I’ve been trying to make a simple wooden keepsake box for my niece, but I keep messing up the lid because the wood warps a little after I cut it. I’m just using basic pine from the home center. Has anyone else dealt with this, especially when trying to get a really clean fit for the lid? I’m wondering if I should let the wood sit in my workshop longer before I even start.
I feel you that lid fight is real. Pine moves with humidity and a freshly cut lid can bow in ways you dont want.
Let the wood acclimate by stacking flat in the shop with the same humidity as your final space for a week or two before you cut for the lid.
Maybe pine is fine if you control humidity and make crisp straight cuts the lid will seat easier.
Another angle is the join plan the lid may be off because the frame is off not because the wood itself.
Try gluing up the box first and then trimming the lid to final size after the glue dries so you are working with a stable base.
I had a similar wobble with pine and a light finish on one side before final assembly helped stabilize the movement and keep the lid behaving.
Challenging the frame here the clean fit might be about expectations as well a tiny gap or a subtle bevel can still look neat on a keepsake lid.