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Old 24th Sep 2018, 4:53 am   #21
joebog1
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry_VK5TM View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post
Fine for woodworkers, and only basic skills are called for to achieve a reasonable result, but not very helpful to those who don't have a router, bandsaw, belt sander and PPE such as a proper face mask, eye protection and ear defenders. Not a realistic or cost-effective prospect for anyone without such equipment.
A local Men's Shed could be a viable proposition to have small wood boxes made.

https://menssheds.org.uk/

We do this sort of thing regularly and only charge a small fee plus cost of materials (or you could of course join up and have access to the needed tools to do it yourself).
Interesting Terry mentions it!!

I spent all morning clearing out a shed of a deceased estate for Atherton Mens Shed, of which I am a member.
Included in the shed were some delights like about 5 kilos of silver solder, and brazing rods, all neatly packaged in a lenth of PVC water pipe with curtain rod ends as plugs for the ends. Numerous tools and bits of timber. A scroll saw a couple of bench griders, numerous coffee tins of nuts/bolts/screws, all neatly labelled.

Dont forget!! You can approach most any mens shed and order cases. Sometimes only timber made from old pallets, but sometimes some beautiful furniture timbers as well. Sheet metal is also sometimes available, it depends on who is in the shed. Our "supervisor" is a wooodwork man and takes great delight in throwing away half sheets of 1.2 mm stainless steel.
Even sides from a washing machine can yield LARGE sheets of passivated zinc sheet metal, painted one side, alas so thin these days that only small lightweight projects are suitable

A couple of pictures of a box I made recently. It's for holding large pot plants containing palm trees. It's a little large for the average electronics project being 1.5 metres long 700 mm high and 600 mm wide. It was sold for $400 aussie. It is made from Australian Silky Oak, once very common and was even used for house framing. Today it's a highly prized furniture timber costing LOTS!! :censored. Timber was obtained from a manufacturer of coffins long closed down ( NO !!! its NOT recycled )and were offcuts after "squaring up" large flitches taken directly from the breakdown saw.

Check the local Mens Shed!! ( yes thats blatant advertising for a very excellent not for profit community organisation, featuring many auld farts, JUST like me, that have retired but haven't popped the clogs just yet)

Best regards

Joe
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 12:33 pm   #22
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

I built a blueberry bed out of recycled bricks.
The garden soil is no good so it had to be like your wooden structure but easily strong enough not to get blown over by storms.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 2:12 pm   #23
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

I keep old PP6 batteries - use them in my radios then flip the top off and dispose of the innards.

Only thing I've not been able to do is find a neat way to keep the top on once it's been taken off. But as my first project in one of these was a refillable battery (AA batteries in a holder) sellotape was enough.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 2:53 pm   #24
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry_VK5TM View Post
A local Men's Shed could be a viable proposition to have small wood boxes made.
https://menssheds.org.uk/
I get the impression that the Men's Shed Association isn't as well established in the UK as it is in Australia. There isn't a branch in Oxford, for example, a city of around 150,000 people. There does seem to be one about 10 miles to the south though, south of Abingdon in the middle of nowhere.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 3:02 pm   #25
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

Thinking of the difference between British and Australian spiders, shouldn't Terry's and Joe's postings be for Real Men's Sheds?

Colin
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 3:16 pm   #26
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

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... There isn't a branch in Oxford, for example, a city of around 150,000 people. There does seem to be one about 10 miles to the south though, south of Abingdon in the middle of nowhere.
Well, not quite the middle of nowhere - there is more to Oxon than Oxford !

Cheers,

GJ
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 3:16 pm   #27
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

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I get the impression that the Men's Shed Association isn't as well established in the UK as it is in Australia. There isn't a branch in Oxford, for example, a city of around 150,000 people. There does seem to be one about 10 miles to the south though, south of Abingdon in the middle of nowhere.
There used to be a "Men in Sheds" workshop in Cockermouth, run by Age UK. Unfortunately, it has now closed down.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 3:41 pm   #28
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

3.5" floppy disks (used to) sometimes come in rather nice rigid ABS storage boxes, which make fine small project cases.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 5:10 pm   #29
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

I'm rightly proud of my valve tester, stuffed into an old ATX PSU case (remember them?)

