Superb Pen Chest At Giveaway Price Of $40? Available Online And In Stores

[Gloucesterman]

Great approach. I'll see how it works for me.

[ac12]

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af174/fabienne301/FullSizeRender_zpsa8e38831.jpg

 

Wow, very slick. Looks great. Very precise. This one was done with 1/2" spacing. The drawer is 6 5/16" wide, so I cut the paper at 6 1/4" wide and it fit perfectly the first time. At 1/2" spacing, I could get 10 pens in one drawer. I would not do spacing more narrow than 1/2".

 

Done this before with cigar boxes. I used manila file folders.

 

You can tape/glue black velvet or self-stick thin felt onto the paper also. I used black velvet.

Edited June 7, 2015 by ac12

[Shan]

As I mentioned above, I ordered one yesterday, it was back ordered, scheduled for delivery in one week.

Ah, I must have missed that. I'm not sure I'll get mine as quickly, though: the reply to my email to Costco inquiring about a possible ETA reads, "Unfortunately we are not aware of the shipping timeframe as of now."

 

It's also available on Amazon now, though also back-ordered. I contacted Amazon to see if they might have an ETA, and was told, "I have checked the availability of the item and would like to inform you that, we don't have any more stock of "TRINITY TWM-3501 Wood Toolbox, Brown" right now, and we're not sure when we'll be able to get more. I realize this is disappointing news. I want to let you know that the instruction has already given to the manufacturer to supply the item as soon as possible but we’re not sure when we’ll get more of this item. We can't predict exactly how long it'll take us to receive this item or when we'll be able to ship it."

 

Serves me right for not ordering sooner.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Shan

[Fabienne]

So, if I have lined the small drawers with white cardstock scored and folded and it all looks so great, how about the larger drawers? Is there some handy cardstock-like substance I can use for them which will give me the neat one piece appearance of the regular cardstock? I could follow the advice of ac12 and I am sure it would work well BUT the drawers would be mismatched (heavens forfend). I think poster board would be too thick, any suggestions? Thanks, I am out of ideas.

[Manalto]

I'm assuming the goal is to prevent pens knocking into each other when the drawer is opened and closed. What about some kind of fabric with a deep, soft pile? Too linty? The latest fashion - fur-lined drawers!

 

ETA - there's also a foam material that's used for camera equipment, called "pick and pluck" where you can make recesses in the foam to accommodate any shape. Here's an example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pick-and-Pluck-Charcoal-Foam-10-5-X-14-5-X-2-with-1-2-pull-apart-grid-/360848825077?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5404441af5

 

(I didn't shop around to find the best example or best deal; just provided the link to illustrate the principle.)

Edited June 7, 2015 by Manalto

[AAAndrew]

For the deep drawers I had a though of seeing if two layers of pens might fit. Two layers of the card stock placed perpendicular perhaps?

 

For right now I don't have nearly enough pens to even begin to fill the chest. The conclusion I need to draw is obvious. I don't need a smaller chest, I need more pens.

[ac12]

If you make 2 layers, you need a support under the top layer so it won't sag and so you can remove it.

First you need something to support the top layer, I used paint mixing sticks from Home Depot, on both sides to make a small ledge.

Then I used paint mixing sticks from Home Depot under the folded manila folders. I used 2-side sticky tape to secure the folded manila folders onto the mixing stick.

The sticks under the folded manila folders would rest on top the ledge.

[Manalto]

For those with access to a sewing machine, tucks may be a way to go:

 

They can be kept stiff and erect by choice of fabric, various types of interfacing or by inserting reinforcing material (boning) individually into each tuck. (Pharmaceuticals are probably not an option.)

 

Whatever the method of making dividers or choice of materials (including adhesives), those who know more than I about chemistry may be able to advise about interaction with pen components, since the dividers will be closed in a drawer, presumably increasing the degree of chemical interaction. If it's paper, should it be acid-free and archival? What about plastics and volatile organic compounds? I'll probably choose black cotton velveteen and wash and line-dry beforehand. Each tuck can be reinforced with a nylon zip tie.

 

This conversation is going on down the street: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/291868-pen-tray-design/

Edited June 8, 2015 by Manalto

[ac12]

 

So, if I have lined the small drawers with white cardstock scored and folded and it all looks so great, how about the larger drawers? Is there some handy cardstock-like substance I can use for them which will give me the neat one piece appearance of the regular cardstock? I could follow the advice of ac12 and I am sure it would work well BUT the drawers would be mismatched (heavens forfend). I think poster board would be too thick, any suggestions? Thanks, I am out of ideas.

 

I taped 2 folders together to make a longer insert.

As for mismatch, that is what the velvet is for, covers up what is underneath.

