cause the joint to go out of round. The overall size and height-to-diameter ratio of the box are left to the turner’s preference, although John favors a lid height of approximately one-third of the finished box height, with an additional 6–7 mm added to the bottom for the tenon that fits the lid. As with many pleasing forms, the golden ratio is his preferred design guideline.