#pen box

Today I wanted a solution for an easy-to-carry box for my pencils that I can nest into each other (like russian dolls (those wooden box dolls you can insert into each other)).

My solution turned towards this hexagon-shaped box which uses basic Steckverbindungen, cuts and folds.

In the sketch you see solid lines - these need to be cut.

The dashed lines need to be folded.

I reduced the size of my blueprint sketch by 5% and by 10% to have smaller grids.

Then I transferred the three differently sized grids on foil and assembled them:

The first attempt:

This 3-box-assemble is not stable enough, because the foil I used is very thin and too instable. And I made lots of mistakes and was overally very sloppy with crafting.

Yet, overally this works ok. If I improve the previously mentioned aspects this box assemble will work fine.

I might:

- use thicker material

- be more exact with crafting each box

- consider using 3 clamps for additional stability

- improve the Steckverbingungen between the three boxes

I can insert the three foil boxes into each other.

(I might make photos later. but right now I am very sleepy and want to "laze around". )

Perhaps I might write a better-structured post later as well. (once I crafted the improved model)

Pen box with a group of East Indian ships, inside a Chinese river scene and a sampan. Qianlong period circa 1740

Pen Box from the Gun Set of Mahmud I, Ottoman Turkey,  ca. 1732

This pen box has an ink reservoir in the end with a lid that opens, and also holds a pen holder and a knife; it fits into the butt of a musket.