Juice Box Storage

Other uses

2007-10-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

Storage of "over flow" fastenings, this tray has a lid system and note the long box made out of a cereal box to store long stuff. Some of my boxes are deeper than normal so larger bits such as bearing can be stored while work proceeds . The closed lid both on the box and the tray helps to keep dirt out. System of 12 awaiting filling, always before I start a job get a whole system ready, since then I have never lost a bolt or a part while taking vehicles apart, plus the oil and grease resistance helps. In vechicle restoration sometimes stuff needs to be stored for months at a time.

Whole lids and tops cut off, plus the right sided one just the side used, here drills which can go rusty are stored in an oil bath, some have lasted over 15 years. Useful to store such things a lathe cutters under oil, keeps the edges sharp.

Use in Stack on tool chests, to store small items and make good dividers, note the nut spinners stored in a polystyrene block, the open box keeps it altogether. The ladies eye brush is used to clean out dies, handy things they are. The boxes (no lids) are stuck down using double sided tape.

Juice Box Storage

2007-10-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Necessityis the mother of invention, well back in 1991 I needed a storage system to store loads of screws, fastening etc after I started to buy stuff in bulk. I looked around for a system which was readily available, cheap, durable, strong and water proof. Could not find a suitable system so looked for a way to make such boxes out of any thing I could find.

I noticed Juice Boxes which stored fresh juice on sale in supermarkets, so set about designing and making small storage boxes out of them. Since then I have never really needed to purchase any small storage system, the boxes themselves have lasted well, very durable, strong, water & oil proof and above all FREE. The real break though came using "jigs" to make the boxes with speed, I reckon about 1 minute per box once you have made the Jig

The box

I find they are best storing screws, nuts bolts etc, since they are FREE I not bothered about standing on them, leaving them out, breaking them etc. They are also oil resistance, so some articles such as drills etc can be stored in oil. The other advantage is almost water proof so you don't get soggy cardboard if you leave them out in the rain. I've found a few empty left out all winter still in good condition, also if you store oily or dirty stuff then sometimes quicker to chuck away than clean.

But the best advantage is that they can be stored in the trays they came in, either open or closed, this making a system, the trick is to design the box and make so the lid is the same size as the depth.

The open boxes are very handy when taking things apart , anything which has lots of different nuts and bolts such as car restoration projects, this you do not lose any small parts. By the way the same box is used in both systems, the lid just folded back in the tray on the right.

Keep all 12 in a tray and they can take quite a weight, plus keeps storage space down, very handy when you want to sort bottom of tool kits out and find lots of odd screws, nuts etc.

Also used in the house as drawer dividers, especially batteries which if they leak the whole box can be thrown away, for kids rooms ideal for small collections such a toy soldiers, coin collections, model making.

By storage in trays they lend themselves to stacking, thus taking up little space

In order to make them quick use a Jig like below, that I'll leave that for you to construct, the trick is to make it slightly deeper than required and add cardboard to the bottom and using trial an error find the correct depth, remember the lid must equal the depth, then you will find the the boxes can be used in the open system as well as the closed.

Completed box ready for use

See the other post on how to make the box, note for primary school teachers you do NOT need a knife, just a pen and some scissors, once you have made a jig.

Juice Box Construction

2007-10-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

Good news once you have made the jig you only need a pair of scissors and a Stanley Knife, but no blade, its purely used for making the folds

There are two types of Juice box, both can be used, but the sealed ones at the bottom are easier to clean, its the case of trial and error of finding the best box and the nicest juice, these came from Aldi

First cut the top off and throw away, then wash and dry the inner, place in the jig with the plain front facing you and the seam at the back like so. Note the jig has front on marked on this because the back will have a guideline to make the correct size fold for the top lid lip.

Using a pen mark the front off, then using the scissors cut down the side at a slight angle, this forming the side flaps, cut down the back straight to form the back. Then remove from the jig a little and cut off the front, place back into the jig.

Should look like this. The two sides form a lip and the back the top and a top flap.

Using your fingers form roughly the folds for the side and back, then cut off any surplus so that the side lips are not too long, and allows for open storage in trays

This is where the Stanley knife, without the blade comes in, a teaspoon will do. Remove from the jig and form the 3 top folds like so, this makes a neat solid box so quite important. I used to store the fold, but this method is quicker and the boxes last longer

Place back in the jig, note the line on the jig close to the end, this is the guideline, fold back the top lip like so

Remove from the jig and bend it back, then again use the Stanley to form a neat fold

Finish off the box by tapering the top lid flap, I normally use a 1 inch flap which makes a secure box.

I normally take 1 minute per box once a good jig is used

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