Beeswax and wooden boxes

Apart from my Patrick Collins’ box, I’ve got another, vintage wooden box. It shuts quite tightly and is in good condition, but as an experiment, I left some Toque Chocolate in it for a week or so before trying it again. It had lost quite a lot of its bouquet and flavour. Even though it passes the “shake test”, I guess it’s not entirely air-tight. So, I got a lump of beeswax and rubbed it around where the lid meets the box to make the seal tighter. Since I already had the wax out, I also rubbed the inside surfaces of the box, feeling that it might prevent the wood absorbing any moisture. I haven’t repeated the experiment, I’m using the box for a Madras ghee-based snuff, Umbrella snuff, which is a plain, unscented snuff, probably better suited for a wood box. I know @Basement_Shaman talked about using Paragon wax on the inside of a Patrick Collins’ for the same reasons, although it’s less well suited for the points where the lid and the body meet. Has anyone else had any experience with trying to seal the insides of a wooden box to improve its character?

This one:

For a flip top box. I had used some clear tape on the front lip of the lid. If the sides leak, checked by blowing through sides. I suggest using a clear epoxy; if your talented with two part epoxy and a file and sandpaper, It can be repaired or you could try several applications of high build polyurethane allowing drying time and sanding between coats You will need to strip the wax off before using these . if it leaks through the hinge, bees wax. Results may vary, best of luck.

Interesting. I got to be quite good at restoring eatate pipes, so I’m sure the procedures you describe wouldn’t be beyond me. Mind you, the box was already in reasonably good shape. No snuff comes out when you shake it. Just using wax seems to have improved it a lot.

I have a flip top rose wood La Jurassienne, because I live in San Francisco, I put it under a lamp until it was warm, and then rubbed beeswax. Other places one could leave it out in the sun, but sunny days are rare in San Francisco. I haven’t had any problem with it drying out my snuff, but I have snuffed from untreated wood boxes, and yes untreated wood boxes dry out snuff. Some will put their box in a jar with a bit of wet cloth to keep the snuff moist.