The funny thing is this "new gene" / "mutation" was, as is the case with evolution, accidental - totally unforseen when I started the piece. Ironically, it was because I cheated when hollowing the bottom part of the box. Instead of drilling a small "max depth of cut" hole, I used a series of forstner bits to get most of the waste out quicker. The largest forstner bit I have left me with a thick wall to thin down - with a skew - as a scraper. When I thinned down the wall, it left a another lip near the top of the inside of the box.
Funny how the brain looks for connections / associations / progressions / relationships. "A" makes you look for/ think "B". So when you have "A and B", when there's a "C" as well -you look for "D". And that's how it happened.
Outside lip?
Outside lip. Outside lid.
Outside lip. Outside lid. Inside lip?
Inside lid!
Here's what the actual set up looked like. I've since made several more of these "wedge pin chucks" to match a 9/16ths, 5/8ths and 3/4 inch forstner bit because I'm certain I'll need them somewhere down the line.
The only thing left to do was to turn a finial / handle / pull for the Inside Lid. And once again, fortune smiled on me. I'd turned most of it "between centers, a tenon / spigot on one end to go into the hole in the Inside Lid and ALMOST a full ball on the other end. After chucking things up to finish it, I was turning off the end of the ball.. Just for fun I decided to see how thin I could turn this wood. Turns out I could turn it pretty small. I had what looked like a small wooden top - so that's what I did. The double beveled skew, with its two 22 degree bevels kept me from getting into the tight space so I used a small, single beveled bench chisel to finish up and part off the "Teenie Weenie Tiny Top". Now I had ANOTHER surprise to go into this Surprise! box.
No surprise then that I turned several more Teenie Weenie Tiny Tops, one even with stepped beads! These things have to be the ultimate Low Risk Project. You can make half a dozens from a couple of inches of maple dowel - or whatever else you've got laying around the shop. Try it - you'll be surprised by how easy they are to make.
Yet another gene mutation - this one creating a whole new family of things to turn. No Intelligent Design here (which is not to say I'm not intelligent, merely noting that there was NO design effort made) - just an opportunist exploiting an accident.
