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Trick Opening Box

by Fathomlis on February 28, 2016

Table of Contents

Trick Opening Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Trick Opening Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Planning... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Understanding the locking mechanism before starting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: Learning from my previous attempt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4: Materials and equipment... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 5: Base and nail slots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 6: Cut out the rest of your dimensions and your lid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 7: Gluing... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 8: Preparing slots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 9: Making sure they fit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 10: Gluing the first slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 11: Adjustments... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 12: The lid's slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 13: Slight adjustment to the nail stopper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 14: Glue last side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 15: Adding a lid 'knob'. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 16: Varnishing and optional lid art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 17: The End... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Intro: Trick Opening Box
This is a box. A box which is quite tricky to open. It's called (as you've seen already) a trick opening box or a puzzle box.

I first saw this design in Tim Rowett's (Grand Illusions on Youtube) video on trick boxes. It fascinated me. And it looked like the easiest to make of all the boxes he had
shown. I am not really a woodworker and do not have much experience with woodworking, but nonetheless I went ahead and made the box. I love puzzles and I love
boxes and this project combined them both. So to me it was perfect! A project...for the love of boxes and puzzles.

My finished box is not at all perfect...but it works. I think there are lots of woodworkers and artists that will be able to do a better job, but for me this was great.

This box uses centrifugal force to open it. You have to spin it! Check out the video.

Image Notes
1. This is the video by Tim Rowett on trick opening boxes.

Step 1: Planning...
Planning for this progect is crucial. Without proper planning you could wreck it. Think and understand before starting. Work out what you are going to do and how you
are going to do it. Also fully understand the locking mechanism utherwise you might blow it.

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Step 2: Understanding the locking mechanism before starting.
Understanding the locking mechanism. As you can see on the picture the mechanism works with nails. To lock the box, you place the lid on and tilt the box which
causes the left or right (depending on how you tilt it) group of nails to fall into their slots. Now when you try to open the box it is stuck. No matter which way you tilt the box
one group of nails will always be in their slots preventing you from opening the lid. To open it you just need to place it on a smooth surface and give it a hard spin.
Centrifugal force will push both groups of nails out of their slots alowing you to open the box again.

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Step 3: Learning from my previous attempt.
This was my earlier attempt. It was a fail. I had made the whole thing but at the end I found that it didn't work. What was wrong? I had gone into the project without fully
understanding how the locking mechanism works and how it should be placed into the box. I had made both the slots of nails to one side of the box instead of one to the
right and one to the left. Now when it was spinned, only one group of nails opened, the other group remained stationary.

Another problem was that my lid was not set deep enough. The result was that I could slide it open.

Step 4: Materials and equipment...

Things needed:
Wood (I used some offcuts from a refurbished piece of furniture)
Plywood (I used a piece for my lid but anything would work)
Glue (or screws or nails)
Saw ( I used a hand saw and a jigsaw but I think precision tools would be better)
Sandpaper
Nails
Pencil and ruler (for marking your dimensions and so forth)
Drill

Ok! Lets get started!

Image Notes
1. Glue
2. Sandpaper

3. Plywood
4. Plywood
5. Jigsaw
6. Wood offcuts
7. Pencil and triangle/ruler
8. Drill
9. Nails
10. Handsaw

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Step 5: Base and nail slots.
Cut your desired sized base and also two slots of the same length. When choosing your size - take care - you have to have the locking mechanism in mind. The size of
your slots will also be decided by the size of your nails and the size of your nails will be decided by the overall size of the box. Carefull planning.

Step 6: Cut out the rest of your dimensions and your lid.
They should be carefully measured and in proportion. Remember: Keep your mechanism in mind.

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Step 7: Gluing...
Start by gluing the two small sides. And then glue on one of the longer sides. Only one.

Note: I did not use cold glue but rather a glue gun. More action...

Image Notes
1. Exactly!

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Step 8: Preparing slots.
You need to be really careful here. Mark the places where you will be drilling by placing the nails on the wooden slots. There has to be enough nails and also enough
space between them.

Your drill bit has to be slightly larger than your nails to allow smooth motion, but they should also not be too big as they might jumble around and not slide perfectly into
their slots.

When drilling the holes into the slots you have to place the slots precisely over one another so that the holes go straight through the one and straight through the other
one as well. The holes have to be precisely alligned.

I used a wench to keep them presicely alligned above one another and then drilled the holes.

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Step 9: Making sure they fit.
The holes need to be presicely alligned so that a nail can fall into one hole and smoothly into the next hole as well.

Step 10: Gluing the first slot.

Here again very careful planning is needed and a few things should be kept in mind. You will be gluing your second slot to the underside of the lid and you must make
sure there is enough space for it in front of your first slot. Another thing, your first slot must be to the right/left of the center of the box (you can see on the picture that I
drew a center line in pencil). Then the slot that will be on the lid must be to the opposite side of the center line.

Image Notes
1. The center line

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Step 11: Adjustments...
I glued a piece of plywood to stop the nails from falling out. Before doing this be sure to put in your nails.

Image Notes
1. My center line.

Step 12: The lid's slot.

Here you should also glue on a strip of plywood or wood to stop the nails. On the lid you can also see my center line so that I glued my slot in the right place and correctly
alligned with my other slot. This is important: the holes of the two slots have to be precisely across from each other.

Image Notes
1. Center line.

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Step 13: Slight adjustment to the nail stopper.
I added a piece of hard cardboard to adjust the length between the slot and the stopper, because my nails came to far out and that resulted in the nails falling out.

Step 14: Glue last side.

Before doing this be absolutely sure the locking mechansism works. Then you glue it.

Step 15: Adding a lid 'knob'.

I used a glass pebble, but you can use basically anything.

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Step 16: Varnishing and optional lid art.
For the 'lid art' I just drew a question mark with a pencil. It looked quite nice. If you have a laser, you can of course use that.

Step 17: The End...

Done! Now you can safely store your sweets. Ha ha. But it could really work! You can also challenge your friends to open it and when they do, they can have the sweets.

Thanks for viewing this instructable and please consider voting. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the comments.

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