Cigar Box Pen Storage Case

[bobioden]

Mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it.

 

 

I have been wanting a pen storage case for some time now. My pens are all over, some in drawers, some on my desk, and some still in their boxes.

 

Nothing I have seen has jumped out at me and said take me home. I did see a case made out of a Cigar Box and since I have a number of them I decided that was the way to go.

 

Here is a Step-by-Step with pictures on how my case came together.

 

The pen trays were ordered from gopens.com, there are 6 colors available, I choose the Gray.

 

Here is the box I decided to use. I chose this one because I wanted 2 trays. The size is 11 1/2"x8"x2"

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest1.jpg

 

 

Here is a pic of the inside of the box

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest2.jpg

 

 

Here is a pic of the grey trays

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest3.jpg

 

 

I needed something to support the top tray. These paint stirrers for Ace Hardware fit the bill. They were also free. They are 1" wide so I cut them down to 3/4" with an Exacto knife. I doubled up on the side ones to give it some more depth

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest4.jpg

 

 

The box with the side supports

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest5.jpg

 

 

After cutting the bottom tray to fit, this is how it turned out.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest6.jpg

 

 

I used a piece of fiberboard cut a bit smaller than the inside dimensions to make the base for the top tray

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest7.jpg

 

 

Here is how it looked in the box

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest8.jpg

 

 

I cut another gray tray and glued it to the fiberboard, and added some tabs to the sides so I can remove the tray when I need to get to the bottom tray.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest9.jpg

 

 

Here is a look of the top tray in the box

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest10.jpg

 

 

Bottom tray with pens

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest11.jpg

 

 

Top tray with pens

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest12.jpg

 

 

Top tray in box.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/bobioden/Chest13.jpg

 

 

The whole project took all of 2 hours tops. I like the fact that all my pens are together and I was able to use one of my own cigar boxes. This case holds 28 pens, as my collections grows, I will just make another

 

Any questions or comments are welcome.

[bluecrayon]

What a great idea. To be able to use one collectable to display another really personalizes your collection. And a nice collection it is.

Dan

[helius]

That is neat!

 

I've been wanting a decent case for my nicer pens, and the specialty pen cases are just a little expensive. And every time I've wanted to get one, I ended up getting a pen instead! :ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd:

[p-zero]

VERY NICE!!

[Maja]

Nice job! I remember the thread in which you asked what colour pen trays to order. The grey background shows off your pens nicely (as I suspected ).

 

Last week, I got a free cigar box from a pen store that also sells fine cigars and am planning to convert it to a pen box, too. It's not as nice as the thick wooden cigar box you have and it's smaller, but I think it may be able to accomodate two layers of pens.

[HyperCamper]

That looks really great! By the way, where can those trays be ordered?

 

Edit: Woops! Just read where they can... :blink:

Edited December 10, 2006 by HyperCamper

[bobioden]

Thanks all for the nice compliments.

 

Maja- I am glad I took your suggestion on the gray tray. I really does show off the pens nicely. Thanks again.

 

HyperCamper - The trays came from gopens.com They come in 6 colors, 12"x16" that are just cut with a scissors.

 

 

Bob

[scout]

What a great idea - thanks for sharing! Now I have a use for my grandfather's cigar box.

 

Thanks!

[sonia_simone]

Nicely done! And thanks for the detailed step-by-step. Hmm, I just might give this a try.

[scribbler]

Very nice! Thanks for the pictorial how-to (which will come in handy once I find a cigar smoker with extra boxes, lol).

[mfwebb]

I have bookmarked this thread and am keeping it for future reference.

 

I realise that I have a beautiful wooden box of almost the same dimensions which started life as a storage box for 35mm slides.

 

I have transferred the slides to another spare (plastic) slide box and removed the fittings from the original, leaving myself with a polished wooden box with a red velveteen bas just ready for fitting out.

 

I will let you know when I've done it.

[sonia_simone]

Well, I got started anyway by putting the pens lying around my desk in a cigar box, wrapped up any old how in crumpled linen nib wipes.

 

Will check out gopens.

[DRP]

Ingenious!

[AndreaDuni]

I really appreciate your cigar case, because of it is YOUR work, because of it a good recycling idea, and because pen cases cost a lot!!

My next pen case must be made by myself.

maybe with decoupage of my gf.

[Judybug]

What a beautiful pen case!

 

Judybug

[rustynib]

Again,

 

this stuff is why FPN is so great!!!

 

Very nice pen case.

 

Thanks for sharing,

 

rusty

[fibreglass_works]

Very Well done. Do allow me to say something Please.

Bewared the last time i did that with this ciga boxes, MY gold pen tarnish... I think is due to the Cige smell boxes.

Hope yours is Ok. BTW How to get the grey tray?????

[garyc]

Very Well done. Do allow me to say something Please.

Bewared the last time i did that with this ciga boxes, MY gold pen tarnish... I think is due to the Cige smell boxes.

Hope yours is Ok. BTW How to get the grey tray?????

Pure gold is chemically quite inert, so should not tarnish/oxidize/corrode at all, in 18K form it should still be relatively inert, 14K less so. If you had a problem from the remnants of a cigar box I would guess the gold is probably not that great quality (alloyed with cheaper metals).

 

I have a box on order to try and emulate this case. As Bob mentioned, his trays came from gopens.com

 

Anybody know if similar trays can be purchased in the UK?

[OldGriz]

Here is another one from Richard Binder's site

Cigar Box Pen Storage Case

 

I managed to find two of these cigar boxes and am waiting for the tray inserts...

[bobioden]

BTW How to get the grey tray?????

Trays came from gopens.com

 

GoPens.com