[gmcsmoke]

I'm making a couple pen boxes similar to this:

and about a week or so ago I made a test piece to make sure the dimensions and look was right. I noticed today since routing the pen bed the wood has cupped. Now I'm not too concerned on the pen bed since I believe the sides will keep the bed stable however I'm also hogging out the lid and I'm concerned the wood will cup inward over time and the lid won't close flush.

 

[woodnthings]

I think you are correct

The lid will cup more than the "body" of the box because the material has been removed to keep it apart and it's thinner now and will dry faster. It would be great if you could penetrate the pores with an epoxy or other chemical like etheylene glycol. Maybe the wood turners will have an idea...?