I was doing the Morse 'test' for my intermediate licence, part of was constructing an oscillator. As I was short of time on the day I pondered what I could box it up in, when I spotted the perfect enclosure - a cardboard wall wart box!
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 6:08 pm   #30
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

Boxes for 3.5" floppy discs? (The small sort meant to hold ten, with the fiendish not-quite-obvious way to open them).

Generally nicely square sided, almost always clear but could be painted either inside or out to make them opaque.

Edit: Dseymo1 got there first.
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Old 24th Sep 2018, 6:33 pm   #31
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Lots of manufactures (Apple to start) of 'high end' electronic stuff took to putting them in quite magnificent card boxes. Now almost every thing small and electronic seems to be in one, well worth keeping. It's all about the 'unboxing experience'.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 12:02 am   #32
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

I have found that the stuff curtain pools are shipped in cuts down to make nice insulating covers for transformers and many other things including home made E-cig chargers.

The stuff is clear so any LEDs can be seen without mounting them on panels.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 12:35 am   #33
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
I get the impression that the Men's Shed Association isn't as well established in the UK as it is in Australia. There isn't a branch in Oxford, for example, a city of around 150,000 people. There does seem to be one about 10 miles to the south though, south of Abingdon in the middle of nowhere.
That surprises me greatly!!!
Atherton at the 2011 census had 7287 population. Atherton Mens Shed has around 70 members.
We occupy the old railway goods shed, which is about 100 mtrs long and about 20 metres wide, and of course is built to stand beside the tracks.
Tracks have long since disappeared as has the railway. We only have a tram line in Queensland anyway, three foot six guage. Once Atherton was part of a very large timber industry which has also gone as its hard to find a tree at all today.
http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/atherton-qld

Best regards

Joe
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 12:47 am   #34
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

When I travel abroad, I try to visit the local electronics spares and street markets. Here are some new and inexpensive metal cases intended for battery 'eleminators'😃 which I bought in India. Along with the non-earthed mains transformers typically sold with them, they would never pass UK safety standards. However, they can be used for low voltage projects such as the USB joule thief I have built into the smaller one. I can light up a string of five 12V LEDs with it, which I have housed into a mains studio light somebody had thrown away😀
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 12:53 am   #35
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

On my interweb travels I've seen people cutting up lengths of plastic conduit to make enclosures. The cut ends can be closed off with wooden end cheeks. Two pieces of wood form each end cheek: one larger than the conduit; another which fits snuggly inside the conduit. I've seen rectangular plastic pipes in DIY sheds (the sort that are used for air ducts in walls) that could be cut and used in a similar way.

Of course, this may turn out more expensive than buying an ABS box! It is the sort of solution that is probably economic only when the materials involved are surplus, or acquired in quantity by chance.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 1:01 am   #36
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

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When I travel abroad, I try to visit the local electronics spares and street markets. Here are some new and inexpensive metal cases intended for battery 'eleminators'😃 which I bought in India. Along with the non-earthed mains transformers typically sold with them, they would never pass UK safety standards. However, they can be used for low voltage projects such as the USB joule thief I have built into the smaller one. I can light up a string of five 12V LEDs with it, which I have housed into a mains studio light somebody had thrown away😀
And here is the converted studio lamp, from 240V to 5V. At the time I bought the LEDs I did not know a couple of months later I would find such a nice housing for them, that too FOC.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 4:48 am   #37
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

6m lengths of rectangular PVC downpipe is not expensive, neither are the end caps.

You could make a lot of project boxes out of that.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 8:12 am   #38
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

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Lots of manufactures (Apple to start) of 'high end' electronic stuff took to putting them in quite magnificent card boxes.
I have a £30 Nokia, but someone in my family insists on having iPhones. I get to rescue the boxes out of the bin, and yes, they're very nice and longlasting. I use them to store cells and batteries.
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 8:32 am   #39
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

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For those without David's skills and facilities, small wooden boxes are often available from charity shops and flea markets for a pound or two.
And from The Works bookshops and craft-y type places.

For those who want cabinetry but can't make it themselves:

https://www.urnswithlove.co.uk/produ...s-casket-urn-1

(If a Men's Shed can do better and cheaper there's a fundraising opportunity there...)
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Old 25th Sep 2018, 1:09 pm   #40
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Default Re: Improvised project cases ?

That would look good to hold a '20s replica set!

Never been a fan of using high quality timber just to bury it and leave it to rot, though.......
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