No-Hardware Box Bottom Solution

[Patrick Holmes66]

Hello,


I’m making some tissue box holders and would like to have a simple removable ply bottom, with using any hardware and without having to cut any rabbets / sliding joints.


I looked at two simple side strips which I hoped the bottom could just sit on, after being inserted at an angle, but this meant increasing the box height too much.


Anyone have any ideas?


I know the shakers had some great all-wood ‘hardware’ solutions for some situations similar to this. There might be some simple solution I’m missing.


All suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

[Edward Weber]

You could always use velcro or magnets
Just a suggestion

[Rafael Herrera]

Draw ideas from the backs of picture frames.

[Kemil Pepin]

Maybe the boxes don't even need a bottom at all. The tissue box could have a slight friction fit into the wood box.

[Eric Brown]

Might consider some figure eight fasteners using only one screw. Swing them out of the way to remove bottom. You can recess them if totally flush bottom needed.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Patrick and welcome to the Creek.

I’m making some tissue box holders and would like to have a simple removable ply bottom, with(out?) using any hardware and without having to cut any rabbets / sliding joints.

This almost sounds like a riddle once heard in a movie.

A few ideas come to mind. Maybe molding around the bottom that is actually a removable lid.

Feet at the corners could be notched to accept and hold a sliding bottom.

Make two boxes so one fits inside the other.

jtk

[Eric Brown]

Re-reading the post, he said "no hardware or rabbets or sliding joints".

Another suggestion I have is put double sided tape on the top of the box and slide it up until it sticks.
Or maybe put the box up and shove a wedge into it.

[Richard Coers]

Lots of ideas for a non problem if you ask me. People still want wood boxes over their facial tissues? But I'll play the game and suggest two very thin strips of wood that have to bow slightly to fit in. That spring action will keep the tissue box held in.

[Keegan Shields]

Why does it need a bottom?

[Don Peters]

I've seen several old tissue boxes that had no bottom; the "box" was simply a cover. You set the tissue box down and drop the wood cover over it.

[Frederick Skelly]

I'll play the game and suggest two very thin strips of wood that have to bow slightly to fit in. That spring action will keep the tissue box held in.

Good idea. There are other variations on this “spring bottom” theme, but they’d all work basically the same way.

Or you can use a thicker bottom and just make it “friction fit”. Cut a 1” hole in the bottom so you can reach in, grip it and pull it off.

[Patrick Holmes66]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Edward- I'm hoping to avoid magnets/ hardware and have an all-wood solution.

No bottom - box size varies too much and I'd like it to be movable, without having to hold the box in the bottom with your hand. this is to contain, not just to cover.

Richard - bowed strips - this is on the money in terms of the type of solution, but with variation in box size I'm not sure it's 'the' solution.

Frederick - any info or links to pictures of the variations on the "spring bottom" theme? I was imagining bowed strips on the inside walls from Richards' suggestion, but a sprung bottom could be just the thing.

And how exactly would the "friction fit" bottom work? With seasonal movement how would you avoid this not fitting / falling out?

[Jack Dover]

How much movement do you expect from a thin-walled box anyway? If they would move, lids would either got pinched or wouldn't fit, so even if there's any movement - it's minimal. I still wouldn't go with a friction fit box, but other solutions sound like working ones.

As for bowing strips: just make a wooden spring on two sides. They have quite a bit of range, like up to an inch, so it's going to hold even if a box goes through a drying machine on high setting. You'll have to figure how to do it on 1/8" ply though, but with a nice coping saw and some patience it can be done. I'd still cut an inside grove in the box so these springs latch into it and maybe put a short pin, so a spring could be disengaged. Here's some crude drawing to illustrate the idea
Bottom.png

[John Keeton]

I would glue very small strips of wood on the inside of the long sides level with the bottom, and then make one of the ends shorter than the other so that a bottom could be slid in on the strips - similar to using a rabbet, but no cuts required. So long as the grain on the top ran with the length and the grain of the "bottom" did as well, there shouldn't be any shrinkage/fit issue.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Frederick - any info or links to pictures of the variations on the "spring bottom" theme? I was imagining bowed strips on the inside walls from Richards' suggestion, but a sprung bottom could be just the thing.

And how exactly would the "friction fit" bottom work? With seasonal movement how would you avoid this not fitting / falling out?

Hi Pat,
Here’s what I was thinking - you’ll have to experiment a little in both cases. For the spring bottom, I’d go buy some 1/8” thick plywood at the BORG. (I use the stuff they put on the sides of ready made cabinets.) I’d cut it to be 1/32 - 1/16” longer than the inside length of the box, and maybe 3” wide. Then just bow it and put it in place. That could be friction fit or you could glue on a small lip on either side. For the friction fit, cut a piece of 1/2” plywood to the slightly larger (1/32”) than the box’s inside dimensions. Drill a 1” hole so you can insert your finger to remove the bottom when needed. If I were doing it, I’d taper the edges very slightly to kind of wedge the bottom in.

I’m sorry, but I’m not following you on how wood movement is going to affect the length and width of that box. The height, maybe a tad? But not the length/width if the box is thin walled, will it? Am I missing something obvious?

Hope it gives you some ideas.
Fred