Shoeshine Box

[Tom Watson]

I know this sounds like the kind of project you might use to get your woodworking merit badge on but I've a need (desire) to build a shoeshine box and thought I'd troll the group for design ideas first before I start to draw it up.

I've seen some of these sewing boxes that have cantilevered (?) trays, kinda like a tackle box without the enclosure - they look like they would give you good access. I've never built anything like that so I don't know what the pitfalls might be.

Anyways - I'm open to suggestions on this and figured I'd sketch it up this week and work on it with the six year old boy next weekend.

Maybe he can get a merit badge out of the deal.

Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[Andy Dingley]

design ideas first

I've never seen a Shaker one. But I've seen lots of little firewood boxes etc. of their manufacture, and the style would swap over pretty well.

Kids also love making Shaker pieces, especially the idea of making a working door latch from wood.

[Bob S.]

Tom,

I don't have any plans but I do have a shoeshine box. Type with the foot rest on top, the lid swings open for storing wax and brushes inside. I can email you some pics later this afternoon if you like or post them to abpw.

Bob S.

[RKON]

was an oak box approximately 12" X 12" x12" finished with poly. It had a handle which was outlined as the shape of a foot. It was about 1/2" thick solid oak. The foot handle was angled at ~ 30 degrees supported by a block. It served as a handle and a foot rest. The bottome of the shoe box had some kind of feet. However, I cannot remember their style. The lid was hinged and had a simple clasp used to keep it closed.

My uncle passed on last year and I wonder what happened to that box. My uncle always told me when you put on a suit make sure your shoes are shined. He always said he would look at an interviewee's shoes and see if they were shined. Because so many people don't bother to take the time and it is a good guage at judging if people pay attention to details.

Good Luck with the project.

HTH

Rich

[juan fandango]

I bought him little tuxedo and white gloves. I told him everyone started work at 6 years old and he was a household servant.

[Tom Watson]

Did you make him shout, "De plane, Boss! De Plane!"

(please note that vapid wooddorking double entendre satisfies OBWW condition)

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[George M. Kazaka]

No TOM please dont do it, don't redesign the shoeshine box, Gasp!!! leave it the way it is At least for the sake of us older guys that actually used them to earn a few coins. Shoeshine boxes are a classic design Basic Simple and can really never hold your stuff and be small enough to carry around. ESpecially with all the crap to shine shoes that is on the market today. It would not suprise me to know they invented a Battery operated shine brush, They didn't did they ?

[RKON]

I converted my 9.6V Dewalt cordless to Binford Super Duper Polisher. ;)

Rich

PS - I do own a battery powered shiner.

[kenR]

How about a plug in one:

like it may fit in the old wooden box too.

[CW]

I still use the standard tanker's kit. A .50 caliber ammo can.