pen box? anyone have plans for a simple wooden box, really simple?

allen levine

Member
Messages
12,343
Location
new york city burbs
something that uses something like a corebox bit and can be glued together easy enough without many difficult cuts and alot of time,
And if you do, please include hinge ideas, Id hate to have to buy hinges, maybe a brass rod?(I could make the top sliding off, with a dado cut)
 
I can't think about anything simpler.

Pick a piece of wood longer and thicker than the pen.
b01.jpg
Cut one of the ends to make what will be the lid
b02.jpg
Drill a blind hole longer than the pen.
b03.jpg
Pin the lid to the box with a nail or a wood pin in a corner and you're done.
b04.jpg
To open the box turn the lid.
 
Or you could even try and turn it on the lathe and turn a small round tenon on the cap to fit in the hole...
 
But it is Allen we are talking about....

I'm sure once he settles on a design, he'll be cranking them out by the dozens!
 
i know, I was joking, but I think I came up with a good looking small box, using 3/16 wooden dowels as the hinge, so Ill make up 3 or4 tomorrow out of one piece of wood and see if they work out.
 
just experimenting

so this is what I came up with today.
Made 3 at once, tried to put one together, really should let glue on sides dry overnight, but I wanted to see how my idea would work.
Ofcourse, after working since morning, my eyes were a bit off, and I mounted and made the holes on top of box on wrong side,wood stuff 1423 (Medium).jpg but I got the general idea.
Unfinished, unsanded, just a tryout.
Took a piece of wood, around 5/4,(mahogany), 2 inches wide, jointed and planed, ran over round over bit on 2 sides, cut off some 1/2 inch thick slices for sides, then sliced it down the middle.
Ran both parts over corebox bit down center. Then glued sides to bottom.
Ran top again through smaller roundover to give it a bit of a grip, and then ran the back of top over a bevel so it opens easy.
Put it back together, drilled holes(will use drill press in future) on sides, 1/4 inch, put a tiny bit of glue into top portion holes, tapped in a 1/4 inch hardwood dowel,(only had light colored, did order some darker woods), cut it flush with flush saw, and all I have to do is sand and finish.
I will sand out marks before I assembly anything for the next ones, and I wouldnt make one at a time, its easier with all the bit changes in table to just do a whole bunch at once.
Not bad in my opinion, simple, for my simple pens.

I also finished restaining my door moldings, taped and painted my front door, sanded and stained the 2 shutters, and spent over an hour cleaning up the shop, (dust collector)

as far as the dowel used as hinge: I made a sample with two pieces of wood last night around 10:30 pm, and brought it in and kept turning it around to see if the dowel would break, or not turn good, or not last, after 210 turns, I said to myself, hey, what am I, an auto manufacturer test facility? Its a pen box, most likely the person willl throw it in his/her desk and never look at it again.The hinge works fine.(I only posted this work because Toni mentioned dont forget to post what I came up with, I know Im not turning out any presentation boxes Id put a Les or Mack pen into for sale)
 

Attachments

  • wood stuff 1426 (Medium).jpg
    wood stuff 1426 (Medium).jpg
    56.3 KB · Views: 95
  • wood stuff 1425 (Medium).jpg
    wood stuff 1425 (Medium).jpg
    53.9 KB · Views: 78
  • wood stuff 1419 (Medium).jpg
    wood stuff 1419 (Medium).jpg
    62.1 KB · Views: 77
  • wood stuff 1420 (Medium).jpg
    wood stuff 1420 (Medium).jpg
    51.5 KB · Views: 76
  • wood stuff 1424 (Medium).jpg
    wood stuff 1424 (Medium).jpg
    50.6 KB · Views: 80
Last edited:
By far the easiest pen box I ever came up with was an elongated box following the same principles as a needle box.

I chucked up a piece of stock with the correct length, rounded it up and formed a tenon on each end. The wood you choose must be large enough to drill out a hole of sufficient diameter to hold the pen you wish to store inside. Don't forget to include the clip in the hole diameter measurement plus a little extra.

I decided where to part the box in two. Then I chucked the long section in my chuck and drilled a hole of the diameter needed. You will have to clear the chips frequently.

Chuck the lid section in your chuck. Turn a tenon on the joint end to slip snugly into your box body. Then drill or turn the "lid" hollow so it can accommodate the pen also.
Join the two pieces together and turn then as a unit shaping as you desire. You may have to tape the joint to finish turn the lid end.

Then carefully jam chuck the box body on some waste stock and finish turning the other end.

Somewhere I saw where one creative person turned a box reminiscent of a cigar and glued a cigar band on his box near the join line.
 
After seeing what's available, I decided to buy mine. A rosewood box for a slimline that raises the pen as the lid is opened goes for about 7.00 while others start at 5.00. I can't afford to make them myself.

Bruce
 
originally, I was just going to cut a large paper clip down to a rod, and drop a few drops of CA glue in one end, let the other end turn freely.
If I was selling pens, I might think about 5-7 bucks a box, but to give it to someone, I can make a dozen boxes around my other work.
Id rather not add on to the cost of a gift, the wood doesnt amount to much costwise.
And 7 bucks a box? Thats 7 times what one of my pens are worth.
 
Last edited:
And 7 bucks a box? Thats 7 times what one of my pens are worth.

Not to the people who get them as gifts. You Made them something. Something unique and special. For one of the recipients of your pens, that pen is worth 7 times 7 times what the box is worth! :thumb:
 
Top