A Box For The Workstand
I've been working on a project that has slowed me down a bit in my posting. I have a couple of days that I'm waiting to hear about something, which gives me a chance to post some recent activities in making a box for the workstand.
You'd think you could buy a box easily and cheaply. Stores that sell boxes singly charge a lot for them, if they even have the size you want. We have a large box manufacturer here in Denver, but you generally have to buy "bundles" of 20 or more. Furthermore, they recently imposed a $100 minimum charge, making it impractical to have to buy several bundles to get one or a few boxes.
So I found a source for plain cardboard and set about learning to make boxes. While I have the workstand in mind, this process would work for other kinds of boxes for anything one might want.
I decided that the dimensions I wanted were 25" x 15" x 12". I found reasonably priced plain cardboard in a 40" x 48" size.
(Plain 40" x 48" Uncut Cardboard)
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I figured I could make the box out of two halves, getting one half from each sheet. I came up with the following design for cutting out one half from each sheet. Along with it is a piece to line the inside, for a double wall.
(Box Design)
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The pattern needs to be marked and cut from the cardboard sheet using a good sharp box cutter. A sample of the box half and its liner for a double-wall are shown below.
(Half Cut From Sheet)
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Next, the cardboard needs to be creased or scored, so as to bend where you want it to. For this I used a roller tool that Janey had, otherwise used to press the little round rubber cord around the edge of a screen door. It's the red handled tool, with a wheel at each end. I use it with a straightedge to gently weaken the cardboard. This usually takes ten to twenty passes with the roller for each bend. One side only, the inner side of the bend.
(Creased For Bending)
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The box needs to be assembled from the two halves using contact cement. Contact cement is applied to both surfaces and allowed to dry about fifteen minutes. The seemingly dry surfaces bond instantly. I used a heavy bench vice and a toolbox insert to weigh things down in perfect position while the contact cement dries. You only get one chance with contact cement.
(Contact Cement Before)
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(Contact Cement After)
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This has to be done for both overlaps. The first one is laid out flat, as shown, and pretty easy. The second one is a little trickier, since you have the box formed back on itself. After both halves are joined and the flaps cemented together, a box is formed. With the bottom flaps folded in and glued, the box is stable
(Box Folded)
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Using the long strip that was cut along with the box half, a second wall is made to fit inside. The wall is already double where there is the overlap connecting the two halves together. An "L" shaped piece is made to add to the overlap, extending it half way around the box. An additional thickness is added to the floor of the box, as well. Everything is glued together with contact cement. The fifteen minute drying times at each glue joint, or set of joints, makes the box take a little while to build.
(Double Walls Added)
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(continued in following post)