First Coat of Oil

     So, what do you suppose is lurking under this conglomeration of clamps?

Bet you Guessed!

     Yep, you were right; it's the assembled case for the Celtic flute.  Here it is with the clamps removed.  The tape is there to help me keep the pieces straight during assembly, it's happened that a board was flipped or put in the wrong sequence so the grain doesn't match up anymore.

Unclamped, Mark on Right Indicates Lid

     I always like to use liquid hide glue for dovetails and finger joints since it has a longer open time and is relatively easy to clean up.  I tried Old Brown Glue for this project and so far I liked working with it.  The only disadvantage is that you do need to run it in a warm water bath to get a good working viscosity but I would do that with the Titebond brand I'd used before too.
     I decided to try a different approach on this case and  oil the case before I separated the lid.  Most of the bottom of the case is the insert that will hold the flute.  The top will have a foam piece that will put pressure down on the flute when the case is closed and hold everything securely.  After paring the finger joints flush and preparing the case, here's what it looks like.  I really like the ribbon grain of this piece of Sapele.  Well, admittedly I like it better to look at than trying to surface it -- interlocking grain makes planing or scraping difficult.  I chose this panel for the top because of the blemish just left of center.  I think it adds character, it's really not a blemish, just an interesting swirl in the grain.  Next up is lining the insides, a number of top coats, and then final assembly.  This is where things slow down, you just can't rush that 24 hours between coats!

Freshly Oiled