thetyreman
Established Member
I'm still not clear what you mean by 'processed wood' Thomas?
Sorry. Processed is anything glued or pressed together, MDF, ply, strand boardI'm still not clear what you mean by 'processed wood' Thomas?
Thanks J, yes I have planned a tight fitting outer single wall cardboard outer. Do you Think that's enough?For the lightest weight, I'd go for an inner decorative wooden box which looks nice to hold and to present the items, and which does not need to be strong, and an outer cardboard box to provide protection.
A cardboard box can be very strong whilst being relatively lightweight, eg the boxes that hold fruit.
Obviously there will be padding in between the item and inner box, and between the inner and outer boxes.
Good suggestion, never done that before with boxes. JUST GOT TO GET A DESIGN!!!!How many boxes are you looking to make? If you are talking hundreds, with the same dimensions, it is probably worth buying them in flatpacked, once you've decided on a design.
Hi pidgeonpost, thank you for suggestions. Gives me a good bit to considerAn interesting challenge! I quite like the suggestion from @JohnPW - a box within a box - though maybe you would rather the box picked up a little (but not too much) character in transit? How far and how you are shipping it might influence your choice too I guess.
Would appropriate labelling help reduce the risk of damage? We have regularly received plants/shrubs labelled 'LIVE PLANTS - HANDLE WITH CARE'. These have all been in cardboard boxes though.
I'm no historian but I would guess that most such 18C boxes would have been pretty crudely constructed with comparatively few having furniture-quality joints.
I agree with others, plywood would probably be unbeatable for strength and minium weight, but I can understand why you might prefer solid timber as I think I might myself.
I'd be tempted to get hold of a wine or decoupage box off eBay and devise a 'trial run' of some sort. Maybe get a box a bit bigger than you need and use the timber to make your box to the exact dimensions you want?
If you wanted to use hardwood and it wasn't going to break the limit on weight, thin straight-grained oak is very strong and was often used for the sides of drawers on decent furniture. You'd need to reduce its thickness though. Maybe you can visit your local recycling centre or do a bit of skip surfing?
Don't forget that even a thin-walled box can be strengthened enormously by square or triangular inserts at the corners. I'm sure you could fashion a bit of additional bracing half way along the length of the box to beef it up a bit.
If you don't want modern posidrive or slot-headed screws you're stuck with nails I guess. The type of cut upholstery tacks can look a bit 'antique' as the heads are relatively large and a bit irregular - if you can get a suitable length. They'd need to be driven in flat to ensure no sharp edges too.
Johnpw, just reading through your post again. What wood and thickness would you then feel would be adequate?For the lightest weight, I'd go for an inner decorative wooden box which looks nice to hold and to present the items, and which does not need to be strong, and an outer cardboard box to provide protection.
A cardboard box can be very strong whilst being relatively lightweight, eg the boxes that hold fruit.
Obviously there will be padding in between the item and inner box, and between the inner and outer boxes.
Hi Paul, just going over the posts again, may I ask what thickness of ply would you suggest.I would go with laser cut finger jointed ply. It’s probably the only way the cost weight strength equation is going to work. You also have many wood choices in the ply and different grades. You can make them look as upmarket or utility as you like.
Hello Bob,Thomas it does seem to me that you are overthinking this. An attractively decorated cardboard box would probably be fine. On the few occasions that I've received something in a nicely made wooden box I've found it slightly annoying that, with contents removed, this nice box is now useless. I keep them until eventually I throw them away. What a waste! Think of the planet
3mm would probably be OK but you can increase that if more strength is needed. As you intend to compartmentalise the interior that will add additional strength and can easily be accommodated in the laser cutting process.Hi Paul, just going over the posts again, may I ask what thickness of ply would you suggest.
Also what finish would you think?
Thanks Paul,3mm would probably be OK but you can increase that if more strength is needed. As you intend to compartmentalise the interior that will add additional strength and can easily be accommodated in the laser cutting process.
You have lots of options for finish ranging from nothing at all, oil or paint. Choice would depend on the ply type you use. If you use a statement wood for the ply then a sympathetic oil finish would look great.
I should add that lasers can also engrave as well as cut. You could even engrave pictures of the plants, logos, writing, for the back ground story etc directly into the box.
Thanks Paul,
May I ask, such a laser cutter, what would I need to spend to get a machine?
Also, statement wood - you mean a selected wood face on the ply, right?
Thanks kinverkid!Tulipwood was a popular (poplar) wood used by the Victorians. I have recently been given three drawers, the chest has long been gone. The fronts are pine, the bottoms are single sheets of thin pine and the sides are poplar, all ends dovetailed. They are 1/4" thick, around the 6mm. A box of the dimensions you've given would be extremely light and, if jointed properly, quite strong.
Thank you Paul, need to research if there us a large scale company in northern ireland and go see them. That probably is best start.You can certainly get your own laser and for thin ply a cheap Chinese laser would be more than adequate. These are in the couple of thousand pounds range. You could go diy and get it down to a few hundred but that’s a project in itself. A laser to handle a full sheet of ply for high volume is a different beast and 10’s thousands in cost. There is also a bit of a learning curve but it’s fun. There are companies that can do the cutting for you giving you all the blanks ready to glue up. You could get a cheap laser engraver for the engraving if you go that route. I added that capability to my 3D printer for 100 pounds.
Yes you are correct. You can get ply in many qualities with different types of wood for the face. This has a significant impact on the cost of course but lets you make the quality statement you are looking for.
Thank you Paul, need to research if there us a large scale company in northern ireland and go see them. That probably is best start.
Does anyone know of any companies?
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