Make your own loco stock boxes! (picture heavy)

[plasticbasher]

I was unsure where to put this post, but as it most relates to rolling stock, this sub-forum seemed the best place; Mod’s please do move if you think differently…

 

Two warnings in advance; making these stock boxes takes a surprisingly long time (the below is the process I have now evolved after some experimentation):

1.     I now understand the prices asked for the pre-assembled generic boxes, even though they must be made in a factory.

2.     Marking and cutting must be as accurate as possible…inaccuracies get magnified in the final assembled boxes and the lids won’t fit the bases.

 

By way of background.  I tend to buy loco’s cheaply and repair / improve them (i.e. they are secondhand, often damaged and usually unboxed).  I’ve been storing them in a big plastic crate for a while, but this is really not an ideal situation.  The risk of damage is too great, they get dusty if not wrapped and those locos which are essentially a collection of parts tend to “disperse in the abyss”.

 

I looked on eBay and discovered some people sell their empty Bachmann or Hornby boxes – but frankly I was surprised (disappointed?) at the prices they can fetch.  Sometimes over £20 each..!  Further searching came up with two sellers who sell purpose-designed loco stock boxes.  The better looking pre-assembled ones are over £4 each; the others (which you fold up yourself) are only around £1.15 each (sold in packs of ten).  However both types store loco’s on their sides, which I really didn’t want (see below).

 

Casting around, I realised I had quite a lot of 1mm card left over from re-framing some pictures several years ago.  I’d bought 6 big sheets, but only used three (and still had big pieces of those three).  Being tight, I decided to Google for instructions on making “presentation boxes” and found a site where you can enter the sizes you want and it spits out a PDF plan you can print out (http://www.templatemaker.nl/; I used "Box with Lid" right at the bottom of the page).

 

I decided I wanted my stock boxes to store single loco’s (maximum size being adequate for OO gauge Stanier Pacifics or a Gresley P2) and it was important to me the loco’s were stored resting on their wheels - I’ve found resting on their side can damage valve gear and it must stress the body to chassis attachments.

 

The internal dimensions of the box I arrived at were 32cm long, 4.5cm wide and 6cm high.  I put those dimensions into the template-maker on the website I’d found, choosing the presentation box with a separate lid design.  Then I printed out the resulting templates (base and lid) – they don’t come out full size incidentally unless you want them printing on multiple sheets of paper (I decided to print each design to fit a single sheet of A4 and use it as a reference for marking out the card using a steel rule and pencil.

 

After printing the plans out, I did adjust the design a little before starting:

·         The flaps at the end of the sides were extended to almost meet in the centre on my revised design to maximise the adhesion area of the flaps when glued to the end of the box.

·         I decided the lids should come halfway down the sides of the box base (ie. 3cm).

 

So, in addition to 1mm card, here is what you need:

 

 

·         The glue I chose is waterproof Gorilla Glue (a 60ml bottle is probably enough for 50-60 boxes and lids!).  Tesco and Asda sell it for about £3.50 a bottle.  I’d previously decided PVA wouldn’t be strong enough...personal scepticism rather than experience.  Gorilla Glue needs clamping firmly to hold the pieces while it sets and one half of the joint should be damp (not soaking wet…) to maximise curing strength.  It sets like a rock, but if you use too much you will have to clean up when everything has cured as it expands a bit like expanding foam as it sets.  Be aware this is not superglue, but it contains isocyanates and so you need to ensure the glue has really set before using the box - you can safely remove the clamps after 2 hours, but I am not using the boxes for a week after putting them together in case of any superglue-esque hazing of the contents.  Also this glue’s label warns it stains skin – I used disposable gloves when handling pieces of card covered in wet glue.

·         You really do need that long steel rule (and a shorter one is very handy).

·         I used a Stanley knife and changed the blades frequently (the cutting needs to be sharp and dead accurate - I used at least 5 blades making 13 boxes, 3 good lids (and several “test” lids that failed the cut).

·         A huge A2 self-healing cutting mat is definitely recommended -  £8 from The Works last time I looked.

·         The pieces of wood are to protect the card and spread the clamping load while the glue cures.  Random off-cuts are fine, but do trim them to about the right size.

·         I’d recommend using mini F clamps for this job incidentally – old clothes pegs won’t do.  Prices vary wildly, but I already had some…the cheap ones would do fine, but they are pretty horrible (get half decent ones if you’re going to do any woodworking another day).

·         The grease-proof paper is to stop the wood sticking to the box (Gorilla Glue will stick the grease-proof paper, but won’t soak through it).

·         The pizza cutter is for “pressing” the fold lines (you do not want to cut them, hence I didn’t get one of those crafting rotary cutters).  I found I had to tighten the rivet holding the cutting wheel to the handle to ensure it didn’t wander everywhere.  I used a vice and clamped the rivet so tight the pizza cutting wheel only turned freely after I oiled it; but it doesn’t wander everywhere now!

