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The project:
My partner and I recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary, to celebrate the occasion I built her 10 magic/trick boxes, each with a gift concealed inside. Each box had different materials and mechanisms to solve, with a lot of them using recycled/repurposed elements and featuring magnets, springs and hinges.
- The Jigsaw box
- The dual hinged box
- The magnetic chest
- The centre pad box
- The casino box
- The moving feet box
- The dice box
- The pop rivet box
- The jail box
- The cube box
- Materials:
Spotted Gum floor boards - HanWood 8mm 1.92m² Spotted Gum Natural Variance Water Resistant Laminate Flooring - 8 Pack - Bunnings Australia
89x19mm DAR Pine - 89 x 19mm 1.2m DAR Pine Standard - Bunnings Australia
Selleys PVA wood glue - Selleys 100mL Aquadhere PVA Wood Glue Interior Adhesive - 100ml - Bunnings Australia
M6 Threaded Rod - Macsim M6 x 1.2m Hot Dipped Galvanised Threaded Rod - Bunnings Australia
Heat Shrink tube - Raychem 7.4mm x 1.2m Heat Shrink Dual Tube - Bunnings Australia
Prestige 45mm hinges - Prestige 45mm 602 Pattern Florentine Bronze Decorative Butt Hinges - 2 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Butt Hinges - Lane 70mm Polished Stainless Steel Fixed Pin Butt Hinge - Bunnings Australia
Prestige Handles - Prestige 76mm Antique Copper Metal Handle - Bunnings Australia
Hasp and Staple - Zenith 38mm Zinc Plated Light Safety Pattern Hasp And Staple - Bunnings Australia
Prestige Brass Catch - Prestige 35 x 19mm Decorative Brass Catch - Bunnings Australia
Cabots clear varnish - Cabot's 4L Matt Oil Based Cabothane Clear Polyurethane Timber Varnish - Bunnings Australia
Everhang Magnets - Everhang 8mm Rare Earth Disc Magnet - 10 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Self stick vinyl tile - Ideal Winton 457 x 457mm Grey Quartzite 8971 Self Stick Vinyl Tile - Each - Bunnings Australia
M6 wing nuts - Pinnacle M6 Stainless Steel 316 Wing Nuts - 4 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Magnetic Catch - Taskmaster 38mm Push To Open Magnetic Catch White - 2 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Biscuits - Ryobi No.20 Wood Joining Biscuits - 100 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Dowels - Ryobi 6mm Fluted Dowel - 100 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Cupboard knob - Ikonic 20mm Satin Chrome Notched Cupboard Knob - 10 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Brass Brackets - Prestige 12 x 38 x 1.5mm Brass Decorative Bracket - Bunnings Australia
Pop Rivets - Otter 4.8 x 12.7mm Open Aluminium Blind Rivets - 100 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Tas Oak - 20 x 8mm 1.2m Tasmanian Oak Dressed Board - Bunnings Australia
Eye hooks - Everhang 20mm Zinc Plated Screw Eye Hook - 10 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Gate hook - Zenith 50mm Zinc Plated Gate Hooks And Eyes - 2 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Double Roller Catch - Taskmaster Zinc Double Roller Catch - 4 Pack - Bunnings Australia
- Tools:
Ryobi one plus Multi tool - Ryobi 18V ONE+ Multitool Kit - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi one plus Impact Driver - Ryobi 18V ONE+ Impact Driver RID18 - Tool Only - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi one plus drill driver - Ryobi 18V ONE+ Drill Driver RDD18 - Tool Only - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi one plus angle grinder - Ryobi 18V ONE+ 115mm Angle Grinder - Tool Only - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi one plus Circular Saw - Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP 165mm Brushless Circular Saw RCS18C - Tool Only - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi Jigsaw - Ryobi 500W 75mm Corded Jigsaw RJS750-G - Tool Only - Bunnings Australia
Biscuit Joiner - Ryobi 600W Corded Biscuit Joiner - Bunnings Australia
Ryobi Plunge Router - Ryobi 1600W Plunge Router RRT1600-S - Bunnings Australia
Makita Belt Sander - Makita 76mm 3" Belt Sander 9924DB - Bunnings Australia
- Step 1:
The Jigsaw box
- Measure and cut the four sides of the box
- Cut a channel into the inside of the timber to allow for the floating floor insert
- Route a channel of the tip edge of the box
- Cut the floating floor board insert and top pieces
- Cut the locking blocks and threaded road
- Drill the sliding channel for the threaded rod
- Glue the box together
- Cut jigsaw pieces allowing a little excess to trim for a tight fit.
