On the Hackney Tools site, I don’t go in for practical woodworking techniques and demonstrations, as there are so many people out there doing an amazing job already. However, I found this little box project over on a great blog, Giant Cypress, and I thought it was such a simple, yet useful design, it was worth mentioning. The site’s owner is Wilbur Pan, who lives in New Jersey and the site is well worth a visit. I’ve taken the main elements of Wilbur’s design and in an hour or two yesterday, with some scrap pine from the loft, I had a great box for some moulding planes I need to store.
Wilbur’s box has a very Japanese design, with a sliding lid. I actually couldn’t use the lid design, because the end pieces would catch a couple of the planes when withdrawing them. However, I’ll add another type of lid later. Main thing is, the planes are now in their own home, and I’ve inserted a partition, to hold them from moving around. The box will be for storage now, until I find a workshop space. Then I’ll simply put it on a shelf and it will work as a holding rack.
This box isn’t particularly pretty, but it’s so simple and you can adapt the design to your own needs. Nice one, Wilbur.
3 replies on “A quick box project”
Very nice. I too had noticed the simple efficiency of this design and will be making some. I wonder if this design could form the basis for a steam punk “systainer” storage system for the new old school guys.
I can’t quite tell from your photos; is the bottom of yours captured inside the sides, or did you put it beneath the sides like in the original? Just curious; I’m about to make one or more of these.
Hi Jim,
I cut the inside bottom to length, (having measured the length of planes racked up), then screwed on side pieces, to give ends and bottom square ‘U’ shape. Then I attached long sides, remembering to make the overlong each end by the thickness of the stock I was using for the side handles. Then I just glued on the side handles and everything was flush.
Now I just need to work out a lid design. I’ll probably just cut something flat with a tongue underneath so it falls into place and holds.
Cheers!
Gary