An 'Artillery' Nambu and Lahti

[DonVoigt]

Rich,
Nice work, that is exactly what you have to do!

One suggestion for the future, fit the hinge and catch to the blank boxes and then layout and rout
the openings.

Looks like you may not have enough room for some hinges and clasps, or they may come "ugly" close to your cut outs.

You can see what I mean in the picture below.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

One suggestion for the future, fit the hinge and catch to the blank boxes and then layout and rout the openings.

That did enter my mind, after I had milled out the barrel cutout in the bottom. Hindsight is 20/20. But the closest store with hinges is an Ace and their hinge is too wide for where I placed the cutout.

Looks like you may not have enough room for some hinges and clasps, or they may come "ugly" close to your cut outs.

You are right. I should have gotten a 1" x 8" board. After the top was 'done', and the barrel cutout in the bottom was matched, I clamped them together and milled the hinge side and the two ends so there were no overlaps of one board to the other. But still without a hinge.

There's a Rocklers up the road a piece, I got my router bit for my carbine buttplate there. Later this week I'll check for a hinge & a clasp.

I'd like to get the 'scythe' type clasp, that swings into a loop to hold the box closed. My wooden X-Acto knife box had such a clasp, until my last wife took it with her (she made accessories for 'miniatures'...What I would call doll houses).

I could fasten the hinge to the back edges of the 'box'. It wouldn't look WW II-ish, but it would work. I think to mount the hinge inside the 'box' I would have to mill reliefs for the hinge into the edges of the 'box'.

I still have the Lahti to do, maybe I'll get that 1" x 8" board.

Another problem: The board I selected had been stored in an open shed probably all Winter. I selected one that was straight and not warped, but after being in my warm dry house, it curled sidewise. I milled my cutouts so that the two boards 'spooned' when put together, but that's not right either.

ARGH!!!!

Edit: That 1937 Erma military box looks like it could be hardwood. That would be a lot more stable than Pine, and the cuts would be better looking. I'll have to find an online hardwood dealer. Although I do have a couple of 'knick-knack' shelves without any 'knick-knacks', I could sacrifice those...