Design and Construction

Customising a Box


Metal loans box
Metal cases are durable and look professional. For health and safety reasons you should choose cases that are not too large or heavy to handle. Case sizes also need to correspond with existing storage facilities.

Plastazote foam is an ideal material for protecting and supporting objects inside the case. It is hard wearing and inert - so will not affect the condition of the objects.

Resources:
Metal case
Sharp knife - essential for accurate cutting
Plastazote in 3 thicknesses - 7, 15 and 30mm
Set square
PVA adhesive
Metal straight edge
Chalk
Metal ruler
Large hole punch
Weights

Step by step construction guide
Lining the base of the box

Step 1

Line the base and sides of the case with 7mm thick plastazote. Glue in place and leave to dry
Line the lid of the box

Step 2

Cut a piece of 30mm plastazote to fit inside the lid. If measured correctly, it should squeeze into the lid and won't need to be glued
Level the box

Step 3

Use 15mm and 30mm thickness plastazote to fill the box - 15mm below the level, to allow for a 15mm thick plastazote overlay
Object level with the top layer

Step 4

All the objects should be level with the top layer. To do this, you may need to cut into each layer of plastazote to fit in objects of greater depth
Draw around the object with chalk

Step 5

Once the layout is decided, draw around the objects with chalk
Cut out the shape

Step 6

Start cutting from the top layer down
Items in box

Step 7

Ensure the holes match up by placing the layer you just cut, over the lower layer and draw around the edge of the cut. When all cutting is complete, check the layers fit in the box and then glue in place
Box with weights on

Step 8

Weight the plastazote down and leave to dry overnight

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