Thread: Pencil box sliding lid

Hi Tiger try here Sliding lid pencil box plan | free-projects or hear
American Woodworker - Google Books

regards pal

Thanks for the link pal, appreciated.

Thanks Pal, the designs you refer to are more complicated than what I remember making, they didn't have box joints etc. It was a very simple design and may have been the first project we made so it assumed no prior knowledge of any sort, still it remained durable for many years, just wish I still had it so I could study its construction.

Hi Tiger,

What a great name- go the Tigers.

We make these boxes at school (primary). The groove is precut (by me)- tablesaw or router. Kids are given a 60cm lenght and they work out their dimensions. Base is mdf or ply and is glued on oversize. The pixie cuts it down overnight. Lids are mdf or ply and need to be 'about right' and the pixie does the rest.
one box in picture appears to have 'mickey' filling in a bad child error- it's an optical illusion.
Some of them turn out wonderfully and are used for presents for grandad etc. I tell you if a grandchild of mine made me a box it would be worth its weight in gold.

Good luck with it Tiger.

Thanks Carry Pine, your boxes look good.

Depending on the age of your son Tiger, box joints or dovetail joints can be done by kids - don't underestimate them.

I have had Primary School kids make boxes with these joints in my classes with quite a bit of help of course. Secondary school kids in years 7 & 8 make them on their own with a bit of guidance.

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

Depending on the age of your son Tiger, box joints or dovetail joints can be done by kids - don't underestimate them.

I have had Primary School kids make boxes with these joints in my classes with quite a bit of help of course. Secondary school kids in years 7 & 8 make them on their own with a bit of guidance.

Son is 9, I assume that the kids do it all without power tools?

Tiger,

All the younger kids use hand tools however some of the more mature and older kids use the bandsaw and drill under strict supervision.

As you can imagine, there are a range of abilities and concentration spans but I attempt to push them all safely to the limit.

For the younger kids, it is important to keep their interest which is achieved by doing a lot of the work outside class for them leaving them to do the more progressive tasks such as assembly and finishing.

There are many who are determined to make the entire project themselves and their satisfaction is quite rewarding.

The choice of project is vital to the success and often varies from group to group.

Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks Pal, the designs you refer to are more complicated than what I remember making, they didn't have box joints etc. It was a very simple design and may have been the first project we made so it assumed no prior knowledge of any sort, still it remained durable for many years, just wish I still had it so I could study its construction.

Hi Tiger the links were mainly to give you some dimensions especially the first link. You could just use the measurements without the fingers of the box joints and do a butt joint or use the finger joint measurements and do a rebate joint.

Regards Pal

Thanks, Pal.

Hi,
When I was at school, in the '40's, the girls had wooden pencil boxes similar to one shown here

Build, Create, Repair

Wondered if it might help.
Bob H.

These are the ones I remember also back in the 40's when I was in school. Sorry about the quality of the pic but it gives you a good idea as to how it was made. Use to get one of these in my Christmas stocking every year. Long time ago. It typically had a lower section and an upper section to the box and the lid, shown at the bottom of the picture would slide and lock the swiveling top part of the box in place when top and bottom were lined up.

Thanks John.

I had never seen these boxes until I read this thread but, they reminded me of a little box I saw on an American PBS show called "The Woodwright's Shop with Roy Underhill". He called the episode "Dovetailed Grease Pot". There's a bunch of his past episodes on video there and you can watch him make everything with only hand tools. He even makes a Bible Box by hand in one episode.

If everyone's already familiar with Roy, I apologize for taking this off thread.

Best,
Jim