[pen2paper]

were it me, and it's not for the moment, harboring resistance to expenditure, but slipping into fail mode.

I'd be doing a few steps.

 

• As many are, completely airing, and allowing time for curing.
• Dividers or liners would be inert acid free, also planning that the box will be stored in a dry dark area, avoiding anything that wicks moisture.
• Pens would be divided by material, not color, avoiding a mix of material that need air-circulation, and separation from materials that can accelerate deterioration, corrosion, oxidation, especially by direct contact. Who saves rust objects? The become rusty in a damp environment, and that environment can be initiated be as simply as airtight with off-gassing = moisture (plastics)

 

I did a very unofficial experiment some 20 years ago, adding air holes from the bottom up, *to avoid dust entry" of stored plastics, and so far very few have degraded. (plasticiser migration, color shifts, crazing, melting goo).

 

These boxes in discussion appear a wildly good idea, amazing price for nice quality.

• Being quirky me, appreciating old objects/old materials, I'll probably drill an air-hole or two if it appears too airtight. Unfortunately most pens by design have both plastics, and metal, which considering their age, beauty, and usefulness seems a small extra step to include air circulation to insure their longevity.

[MKB]

I checked my local Costco with no luck on. So, figured I would back order one. Even though I was late pulling the trigger on Sunday, I received a notice of shipping and tracking today which when checked shows that a label was created. Keeping fingers crossed that it means one actually has my address label stuck to it and is headed out the door.

Edited June 9, 2015 by MKB

[MKB]

Update: Even though my purchase on Sunday 6/7 showed it was on back order, the tracking now shows it in route to arrive tomorrow 6/11. Maybe they had a few extras?

[Manalto]

Update: Even though my purchase on Sunday 6/7 showed it was on back order, the tracking now shows it in route to arrive tomorrow 6/11. Maybe they had a few extras?

 

Same here; ordered Sunday, I was warned it was back ordered, and tracking (UPS) shows it will arrive tomorrow, Friday. Mine is coming from San Pablo, California. Maybe yours is coming from the east coast!

[delano]

there's also a foam material that's used for camera equipment,

 

I am not sure that would work well -- too much lost space between the pens

[Manalto]

I don't care for the pick-and-pluck foam either. I'd be concerned that the foam might react with the materials in the pens. Aesthetically, it's not pleasant to touch or to extract pens from, I would imagine. However, if a small enough grid version of the stuff exists (a row of 1/2" grids between pens, for example), it wouldn't waste space. I'll probably do a variation of the tucks pictured above, probably in a napped fabric (velveteen, ultrasuede, etc.) with some kind of padded stiffening inserted into each tuck. I'll experiment with it and report back, if anyone's interested in that method.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Manalto

[Christopher Godfrey]

I hate to appear to be a kill-joy; but I must add a few comments and see if anyone agrees with me...

 

While I was happy to join in the buying frenzy for this amazing value, when the actual storage chest arrived, it was immediately obvious that three or four (proper) bottles of ink will fit in the small, upright drawer/compartment in the centre of the chest -- and that is about all. The other drawers are far too shallow to accommodate anything but pens and renovating materials or nib-smoothing equipment.

 

OK, my modest collection of pens numbers less than forty and so I could, at most, fill two or three of the half-size drawers. At present, I carry and keep them in a couple of felt-lined leather pen cases -- and I think that is where they will stay.

 

At worst I could keep some smoothing materials in some of the drawers; but -- as a pen-storage chest -- I am afraid it is overkill, over-heavy and far in excess of what I should need...

 

I give them 9/10 for value, mind! Good deal. Anyone else?

[katerchen]

I can fit a bunch of inks in there ...

 

http://i.imgur.com/J9E79NK.jpg

[Manalto]

I can fit a bunch of inks in there ...

 

 

 

Those aren't "proper" bottles of ink, silly.

[AAAndrew]

The only bottles of ink that I have are the tall think bottles, like Aurora and Noodlers. I'm sure there are others as well Ackerman comes to mind but, alas, I don't have any of that ink. Even my Parker Penman bottle fit enough that I could close the lid and lock it.

 

I guess this just means I have to buy more tall bottles of ink so that I'll have something to not like about this chest. So far, I haven't found anything.

[luckduck369]

The only bottles of ink that I have are the tall think bottles, like Aurora and Noodlers. I'm sure there are others as well Ackerman comes to mind but, alas, I don't have any of that ink. Even my Parker Penman bottle fit enough that I could close the lid and lock it.

 

I guess this just means I have to buy more tall bottles of ink so that I'll have something to not like about this chest. So far, I haven't found anything.

 

The akkerman won't even fit in the upright drawer in the middle... too tall I guess