Weekend Pen Chest Project

[sargetalon]

When I first started with fountain pens, I purchased an awesome St. Louis Rey Rothchilde Cigar Box from Bama Pens that would hold my ink bottles and it had a tray on top for 6 pens. My collection has sice grown beyond 6 pens and I was looking for an expanded storage solution. My problem was that I could not find a satisfactory solution that was within my price range so I took matters into my own hands earlier today and got crafty. Here is what I came up with and I'm interested to hear what you think...

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/e_zpsa59aeb77.jpeg

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/b_zpsd7db58e1.jpeg

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/d_zps7f9f28f0.jpeg

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/c_zpsb0accd37.jpeg

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/a_zpsea94904c.jpeg

 

This box will hold 13 pens. It has a magnetic closure. The lack of glass lid will help protect against UV damage. Overall dimensions of the box are 10x7x3 inches. Total cost for this project was $28.08 after taxes and shipping. Materials used were:

 

-Craft box w/ magnetic closure from local craft shop: $7.99

-Styrofoam block from local craft shop (cut to fit): $6.99

-12x16 grey slotted display tray from Go Pens (cut to fit): $7.00

 

I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome...

[my63]

I think you should be pleased you have made a very nice box.

well done

Michael

[Diver53]

Very nice What did you use to make the tray?

[sargetalon]

Very nice What did you use to make the tray?

 

The tray was a purchased product from Go Pens. Cost something like $12 with shipping all told. Comes as a large sheet in a variety of colors which can be cut to suit your purposes.

[Harlequin]

That's cool. I wonder how much more difficult it would be to make something, using the same kind of materials, to keep the pens vertical (nib up)? Or even on an incline, of course making sure the lid can close w/o impediment?

[Merrib]

Very nice looking pen box. Nice job.

[sargetalon]

That's cool. I wonder how much more difficult it would be to make something, using the same kind of materials, to keep the pens vertical (nib up)? Or even on an incline, of course making sure the lid can close w/o impediment?

 

I was contemplating putting the pens on a slant. It certainly wouldn't be difficult and I think this box would accommodate that as it is fairly deep. Being my first go, I just went straight across and the more I use it, the more pleased I am with it. If I keep acquiring pens at this rate though, I may have to look at a double decker for my next project.

[nana_kathy]

Well done!

[Harlequin]

That's cool. I wonder how much more difficult it would be to make something, using the same kind of materials, to keep the pens vertical (nib up)? Or even on an incline, of course making sure the lid can close w/o impediment?

 

I was contemplating putting the pens on a slant. It certainly wouldn't be difficult and I think this box would accommodate that as it is fairly deep. Being my first go, I just went straight across and the more I use it, the more pleased I am with it. If I keep acquiring pens at this rate though, I may have to look at a double decker for my next project.

I think you should make that a goal! Lol!

[N2theBreach]

I think you did well. Your cost of materials list includes a styrofoam block. Is that underneath the slotted tray?

[sargetalon]

I think you did well. Your cost of materials list includes a styrofoam block. Is that underneath the slotted tray?

 

Yes. The box was a little too deep to just put a pen tray down so I put a bit of Styrofoam down to bring it up a little.

[Beckeeper]

That's cool. I wonder how much more difficult it would be to make something, using the same kind of materials, to keep the pens vertical (nib up)? Or even on an incline, of course making sure the lid can close w/o impediment?

 

I was contemplating putting the pens on a slant. It certainly wouldn't be difficult and I think this box would accommodate that as it is fairly deep. Being my first go, I just went straight across and the more I use it, the more pleased I am with it. If I keep acquiring pens at this rate though, I may have to look at a double decker for my next project.

 

Since the bottom is lined with foam, the foam could be cut on a slant to keep the nibs up.

 

Cigar boxes and some cigar box inserts are ideal for this kind of thing, although most cigar boxes I come across would only be deep enough for one row. I'm working on something similar with a cigar box that I can do two rows in, but only four pens across. The trick is being able to get the inserts out easily, I'm thinking ribbon. And while writing this, I just thought of another cigar box that comes with inserts and has three tiers to hold 24... Hmm, I wonder if the wells are the right size for pens?

 

Gorgeous work!

[Yomillio]

Some inspirational work there - might have to go make one of my own now

[mikalehtinen]

Nice work! congrats for a perfect storage box!

[arrow king]

If you hunt flea markets for vintage pens you are bound to run across old silverwear boxes. These are quality boxes, normally felt lined often with dividers. Usally have a hinged top and a second drawerunderneath. A little sanding, fresh coat of varathane maybe decorative handles, your favorte pen pics glued to outside or inside top and varathaned to seal and protect. Whatever suits your collection. Box should cost around $10 to $20 depending on condition and type of wood. If you don't have trays, or want to customize, buy matching coloured felt. Lift out the innards, felt glued over good cardboard, redesign with number and size of slots desired. Glue or blind stape etc. into place. Craft stores, dollar stores, have adaptable wood, internal trays etc. If you can install a sac you can adapt a box. So it is a little more showy on a desk or coffee table glue four button legs to the bottom set back from the corners. Old checkers, or the like work or simply use furniture felts from a hardware store. Remember the boxes were orginally designed to show off the family silver so adapting them to showoff your pens is on a par.

[Squire]

Nice looking box, and functional!

[Green Ink]

I had the good fortune to wander into a smoke shop where the owner had a giant cardboard box full of cigar boxes and was giving them away. I got 3 very nice wooden ones.

 

I put the liner from gopens in them. (My advice is to buy more liner than you think you'll need, as I bought one liner and the shipping was almost as much as the liner. I wish I'd bought 3!)

 

So that was cheap and fast. 10 pens to a box. (Maybe not a solution for a large pen collection.) The cigar boxes are good looking too.

 

That said, Sargetalon, your box is wonderful.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Green Ink

[scrivelry]

Very nice job, indeed.If you want other boxes to match, get the boxes now, because the craft stores change the designs on them from time to time. And I agree totally with the purchasing of more pen tray liners than one thinks one will need... I have managed to account for two without any trouble at all, and am trying to decide into which box to put the largest part of the third. Depending on how things line up, sometimes you can cut with a scrap big enough to put in a smallish box that can sit on the desktop, or...

[Art]

Nice box. I like the way you've put it together. I think the idea of slanting the pens is a good addition too.

[MrThoth]

Nice work! I definitely like the look of the box. Have to see if I can track one down online. Can you provide any more info about the specific type of cigars it held, or other identifying info?

 

I did recently discover that there are some folx on Etsy selling old cigar boxes for very reasonable prices. One that I ordered came with a tray like the one in your box already built in -- so I ended up with a nice box that holds 10 pens and cost me about $4. I wish the clasp were a little more secure, but as long as I'm just using it to carry pens around the house that's not a huge deal.

Edited August 5, 2014 by MrThoth