Looking for 'pretty' backboxes or pattress boxes

[Chris Green]

I want to install some double sockets (might be some other things, but it's mostly sockets) in wooden panels where the back, while not in view normally is in usable space, like the inside of a cupboard.

So I'm looking for some sort of back box which is somewhat more decorative than the standard white pattress box or metal box.

I've had a quick look but can't see much that's suitable. Ideally they'd be quite shallow because the wooden panels are mostly 10mm or

18mm thick so a socket won't need 25mm more of backbox.

I know I had to make my own pattress boxes for surface mounted sockets in a wooden cabin, I just carved a hole out of a reasonable nice looking rectangular block of wood. So maybe I'll have to do the same for this but it's more difficult because it needs to be a box with a back rather than simply a lump of wood with a hole right through.

[Chris Green]

Searching for 'black back box' has produced a few possibles but mostly deeper than I actually need. D-Line do single and double boxes 28mm deep in various colours, if I can find anyone who sells them. I'd prefer shallower if could find them though.

[Andy Burns]

MK MetalClad?

[SteveW]

Can't you fit a false back in front of the real one? Then you could use standard boxes designed for plasterboard, but you wouldn't see them from the other side, as that would be a separate piece of wood.

[Chris Green]

Look fairly OK but would they work with standard double sockets? I.e. does an MK 3/4 gang box take a double socket?

[Robin]

I think using wood as part of the container is deprecated in these days of fire resistant back boxes and pattresses.

My only thought was to use conventional back boxes inside a larger wooden box with a lid - the hole for the box being cut in the bottom of the box. That way the box would look functional. Indeed, you could even make them functional if the location would benefit from some small storage space.

A cheap example (but check the measurements!)

[Theo]

I think a typical UK socket will need 25mm minimum for the socket and the wiring. Although if your wiring is not 2.5mm2 T&E you might get manage to get tighter bends and shave some depth there. Or if you can get depth by cutting into the panel.

Are you able to run wires behind the panel, or you don't want to break through?

Use a conventional surface box and make a surround out of wood, eg a few bits of mitred ply? The back doesn't need to be timber. Then use a wood face plate.

Or there's this, which is the same idea:

they do matching faceplates.

Theo

[Chris Green]

I'm not sure that I follow you.

There will be a double socket sized hole in the wooden panel (plywood in reality) and the socket will fit flush to that. Where will your 'false back' go?

[Chris Green]

Yes, I guess that would work, thanks for the idea.

[Chris Green]

Yes, but there's at least 10mm of depth in the panel, maybe even 18mm in which case I only need 7mm more of actual backbox.

Yes, that's where they are mostly, I'd probably run mini-trunking to make things neat and safe to use as cupboard space.

Er, the whole point is to have only wood or at least something dark, showing. The back of the box will be visible in the cupboard (or other side of panel between 'rooms' so needs to be covered.

Exactly the problem! :-) They're designed for surface mounting. I want the sockets to be flush mounted with a box *behind* the panel that is OK to look at. If I used one of the above then the metal back of the back box will be exposed. I.e. I want a 'pretty' dry-lining back box.

[GB]

Double up the panels, so they are twice as thick. Job done?

[Theo]

Ah, ok, so it's not just the sides on display - the socket itself is mounted flush to the front of the panel, X mm worth of panel thickness, then 25-X mm protrudes into the cupboard?

I might be tempted just to cut a few bits of ply or pine to form a backbox - four sides and a back. Then you can cut them to the right size, rather than using something oversized.

Theo

[Chris Green]

Not really, I still have to cover the sockets at the back.

[Chris Green]

Yes, that's probably the way isn't it, the socket can be fixed to the panel using 3mm woodscrews and the wooden backbox just goes over it. I was just hoping for a more ready-made solution.

[Andrew]

No. That range has rounded corners so you need the matching MK faceplates/skts/fused spurs

[Owain Lastname]

If you want to surface mount them, yes.

If the back box is flushed into a panel then they should work with most standard sockets as the fixing centres are the same.

IIRC Rapid do the metalclad back boxes without knockouts, intended for schools where unused knockouts are vulnerable. TYou'd have to drill them yourself.

And of course you can spraypaint them.

Owain

[SteveW]

You said that you wanted to install the sockets in a wooden panel and that the back of the boxes would be somewhere like inside a cupboard. I was suggesting putting another piece of wood in the cupboard, which from inside, would appear to be the back of the cupboard, but was just a cover for the real back and the back of the backboxes.

[Animal]

3d printing a cover is another option. It goes over the metal backbox.

[Brian Gaff]

Does it really matter inside? I mean you still will have an ugly wire coming to it. As an aside, and I do not know if these ever caught on, but there were surface mount boxes made that were a bit wider and taller that had pretty multicoloured LEDs inside to help folk find the light switch in the dark. Probably found upon these environmentally friendly days. They kind of reminded me of those boy racer cars all blinged up underneath with purple leds. Since I lost my sight, I obviously cannot tell if these things still exist. Brian

[Chris Green]

It matters as it has to be 'finger safe', one can't have an unprotected back of a socket touchable.