#box making

My first idea was to have the boxes set with fixed divider, one in the middle and others to make smaller compartments so the cards the silk is wrapped on, don't allow for one to slip under the rest. Finally I decided against that in favour of sliding dividers.

I used some board for spacing the middle divider though. Because in my experience that one is easily glued in with a bent and I don't want that.

Once the middle divider was glued in I could cut all my materials. I could have covered the outside of the box before gluing in the divider too, but it's much easier if you don't have to pay attention not to get glue on the cloth. In this case I used just one large slip of cloth and glued it on in one go. it's easier to do this in parts, but I like it a little better if there's only one overlap of cloth.

I only cut it a tiny bit too long.

But that shows in only one of the boxes. Otherwise it came out really nice and even with a nice mitre cut on the corners.

For the inside I picked a pretty paper (we'll see how well that holds up with the sliders... ) and decided to get largest part done in one go so the paper shows mostly one ongoing pattern.

I know from experience that the divider would be the part where board is most likely to flash through because I rarely get it completely right. So I took no chances and just gave the board there a black coating before I covered the short sides.

With paper stretch using one piece of paper that needs to be exactly right to look even is not simple. It's a tricky to calculate how far the paper will stretch and how much extra is needed to work the paper around the edges and into the corners... so I just didn't. I made a wild guess and got lucky.

These boxes will also have a divider in the middle so they can house 2 rows of the cards the silk is wrapped around.

I cut all my pieces first and set them aside. For the walls either the short sides or the long sides have to be longer than the bottom piece so it also covers the shorter walls. Whichever side was chosen, the other is exactly as long as the bottom piece. There sure are more ways, but that's how I do it (and the way that makes gluing all together easiest imo).

After cutting everything to size I prep the bottom piece by adding sellotape. Half of it gets taped to the bottom piece, the other hangs over. No need to have too much of it. just see that the corners are secured and, for larger boxes also the middle parts. (they tend to curve away from the edge they are supposed to be glued to otherwise). I set the box up on a piece of wastepaper so the table doesn't get all dirty. It doesn't matter if the paper sticks to the box since it gets cleaned up and covered anyway.

Then I start with the gluing. I usually prep the 2 sides and start with the ones that are exactly the same length as the bottom plate. Only a thin strip of glue is needed. One at the bottom for the same length sides, 3 on the the longer ones that get glued to the bottom piece and the other walls

Once the position fits, I use the sellotape to keep the wall parts in place and pulled close to the bottom piece and add a weight with a right angle to the table to stablise it further.

Same for the other 2 wall pieces. Once there is a corner, I check the angle fits and connect the walls with even more sellotape. Also more weights!, of if there are none, I shift the ones in use to the new place with fresher glue.

Now it's time to clean up excess glue (there usually is some on the inside). It's not terrible if it dries there, but if there is a lot, it leaves a small bump that can be visible after covering the box. A bonefolder works to scrape away the wet glue or board cut offs with a (somewhat) right angle.

Instead of sellotape rubber bands work too. Once the walls are all in place one at the bottom and one at the top of the walls can be used to squeeze all together and let dry.

Above are the parts I'm really happy with. The corners turned out nice and the bases are well centered. I like that a lot. Also, there is no board flashing from where I covered the box inside and I enjoy how the pattern continuous on the long sides, bottom and divider. I estimated the stretch of the paper right and, except for one corner, it came out very even. (Even there the step is minimal, visible, but still less than 1mm)

Here the onlay slipped and dropped to the cloth for a change it immediately stuck -_-

former design ideas looked different and needed me to cut the onlays at that corner too. I changed my mind but had already cut the first onlay. When the paper dried, it shrunk again and left that small gap.

I'm not entirely sure how that corner ended up being left open tbh. I'll just dab some colour on the board so it doesn't stand out that much and be done with it. This is, after all, a tool box for work.

This one happened because my cloth was a bit too long and when I cut it back I left it still too long for about 1 - 2 mm and now the fraying edge shows. I'd put some paste glue on it, but I already now the moisture will leave the edge stained, so I won't.

This here is minimal, but it tells me, the base could have been a tiny bit larger. There is some wiggle room for the upper box (no matter which one).