Finale: Pretty Tools and Boxes

The final post on this project.

The flocking of the box tops went ok. It was my first time applying this stuff, so I tried to be extra careful. You apply the glue with a brush then pump the fibers onto the glue. The directions tell you to apply more than you think you need and only the stuff that hits the glue will stay on. The rest can be recycled for later. The fibers are TINY and light. There is a lot of overspray and they are easily airborne, so there is a LOT of cleanup involved. Not difficult, just not enjoyable. Also, I used a large clean plastic box as a spray booth to help collect the overspray easier. I masked the box edges, applied the flocking, let them sit about 15 hours, and unveiled. Looks pretty good to me.


Now for the bottoms. I had repairs to do and decided on Durham's Water Putty. The first time I think I mixed it a little too soupy and didn't have good adhesion. So I tried again a little thicker and had decent success. After sanding I used a primer paint on the trays so that the flocking glue wouldn't dry too quickly by being absorbed into the wood. That's why they are white.



The trays were glued into the box bottoms and the edges sealed with more Water Putty. Once sanded they were given another coat of primer paint. Then the flocking was applied, same as to the tops, but there were a lot more nooks and crannies to take into account.


Lastly, I matched the bottoms and tops and installed the hinges, clasps, and a small personally customized name plate. I had a trophy/engraving place make them earlier in the year.

Empty:


One set of floral tools:


Another set of tools:


All 3 stacked showing name plates:


Two boxes are for close friends and the third is for one of my sisters, Dawn, who already has the tools. Her tool box will be mailed. I will try to get a picture of my friends with their gifts. They live here and I hope to get together with them this weekend.

And now it's on to work on another project. This one was a lot of steps over many days. It would be nice to do something that has more immediate satisfaction.