·         The big steel set-square helped marking up when I wasn’t sure if an edge was perpendicular and also help fold up the box neatly.

·         I also bought some self-adhesive plastic sheet (Fablon “Chalkboard” – ref FAB10008) which can be had for about £6 a roll if you shop around – surprisingly I found Hobbycraft are currently cheaper than the big DIY chains.  You can probably find equally good alternatives – I liked the look and could get hold of the Fablon stuff quickly, so that’s the principle reason I chose it.  As you will see, I use this to cover the boxes - very tricky to do neatly (no in-progress photo's as you need three pairs of hands!), but once you get the hang of it, they can look almost professional..!

 

Because I was covering the boxes with the self-adhesive plastic sheet, I anticipated the lids may not fit if built strictly to plan, correctly as it turned out.  So I made a batch of identical box bases, covered several with the plastic sheet and then measured their outside length and width before adjusting the lid’s plan to suit.  I actually had to make three "prototype" lids before I got it right (a snug fit, but not so snug it was too tight).  Keep a record of your changes, so you can replicate them once you find a decent fit.

 

Step 1:  download, print and adjust the plan

 

Step 2:  mark out the card accurately; try to maximise the number of boxes or lids per sheet - you’ll be surprised how much card you use – use leftovers where possible when “prototyping” the lids

 

Step 3: cut out the card accurately (notice the triangular fillets removed from the bottom of each end flap)

 

Step 4: accurately use the pizza cutter to roll along the fold lines firmly (two firm passes at least and be careful as the pizza cutter definitely wants to wander)

 

 

Step 5: fold the box or lid up – the set square and ruler definitely aid this (doing it by hand produces terrible results).  The 1mm card will start to split so fold no more than about 130 degrees (don’t worry, the Fablon will hide and reinforce the folds)

 

 

Step 6: glue up the ends (too messy for photo's).  If using Gorilla Glue, apply glue to one side and spread with your finger - damp the other with water.  Use a disposable glove (if you wipe the glue off the glove with a piece of kitchen towel you can reuse the glove several times)

 

Step 7: put greaseproof paper between the wood and the card and clamp securely while the glue sets (adjust everything before final tightening of the clamps) - having wood pieces cut to the same size as the inside width of the box helps a lot, but you’ll develop a knack after the second or third attempt).

 

Step 8: remove clamps after a minimum of two hours.  Check your loco’s fit (I plan to arrange bubble-wrap like the photo to make them easier to remove  CORRECTION - see bubble-wrap warning in the replies below).

 

 

Step 9: once everything has cured for 24 hours, wrap in the self-adhesive plastic sheet (surprisingly fiddly…but again you develop the knack).  The self-adhesive backing doesn’t really set for a while, so if you are careful you can restart any total disasters.  A roll (45cm x 1.5m) doesn’t go far, so try not to have too much wastage

 

Once you’ve made the boxes, make the lids following exactly the same process.  Bear in mind you’ll have to add about 2-3mm to the length and 1-2 mm to the width in the plan – experimenting is necessary.

 

Ta da….custom stock boxes..!

 

 

 

Just don’t think you’ll get rich making these manually and then selling them to other modellers…it’s a slow process limited by the number of F-clamps you have.  I can glue up three bases or lids at once, as I have six mini F clamps.  For those weighing up the potential costs, one piece of A1 card (circa £3 I think) makes 10 lids or 6 bases based on dimensions I used.

 

Plasticbasher

Edited October 22, 2017 by plasticbasher

[37038]

What a simple solution! Do you use the bubble wrap to lift the loco out, or is there enough 'give' in the box to grab the loco sides?

[teaky]

Nice strong boxes there Plasicbasher.

 

Just one comment if I may.

 

I bought an unboxed loco (a blue Hornby A4 coincidentally) off ebay which came well wrapped.  I regret leaving it in the bubble wrap though as it now looks like it has been attacked by an octopus.  I think it is going to be difficult to rectify the damaged paintwork.

 

This specific aspect of storing stock has been covered elsewhere and after several recommendations of acid-free paper I was heading down that route until someone suggested pieces of well washed cotton sheets.  That is what I intend to use once my round tuit arrives.

[plasticbasher]

Thanks for the comments 37038 and Rob.

 

I've edited the original post above (a missing photo, some typo's, the link to the template maker I used, flagging Rob's excellent warning about bubble wrap etc).

 

1. "Do you use the bubble wrap to lift the loco out, or is there enough 'give' in the box to grab the loco sides?"

The sides are reasonably flexible but I planned to use the bubble wrap to life the loco out.  Looks like I will not be using bubble wrap though...

 

2. Regarding bubble-wrap "...someone suggested pieces of well washed cotton sheets.  That is what I intend to use..."

Thanks for the warning!!  I think I'll copy your idea of cut up old cotton bedsheets.

