On Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 6:39:10 PM UTC-6, wrote:
What can I do to assure a tight fitting lid on a turned box after sanding?
I made a simple box out of Apple wood, and had the fit perfect... then
sanded it and the lid was too loose. A little shellac fixed the problem,
but I was planning on sanding to 1000 and letting the wood shine without
finish.

In the future, what can I do to ensure that the lid fits tight after
sanding? I want a fit where the lid sits nicely and doesn't rattle, but
doesn't take a hammer to install either.

This was a small box, about 1.5"x1".

Thanks,

Puckdropper

G, Ross had a good idea, the other thing you can do is to get the exact fit and do not touch it after that. If you put finish on the mating surfaces, you have a chance of the finish acting like glue and sticking the lid on.

Deb