Loaner Pencil Box -Perfect for Teachers!
Instruction
Information
School is starting and teachers all over will have students asking for pencils. Well, now those same teachers can use the Loaner Pencil Box. Fill this with up to 25 pencils that can be borrowed by the students. When they are done and the pencils are collected, slide open the lid and return them to be used again later. The top can be engraved with a name or class or even rules with regards to borrowing a pencil.
Included with this instructional:
XCS File
SVG File
Step By step instructional with photos.
Instruction
Step1: Before you begin
I had designed this for a friend to give to a teacher at Christmas last year but did not like the overall design so I decided to redo it to use for Back To School this year. I went in and made a few adjustments and ended up with this.
This is made with the standard #2 pencil in mind.
Step2: Cut and Layout Parts
Using the settings above (if using the P2) you can cut out your pieces. The piece of wood I used was 12x19 so I was able to place all the pieces on one board. If you are using a different machine or material, you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.
Once you have cut out your pieces, lay them out to ensure you have them all. You should have a total of 15 pieces as shown in the photo attached to this step.
Step3: Assembly: Sides
For this step, you will be assembling the two sides. Each side will have one of the larger pieces with 3 rows of tab cutouts and an angled edge along with 2 frame pieces. Put a dab of glue on the tabs on one side of the frame pieces. Then slide the frame piece into the tab slots of the larger piece in one of the top two rows. (These are the rows close together.) Be sure the glue dabs are facing away from the center of the two rows of tab openings. This will keep glue from building in that center which will prevent the sliding lid from functioning correctly.
Do the same with the other side piece.
VERY IMPORTANT! Note picture 2. Be sure that the angles are just as you see in picture 2 and picture 4 (after adding the frame pieces.) I did not verify on my first assembly and had two angled sides that had the frame pieces on the same side.
Step4: Assembly: The Lid
To assemble the lid you will need the rectangular piece with the large square tab cutouts, one long frame piece and the large piece with tabs cut along one side.
First put a dab of glue along the tabs of the largest piece. Then insert the tabs glue side down into the squares and be sure they are snug into the holes so that a gap is left. (See picture 2)
Next, put a dab of glue along the tabs of the just inserted large piece and within the opening. Also, to help secure this, put several dabs of glue along the edge just inside from the open tab holes. Slide the frame piece into the holes so that the glue joins it to the large piece and both the large piece and the frame piece are inserted into the square tab holes. (See picture 3)
Step5: Assmebly: The Front
The front is very simple and straightforward. Take the square piece with a single line of tab openings and a long frame piece. Put a dab of glue along the tabs of the frame piece and then insert it into the tab openings. Be sure the glue is facing up and not down so that the lid will slide in easier.
Step6: Assembly: The Bottom
The bottom is also very simple. Take the two smallest piece and the largest piece and glue the small pieces onto either side so that it looks like the photo.
Step7: Assembly: The Sides to the Bottom
At this point, we will be assembling the box. To start, you will line the sides up as in the first photo. You want the thinnest point of the angled sides to be facing towards the small pieces that you added to the bottom in the previous step.
When adding the glue, you want the glue to be on each tab of the bottom but only on the sides and then you also want a dab of glue between each tab slot of the side. Insert and set the tabs firmly into the openings of the side. Do the same with the opposite side. When completed, you will have the sides attached and are able to stand the box up.
NOTE: At this point, you have an angled base with stoppers. Test out the capabilities of the box by setting a pencil in and letting it roll forward.
Before proceeding to the next step, be sure everything is set and dry.
Step8: Assembly: Front and Back
For the front, you will take the piece that we glued together in step 5 and put glue along the tabs on either side as well as along the angles of the frame. Slide this piece onto the tabs at the front of the box and be sure the angles of the frame are lined up with the angles of the side frames. Let the glue dry completely.
On the back side, you will take your last remaining piece which has tabs along 3 sides. Put glue along the tabs and then insert onto the box on the back.
Before proceeding to the next step, you want to check over everything and make sure no glue is within the path between the frames of the sides as well as beneath the frame of the front. You may also want to ensure everything is dry and set.
Step9: Assembly: Inserting the Lid
You want to insert the lid with the frame side up. Insert the lid between the frame pieces of the sides and slowly move it forward. If faced with resistance, firmly press on the backside of the lid to get it to move forward.
NOTE: If your glue is not dry, the lid will stick in place and not open later.
Handy Tip: Wood swells, it happens. You may be faced with a lid that does not slide smoothly. An easy fix to this is to sand the lid ON THE BOTTOM of it to this the wood a bit. You may also need to sand the sides of the lid to help it fit. If you do, do not sand it too much.
Step10: Using the Box
To insert the pencils in the box, if they are new pencils, you will need to angle them in. I show in the 4th picture doing only one but I have put in a few at a time. The pencils, when straightened, slide forward and down out the front to be caught by the stoppers at the bottom. When a pencil is removed, another takes it place.
Step11: Final Notes
I did this plain to show the assembly process, however, of the couple I have done for others already, each one had the teachers name engraved on the top and one wanted the rules for borrowing a pencil engraved.
If you have the ability to print stickers, you could decorate the entire gox with images of apples, books, the alphabet, cursive writing, etc…
I hope you enjoyed this project. For more of my projects, check out my page on Atomm by following this link: https://www.atomm.com/user-center?active=projects&id=15190