Making a Replica of Original type Box for a set of 8 Houes

Post by **Tom Hull** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:13 pm

I have nearly a complete set of the so called Fair Set - lacking only the church but with one variation of one of the houses so enough to justify building an original type box for them for storage. This does one of two things. Provides excellent protection for the houses AND for anyone that follows me groups them together for posterity. Something we all need to think about. I have done this before but not quite in the same way. I used full enveloping lids on those but this is a duplicate of the authentic antique originals that I own. It is custom made to this set of houses. These houses all measured the same length depth and height. by adding 1/2 to 1/4 inch to these dimensions (except for the depth) I made a fairly tight fitting box with an authentic style lid.

Photo one shows the set together in the box. This is also great for display as well. Photo 2 shows the box and the separators lying on the size of sheet of cardboard I was using. It took a bit over 1 1/2 of these sheets. This is a fairly large box. The cat's name is Coaly. My old momma cat had 3 snowballs and a lump of coal hence Coaly. The three snowballs turned out to be lovely lavender points. Photo 3 shows the lid lying on the completed box.

This project is fairly easy if you know the basics of laying things out with a ruler and yardstick (which is just a big ruler). When I was in the 3rd grade my mother taught in the rural school where I attended and she taught EVERYBODY how to use a ruler in laying out things as she thought it was practical knowledge - she was right as I used it ever since. First basic rule is Close counts only in horseshoes and A bombs but NEVER in drafting. Second have an accurate starting point - in this case the edge of the sheets of cardboard are straight and true AND accurately cut and this is your starting point. Make sure you have accurate measuring instruments (rules)

Material you will need is: A sharp knife. I used a NEW heavy orange utility knife.
Yardstick and ruler. Sharp pencil. Stapler or glue and of course at least two large sheets of cardboard
I purchased my sheets of cardboard from a printing office who use them for form and tablet backs.
I would get heavier cardboard for this IF they had it. Mine is tablet back weight.

Post by **Tom Hull** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:57 pm

This first photo shows the method of stapling the box together that I used. This seems to have been a fairly common method though some were glued together. Your choice. I also used this on the lid though perhaps glue may be a better choice.

In the sketch below the solid lines are to be cut and the dotted lines need to be scored and folded. This layout is basically the same as that needed for the lid except my lid has a 1" lip.

The next two photos are the specifics that I used to make this box. HOWEVER your box may be different. The way you determine the floor of the box (which is the base from which everything else follows), is to multiply the length of the base by 2 and add 1/2" to each house or in this case 6 1/2" + 1/2" = 7" X 2 = 14". This is the width of the box. To get the length I measured the height at 5" and added 1/4" to come up with 5 1/4" Multiply this by 4 and that = 21" So the bottom of the box is 21" X 14". The depth of the base of the houses is 3 3/4" + 1/4" = 4" so the sides are 4". Though I got this last set of figures wrong on my layout sheets below the information is basically correct.
The separators were made 1/8" shorter than the length and the width and 1/16" lower than the 4" edge of the box. As I said everything is based on the basic dimensions in this case 21 X 14 X 4. The slots (it takes 3 slots on the long separator), are about 1/16" wide and a bit over 2" deep.
For the lid I wanted about a 1" lip around to going back to the basic dimensions of 21" X 14" gives 23" X 14" AND then added 1/8" to either dimension to give an overall freeboard so the lid will go OVER the box. This is important. You don't want it TOO much over but it does need to be some over. This one fits pretty tight and is a bit hard to put on BUT it stays on too which is an advantage.
Remember if you are going to do this (I SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS FIRST) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SET OF HOUSES WITH THE SAME DIMENSIONS. They don't have to be exactly the same but at LEAST 1/8" of each other. You may have to enlarge your basic dimensions if you houses aren't close enough alike. I would suggest using the LARGEST dimension of a house if they are not the same. ALSO that is what THESE houses needed. Yours may (and undoubtedly are) have different dimensions. There are at least two other sizes of bases to these Fair Set buildings but I have the most common ones here. One was bigger and wouldn't have fit.
Hope I wasn't too obtuse.

Post by **BrianB** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:16 am

AWESOME TOM! Thank you so much for doing this!!! It's on my list to try. Love the cat pic, I have a black cat that does the same thing when Im laying out houses on the big sheets. I found a local store similar to Dick Blick, that carries all weights of chipboard in 2' x 4' sheets, best part is they are just under $3 each.
I love the Red House variation, I didn't notice that before in your pics, very cool to see the white balcony!!

Post by **Tom Hull** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:50 am

BrianB wrote:AWESOME TOM! Thank you so much for doing this!!! It's on my list to try. Love the cat pic, I have a black cat that does the same thing when Im laying out houses on the big sheets. I found a local store similar to Dick Blick, that carries all weights of chipboard in 2' x 4' sheets, best part is they are just under $3 each.
I love the Red House variation, I didn't notice that before in your pics, very cool to see the white balcony!!

Actually a very light blue coconut balcony and roof using Pete's light blue coconut - a hard color to achieve he tells me. This light blue is pretty washed out in my picture. This color was original to this house. Notice the switching of the placement of the door and windows too. TKH

Post by **BrianB** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:55 am

That's even cooler! I'm guessing he has to start with all white coco before adding blue, which adds a whole other step. Haven't tried to do light blue yet. LOOKS GREAT THOUGH!!!

Post by **Howard** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:10 am

tom...

looks just like a "new" storage box should...especially the staples...wish i could contribute a label or something else...

now...about those "pesky cats"...gotta love 'em...so independent and into everything...grew up with a houseful as a kid...

i have to comment on the value of the yard stick...once it was a permanent fixture in every home...guess those days are gone

...every company gave them away advertising their services and products...not any more...i have a couple hanging on the wall in my shop...and use them regularly...hate to admit it but at one time i had a collection of about two dozen

...also a collection of almost 200 carpenter's pencils

...but that's another story for a different forum...

my very best regards...howard...

Post by **paulrace** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:47 am

Very Nice, tom, thanks a bunch. . . .

Post by **Tom Hull** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 10:52 am

Howard wrote:tom...

looks just like a "new" storage box should...especially the staples...wish i could contribute a label or something else...

now...about those "pesky cats"...gotta love 'em...so independent and into everything...grew up with a houseful as a kid...

i have to comment on the value of the yard stick...once it was a permanent fixture in every home...guess those days are gone ...every company gave them away advertising their services and products...not any more...i have a couple hanging on the wall in my shop...and use them regularly...hate to admit it but at one time i had a collection of about two dozen ...also a collection of almost 200 carpenter's pencils ...but that's another story for a different forum...

my very best regards...howard...

The old wooden yardsticks are SOMEWHAT useful but for this project I used a sturdy aluminum one which I especially like when running a knife along the edge. I have had the experience of cutting INTO the wooden straightedge. No comment on your pencil fetish! Thanks for your comments. I copied a label from grabbing and storing the very poor photo of the original label on Teds HOM site. However it came out pretty gray and sort of matches the box though it's a bit blurry. Just heard from Antoinette (in sunny COLD 50 degrees Florida) and when she gets back to true north she will send me a picture of the label on her box. I will just put that one on the other end! Perhaps if people are still interested that picture to be copied could be put on this site.

LOL