 

 

Plasticbasher

Edited October 22, 2017 by plasticbasher

[DCMarvel]

Yes be careful, some bubble wrap has a coating that seems to stain, possibly when it's been used before and picked up a contaminant, so avoid pre-used bubble wrap.

 

My collection is all housed in white card boxes divided inside using foam core stuck with neat PVA. This way I have customised each box for the stock required. I got the idea from the 'Warley stock box' which comes as a 2 layer with ready made liners that lift out and can be altered to suit which I use for my exhibition stock. These are excellent boxes but hard to source and very similar boxes without the liners can be had in large quantities for peanuts from the famous auction site, for use at home.

 

I prefer this so keeping stock in the original boxes as that makes it much more bulky, and I can have a rake of wagons running round in less time than it would take to get a couple out of their original boxes as they are all in one place. I don't bother about the original box adding value, I don't do model railways for the value I do it for the fun.

[sp1]

Yes be careful, some bubble wrap has a coating that seems to stain, possibly when it's been used before and picked up a contaminant, so avoid pre-used bubble wrap.

 

My collection is all housed in white card boxes divided inside using foam core stuck with neat PVA. This way I have customised each box for the stock required. I got the idea from the 'Warley stock box' which comes as a 2 layer with ready made liners that lift out and can be altered to suit which I use for my exhibition stock. These are excellent boxes but hard to source and very similar boxes without the liners can be had in large quantities for peanuts from the famous auction site, for use at home.

 

I prefer this so keeping stock in the original boxes as that makes it much more bulky, and I can have a rake of wagons running round in less time than it would take to get a couple out of their original boxes as they are all in one place. I don't bother about the original box adding value, I don't do model railways for the value I do it for the fun.

‘Warley’ stock boxes are available from Modellers Mecca (now internet only since the shop closed a few weeks ago.)

[jonhall]

.  Being tight, I decided to Google for instructions on making “presentation boxes” and found a site where you can enter the sizes you want and it spits out a PDF plan you can print out (http://www.templatemaker.nl/; I used "Box with Lid" right at the bottom of the page).

 

 

That's a useful page - have you thought about a Sillhouette cutter - that could do all the cutting for you, very accurately and leaving you to just do the assembly?

 

Jon

[Rhydgaled]

On 22/10/2017 at 09:46, plasticbasher said:

2. Regarding bubble-wrap "...someone suggested pieces of well washed cotton sheets.  That is what I intend to use..."

Thanks for the warning!!  I think I'll copy your idea of cut up old cotton bedsheets.

For years I've been planning to make up new boxes for my unboxed rolling stock using the white stuff that is like little balls all stuck together (I think it's called expanded polystyrene) that Hornby used to use for train sets and loco packaging. Because I will be using random bits of this polystyrene from incoming packaging etc. I intended to line the inside of the box with cotton sheeting (I think I read somewhere it should be undyed cotton to avoid damaging models) as a barrier to avoid reactions between the polystyrene and the paint. I've finally obtained a hot wire cutter to cut the polystyrene but as well as a bit of white cotton I've been offered some silk and some muslin fabric. Does anyone know if silk and viscose (which, according to Google, can be a component of muslin) are safe to use in contact with models for a prolonged period?

[Andy WD]

Bubble Wrap and EPS, (Expanded Polystyrene), will both leach oils from the original manufacturing process. This will attack some paint as it is generally petroleum based. (As the company I work for found out to our cost on 'Piano Finish' products!)

It's probably also worth noting that, in our experience, even having a cotton layer between the paint and the packing, if using EPS, will not stop some marking taking place at pressure points

 

Silk or muslin should be fairly neutral if undyed. I use an undyed cotton cloth which so far has worked without any adverse effect.

[locomad2]

Interesting myself I've been making DIY stock boxes for over 40 years and learnt from bitter experience pitfalls, damage, frustration, from poor packing.

 

Firstly manufacturers own boxes are the worse performers, not only taking up twice the space but often cause more damage to stock than just left in newspaper, worse are those left in Polystyrene foam, and clear plastic which goes brittle cracks or  turns yellow etc.

 

Nearly all my stock is now in DIY boxes made from FREE cardboard packing based on original Hornby Dublo boxes made in the 50's and 60's. These have lasted over 70 years in some cases, caused no damage to stock, take up little space and easy to store. My own boxes are easy to make, have caused no problems, and take minimum space.

 

From experience about only "plastic" which doesn't seem to cause any damage is Polyethylene foam, often found in packing cheap, light, easy to obtain. Here some examples 

 

Small bit stuck on back of flap to protect coupling on stock

 

For locos tend to use thicker card, this came from "Beer" packing

 

 

DIY loco cradle 

 

 

Best of all 2mm sheet cut into strips for ballast it does accept water paints with a bit of pva added,  this example is about 25 years old and has outlasted Peco foam. I've some triang type foam from about 1967, again in perfect condition.