- Sand and varnish
- Step 2:
The dual hinged box
- Measure and cut the timber for the bottom half of the box
- Cut a channel into the inside of the timber to allow for the floating floor insert
- Glue the box together
- Cut the box at around 2/3 of the height
- Measure and cut the timber for the top half of the box and glue together
- Fit all hinges, latches and handles
- Sand and varnish
- Step 3:
The magnetic chest
- Build chest including drawer (I found mine at an Op Shop)
- Set floating floor about half way up
- Drill and position magnets in the bottom half of the chest with the draw (make sure there’s enough clearance for the draw to open when the magnets are lifted)
- Install false floor
- Build two magnetic catches using threaded rod, magnets and heat shrink
- Set the magnets into the side of the chest
- Sand and varnish
- Step 4:
The centre pad box
- Measure and cut the timber for the box
- Cut a channel into the inside of the timber to allow for the floating floor insert
- Route a recess into the top of the box to allow for the lid
- Glue the sliding panel to one of the bottom corners of the box
- Glue the box together
- Cut and set a block of timber in the centre of the sliding panel
- Set the push to open catch onto the centre timber
- Set the cubes on top of the box and glue in place (not the centre)
- Fix a metal plate and length of threaded rod to the underside of the centre square, aligned to fit the push to open catch.
Sand and varnish
- Step 5:
The casino box
- Measure and cut timber ensuring a small ledge internal to the box
- Glue box together
- Set some magnets into the base of the box to hold the trap door
- Cut the rounds, I used a hole saw
- Sand and Varnish
- Step 6:
The moving feet box
- Measure and cut timber for the box
- Cut a channel into the inside of the timber to allow for the floating floor insert
- Glue the box together ensuring the float floor insert moves freely
- Cut the box at around 2/3 height
- Fit the internal locking mechanism
- Install magnets on opposite polarity
- Install feet, hinges and latch and pop rivets to lock into place
- Cover with adhesive wall paper
- Step 7:
The dice box
- Measure and cut the internal slide panels
- Measure and cut the internal box
- Measure and cut the eternal panels
- Fit biscuits and cut groove channel
- Install magnets
- Glue together
- Sand and varnish
- Step 8:
The pop rivet box
- Measure and cut timber for the box
- Cut a channel into the inside of the timber to allow for the floating floor insert
- Cut channel around outside of the box to mask slide out sections
- Cut bar lengths and drill holes to set ensuring height to catch pop rivets
- Glue box together
- Cut and install top slide panel (note I used an old crib board)
- Drill some holes for pop rivets
- Cut pop rivets short leaving some long to catch on the bars (I used 16)
- Sand and varnish
- Step 9:
The jail box
- Measure and cut timber for internal box
- Glue box together
- Cut cell bars,
- Drill holes and insert cell bars
- Mark, drill and glue dowels in top and bottom
- Cut sliding bars/keys for outer box
- Measure and cut timber for outer box
- Place keys and screw together outer box
- Fit the internal box and slide keys to lock
- Step 10:
The cube box
- Cut timber to allow for floating floor inlaid strips to be placed
- Glue strips into cut grooves
- Measure and cut timber to suit a cube
- Glue box together
- Fit double roller catches
- Sand and varnish
- Fit eyelets to base
- Fit objects to the outside of the box for distraction
