I am self-taught, and have the piles of exotic kindling to prove it. But through those "experiments", I have come to appreciate that less is more; a piece is often ruined by being too busy. Toward that end I strive to keep my work simple, elegant, and above all, let the wood be the star of the show. I prefer clear oil finishes as opposed to stains or other color embellishments, and I use only solid wood, no veneers. My goal is to create a piece worthy of handing down throughout the generations.
The wood I use is obtained from a variety of sources. The vendors from whom I purchase my exotic woods assure me that those woods come primarily from plantations. However, some of my most interesting pieces have come from wood scavenged and salvaged from mill scrap piles. I plane, mill and size my own boards from this "scrap". From that point it is a waiting game; all wood is air-dried for about a year so as to have less than 8% moisture content before use, which assures optimum stability.
Joinery is all-important, and I pay painstaking detail to make sure that all joints fit perfectly. The joints on my boxes are then reinforced with dowels. Rather than try to camouflage this reinforcement, I celebrate the joint by using contrasting dowels or splines on a 45-degree bias. This makes for a joint that is as beautiful as it is strong. I feel that the bottom of a box should be no less interesting and beautiful as the lid; often the bottom of one of my boxes is as intricate and time consuming as the lid. I install the selected wood into a groove milled on the inside of the box about 1/4" from the bottom edge of all four sides. In this manner the box and the bottom can expand and contract independent of one another during temperature and humidity changes. I use nothing but the finest solid brass hinges for the box lids; one could use cheaper hardware, but at the risk of durability and elegance.
A note about my trays: I use FDA-approved, water resistant glue on all joints, which is important if one chooses to use one of these trays for food preparation or as a cutting board. All woods used are nontoxic fruitwoods; maple, walnut, cherry, birch, hickory and some oak. I finish these trays with food-safe mineral oil, not vegetable oil that can go rancid. Approximately twice a year it is a good idea to reapply a liberal coat of mineral oil on the trays, allow to sit for a half hour or so, and wipe away any excess with soft paper towel or a cotton cloth. As with most wood items, avoid direct sunlight and excessive exposure to water and heat.