I have received 6 Tilleys, 2 Austramax, 2 Coleman’s, and 2 Handi lanterns over the last two or three months. Some of the packaging was outstanding, some was practical, and improvised. None were terrible. One Tilley arrived in the remains of an original Tilley box and it got me thinking of a practical box that would be light, cheap, easy to make, protective, and versatile. Made to measure for any lantern, and practical for each lantern type. This is my current prototype, unfinished. I can see several shortcomings, but that is ok for now. I have several laminated panels, of varying thickness of cardboard ready for the next box. I will try a single rebate joint instead of three for the side panels…these boxes are light, and stiff. Cutting joints is time consuming. I will adjust the sizing to get a better snug fit on the lantern. ‘next phase is making the waterproof sealer…also cheap and easy to make at home. If there is any interest I will post updates. ‘the purpose of this is to offer an easy project to make at home, for peanuts. Something that will protect your lanterns and make a great post pack too. bookbinders paste is easily made…YouTube has plenty of videos. For cardboard and waterproofing, check out NightHawkinLight. The guy may be a genius.
Excellent project @LesRiekie A Coleman pattern (SMP manufacturer) Mil Spec came in a robust box. Mine’s not to hand at the minute but Scott D’s post of his Mil Spec includes photos of the box.
Presscal, thank you for the link…a fine lantern and very nice box. A really great kit of parts too. I have been making my own funnels and pre-heaters for purposes of assembling a ‘kit’ for every lantern I own. I like how the military way is to provide everything needed for long term use, storage and transportation. I think that is what I am trying to achieve too. Robbo, the waterproof coating is alcohol/shellac, but with two things added…beeswax, and Calcium stearate. The wax has to be melted into the shellac mix, so the alcohol must be heated..electric element , outdoors. It is stirred until cool, and this forms an emulsion, neither solid nor liquid, and is very much better waterproof than shellac alone. Worth the messing around. The stearate provides UV protection, and is a long term protective element. It is a metal, and it changes composition during exposure to sunlight over time forming new metalised compounds that are even better protection. It is used in automotive paint and prevents rapid paint deterioration . Other meta;s work too, like magnesium and sodium, but calcium stearate is easy to make, easy to dry and refine, and has a nice waxy property for melt/mixing for now I will continue working on construction, material/lamination, and dimensions, and report the results for those who might want to make their own. The goal is a box that is worth the effort to make, cheap, easy , and that will last
Quantities for the waterproof, UV stable Shellac, for anyone who wants to try it. 0.5 litres ISO Alcohol 125 grams Shellac flakes 15 grams beeswax 2 grams calcium stearate heat over electric element…not any kind of flame burner… dissolve shellac and beeswax. Add stearate and remove from heat…stir until cooled. this is tedious, but essential to achieve the emulsion state. Use lowest heat setting that will get the melt done. When cool, it should be an emulsion, yellow, gel consistency, with no discrete balls of wax. Store in sealed container. Apply with brush. ‘the finish can be heated with a heat gun to fix any unsightly applications. Apply inside and outside. Done. I will be making a batch as soon as my stearate arrives this compound is 100% biodegradable. There is another compound i will try, but that is not 100% biodegradable. I will update as things happen.
Update. ‘first mix done and applied to the box. It was easy enough, ten minutes to make, and just slapped on with a brush. It covers easily and doesn’t take a much product either. The box is already tacky, will be dry soon. There is about 400ml of product left from the batch. The batch cost approximately $30 to make and I estimate at least four boxes can be covered per batch, probably 5. So conservatively $7.50 per box. The box is essentially zero dollars, just the time to cut up and glue together. I will be making a better fitting Tilley box in the next few days, and then boxes sized for the Coleman/Handi/Austramax in due course.
The coating dried, my water spray shows it beads water without any soaking through. I may try a second coat, but probably on the next box, which is assembled and drying. I realise the box is not attractive. I think it would be described as serviceable. next box is made from slightly thinner panels…just the nature of the cardboard you use. It is a more snug fit to the body of the lantern, which is my goal. It has only one ‘rebate’, which makes the cutting out process faster and still retains good joint strength. The bookbinders paste has provided very good adhesion, and also adds stiffness when dry. The waterproofing preserves those properties. I will have to devise a way to add carrying handles that do not stress the cardboard, and also a clasp for the lid. I have a lot of leather and suede, and I will have a go at this and post pics. The theme is to use zero cost or items that are usually thrown away. Nothing fancy. Flush sided box for parcel posting, but usable for camping etc. I thought about using material like denim or cotton, but I have a ton of leather, so I will try that first. Denim may be ideal, since it will become ‘wetted’ with paste….we shall see…
