[TOTALLYRC]

Hi Pete, I would never tell but I hope she doesn't do a search for your replies,
it could get ugly.

Mike

[pete from TN]

Believe me, you have NO IDEA!!!! peace

[TarHeelTom]

Another nice idea is a trinket box, I did this one in aluminium with a sliding lid and magnetic closure. With some personalised engraving thrown in too.

I'm liking this box, and have a huge bunch of female cousins I'd like to make something for.

Can you give me an idea of the size of this box? I realize that there is only one critical dimension.

How did you hold it to profile the outside?

Where is the magnetic closure mounted?

Thanks

Tom

[LongRat]

The whole box was made into the bar end of a piece of oblong stock, and then sawn off at the base once finished. It was about 75mm x 50mm or so (3" x 2"). Then I flipped it, loaded into the vice and faced off the sawn base. As for the closure, a small NdFeB magnet is mounted in the underside of the sliding lid near to the finger pull. Another is in the wall of the box, hidden in the picture above. When fully closed, there remains an offset between the positions of these two magnets so that there is always some holding force keeping the lid secure. The magnets are held in with epoxy resin.

[TarHeelTom]

The whole box was made into the bar end of a piece of oblong stock, and then sawn off at the base once finished. It was about 75mm x 50mm or so (3" x 2"). Then I flipped it, loaded into the vice and faced off the sawn base. As for the closure, a small NdFeB magnet is mounted in the underside of the sliding lid near to the finger pull. Another is in the wall of the box, hidden in the picture above. When fully closed, there remains an offset between the positions of these two magnets so that there is always some holding force keeping the lid secure. The magnets are held in with epoxy resin.

Just wondering how you made the finger pull.

I was already in the beginnings of making a small "pallet". I'm plan to saw the bar stock to length, then turn it upside down and drill and tap perhaps 4 holes into the middle of the box, and then put a piece of flat material (Al sheet?) on the pallet, then machine around the outside, and perhaps face the bottom of the box.

Then turn the box right side up, in the vise, and pocket. The threaded holes will disappear as the pocket is routed out.

The magnet inside the box. Is it inside a "pocket"? Where and how is this pocket make?

Thanks

Tom

[LongRat]

Sounds like a complicated method, but if it works, go for it.
The finger pull was an 'island' of material left sticking up after the rest of the face of the lid was milled away.
The magnet in the box was in a small pocket, located on the edge of the box. Obscured from view by the lid in the photo.

[TroyO]

I considered making some "Fire pistons" for my family for X-mas. It is a small cylinder and a "stopper" that holds a bit of kindling in the tip. Kind of fun in that it actually uses air pressure to light a fire.

Fire piston - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You could CNC quite a bit of it, maybe do some engraving on it too. The case/handle need not be round, just the bore and piston.