Thread: Filco slide boxes

Today I cut and dressed the timber for the sides...

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..... but then I had to remember HOW the iBox jig worked which was not the cerebral highlight of the day but I got there...

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..... and, by knock off time, I had the first 2 box frames in the band clamps....

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Made some good progress today, all finger jointing done, 4 glued up, 2 have top and bottom fitted

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..... and, since taking the photo, one of those 2 boxes has had the lid and body separated and the catches and hinges fitted. Now, all I have to do is work out how to make and fit the internal dividers.....

G'Day Alan,
I have some boxes of slides in the top cupboard from the 1970's through to the 1990's in some of similar boxes.
Before you do the ebay on the extra's I'd surely appreciate a at least one box please, thank you.
Cheers, Peter

Originally Posted by fletty

Now, all I have to do is work out how to make and fit the internal dividers.....

An Incra is the way to do those.(Do you have an Incra on the TS, I can't remember) Run the slots on a large piece of ply and cut off the strips.

Just a question if I may on the box joints. The image above (with the Ibox) shows that the fingers are cut with additional depth, allowing the protruding fingers to be flushed back to the side of the box after glue up.

Now I understand that if the two corresponding sides are of the same length, and the finger depth is the same, overall the box will remain square - so that’s not too much on an issue.

If the internal dimensions of the box are critical - let’s say to fit a certain number of slides, then the depth of the fingers becomes a critical dimension.

To determine the inner box dimension it will need to be the required dimension, say 200mm + 2x side timber thickness (say 2x 10mm), resulting in the sides needing to be a minimum 220mm.

Any additional over the 220mm will be the extending finger to be flush cut back to the sides.

Is there a rule of thumb for the additional overhang of the finger that needs to be trimmed?

I guess the additional length may help with and potential chip out at the end of the finger - but given the depth of the finger determines the internal dimension of the box, in theory it should be possible to start with the sides at 220mm and have the fingers finish flush without having to trim. Keeping in mind this is in the ideal world.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

An Incra is the way to do those.(Do you have an Incra on the TS, I can't remember) Run the slots on a large piece of ply and cut off the strips.

Thanks NC, I’m afraid that all I’ve got is ‘Fletty, the human Incra approximation’? See below.

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

Just a question if I may on the box joints. The image above (with the Ibox) shows that the fingers are cut with additional depth, allowing the protruding fingers to be flushed back to the side of the box after glue up.

Now I understand that if the two corresponding sides are of the same length, and the finger depth is the same, overall the box will remain square - so that’s not too much on an issue.

If the internal dimensions of the box are critical - let’s say to fit a certain number of slides, then the depth of the fingers becomes a critical dimension.

To determine the inner box dimension it will need to be the required dimension, say 200mm + 2x side timber thickness (say 2x 10mm), resulting in the sides needing to be a minimum 220mm.

Any additional over the 220mm will be the extending finger to be flush cut back to the sides.

Is there a rule of thumb for the additional overhang of the finger that needs to be trimmed?

I guess the additional length may help with and potential chip out at the end of the finger - but given the depth of the finger determines the internal dimension of the box, in theory it should be possible to start with the sides at 220mm and have the fingers finish flush without having to trim. Keeping in mind this is in the ideal world.

Hi Sir Stink’ its been a long time between banters! I’m sorry but I misled you with that photo. That was the BEFORE result. I aim to have the fingers stand proud by only a poofteeenth which I believe is 1/17 of a mm? One of the beauties of finger joints is that if the outside of the box is to be 220 x 320 then the sides are cut to 220 and 320. No calculation required other than the possible addition of 2 poofteenths?

Here is how the ‘human Incra approximation’ made the prototype set of dividers this morning......

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IF I hadn’t dropped them on the floor and IF I had marked them so that I could put them together in the correct order I wouldn’t have got that nice curvy effect?

They usually charge extra for the curvy effect

I took a bit more care, marked out the slot spacing with dividers, WORE READING GLASSES and.....

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... ahh, that’s a LOT better!
Ive done a search for hardware and have enough latches for 5 more and no appropriate hinges. I can’t help but think the local constabulary, not to mention my DIL and nephew in the Police force NOR my daughters would think of this as an ESSENTIAL TRIP to St Bunnings? I may have to buy on-line

Bunnings online or Box Makers Brassware to support a smaller mob.

Originally Posted by Pat

Bunnings online or Box Makers Brassware to support a smaller mob.

Yes, thank you Pat, that’s a good idea. I’ll check with both Box Makers and Veneer Inlay.

Ive had a bit of a reality break through with the slide filing. I have (literally) hundreds of slides all of the same aircraft simply because I was involved with it and did a lot of flying in it. There really is no need to label and file all 300 photos many of which were taken on the same spot at Camden! I’ll choose a dozen or so that have good light and blue skies and just save them. I ran out of hoop pine and can only make 7 (in this batch?) so it looks like 4 or 5 for me, 1 for Crowie and 1 for luck?

Didn’t get started in the shed until after I’d found ALL of the hidden Easter eggs ....... yup, BOTH of them!
Boxes Number 3 to 7 finished with a first coat of WOP......

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........ and the dividers all assembled and ready to be installed

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...... tomorrow should see the job finished ...... well, as far as making the boxes is concerned?
The sorting and filing may take a bit longer!

They look really good Alan.

I’m calling it job done. All finished except there’s a catch. Actually, there are 2 without catches!

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I have been through all of the known little boxes of aircraft slides, and some previously unknown, done my detective work for place and date, labelled about 3,000, sorted them by manufacturer and model and added them to the existing library in the ‘old’ Filco boxes. 4 of the ‘new’ boxes were needed to house the expanded collection and all of the file boxes have now been re/numbered and labelled with first and last aircraft manufacturer/model in each box.

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This had been one of those jobs that had been hanging over me for about 30 years and so it has been SO GOOD to get it done. I doubt however that it was worth the whole World being in lockdown for me to get it done?