Question for you wood workers....

[Richard]

Number of years ago, I made a box for my wife's niece. She wanted it to be purple, so I used Purple Heartwood.

Think of similar dimensions but slightly bigger AND distinctly deeper for an upcoming box.

Details:

1. Box would be used to house/display a family bible that is easily 100 years old
2. Bible is big. Let's call it 12w x 14 tall x 10" deep. This isn't a book you hold on your lap.... maybe better suited to be displayed on a stand.
3. Bible will be inherited by my sister when the time comes
4. I'd like to make a protective box/case for it


Part of me says to maybe use walnut. Part of me says it would be nice to make it out of Olive Wood (presuming I can find sufficient size boards.... I'd like to think I could)

The questions I'm pondering have to do with how to assemble box so that book can EASILY be pulled out or put back in. Meaning, if the book is let's say 12x14 and the box is 13x15 you have little room to squeeze your wiggling fingers in there (since they'd have to go down about 10" to get to the bottom) so you could pull book out.

Gets me thinking, what about having a base.....with four HINGED panels and a top to hold them together? Seems flimsy to me if you wanted to carry said box/book to your car for example

What about a flat base.... the walls would be attached (think shoe box with no top NOR any bottom) Probably dovetailed corners. Now, you can pull the top off much like a cake plate and have unencumbered access to said bible.

Similar to above but now, sides ARE attached to the top which would be exactly like a cake plate. But now, how do I fasten said wood to base so it would hold together or do I just leave it as two distinct sections where the top could be knocked around, relative to the base?

Yeah, I over analyze things.


I like the idea of Walnut.....I think that could look beautiful. I also like the idea of the Olive wood, think that also could look nice BUT also has a bit of linkage to Israel as I know Olive Trees (wood) is common over there..... I got a carved olive wood chess set when I was in Bethlehem)

So looking for some ideas that might clarify some of my floundering. I'll be giving this to my sister when she inherits the bible. Dad is 94 years old.

Here is the first box I made for my wife's niece. She also wanted to attach a bird to it so we set the bird into a hole. The bird is removable so it can't be smashed if you are moving the box.

What I didn't account for was her love of unicorn stickers. Gave her the box.....she got it home and she's plastered it with stickers, much like you might see a car with 45 bumper stickers plastered all over the back side showing where it's been. Oh well.... they can be sanded off if need be!

 

[Richard]

Side comment, I know the lid/hinge format of this box won't work with the Bible box.

 

[bigtiller]

Instead of a box & hinge, how about making a drawer for the bible to sit in?

Just like a kitchen drawer. The drawer will slide into a box you make. Maybe it will have some type of clasp so the entire unit could be carried by the drawer pull.

 

[big bubba]

might also consider heartwood red cedar as well. nice work on the dovetails

 

[Richard]

Instead of a box & hinge, how about making a drawer for the bible to sit in?

Just like a kitchen drawer. The drawer will slide into a box you make. Maybe it will have some type of clasp so the entire unit could be carried by the drawer pull.

im thinking same issues with the four sides verses wood sides not giving good room to grab it.

bible has supposedly been rebound by father but it shows its age and frailty. im mortified that the act of putting or taking out will possibly damage something.

im not a wood worker which is why im looking for ideas/opinions

 

[bigtiller]

im thinking same issues with the four sides verses wood sides not giving good room to grab it.

bible has supposedly been rebound by father but it shows its age and frailty. im mortified that the act of putting or taking out will possibly damage something.

im not a wood worker which is why im looking for ideas/opinions

Just thinking out loud here..

Maybe the drawer has really short sides and only extend half-way from front to back?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Make the 4 sides solid, attached to the top. Make the top with a glass insert, maybe just an inch of wood around the perimeter.
Then, make the bottom to fit in or on the bottom base. Use some fancy brass "pins" on each side to secure the sides to the bottom.
You will be able to see the bible through the top, but easily remove a couple pins, then the whole top and sides lifts off, giving full access.

 

[Richard]

Make the top with a glass insert,

Not to be pun-ish..... but there's thinking outside the box!!!

I really like that idea.

 

[yanmars]

If you cannot find olive wood in the sizes you need you could glue smaller pieces to size.

 

[dstig1]

Lots of ways to skin this cat. The lid doesn't need to be flat. You could make the lid also include the 2 sides so when you lift the lid, it lifts the 2 sides so you have free access to the sides of the bible. Or the sides and front all together.

You could make the box larger on the sides so you have enough room to reach in.

You could make the sides flip down separately.

The lid could be the box that just lifts off and then the base is just flat. Like a cake carrier. Kinda like flipping the box over.