A shoe shining kit is a must-have for any man who always seems to be running late. This box makes it easy and stylish, with the option of adding your own personal touch!
A “shoe shine box” is a wooden box that has a hole in the bottom, and it is used to polish shoes. You can make one by cutting out two pieces of wood with a hole in the middle. The top piece should be smaller than the bottom piece. After making the holes, you need to put glue on both pieces and then screw them together. Read more in detail here: how to make a wooden shoe shine box.
Over the years, we’ve discussed the masculine ritual of a good shoe polish a few times here at the Art of Manliness. I’ve been storing my own shoe shine products in a box I received for Christmas a few years ago. Although it’s a great box, I’ve always wanted to create one with my own hands. Then, a few months back, I was thumbing through some old Popular Mechanics magazines when I came across a neat shoe shine box design in a 1950 edition.
It’s a straightforward design. You have a space to put your brushes and polish cans, as well as a spot to rest your foot when polishing your shoes. The two free-turning dowels within the box are what make this design so useful. The dowels function as rollers for your polish cloth when buffing your shoes to a mirror finish after you’ve given them a thorough polishing. Here’s how it works:
This is a really simple and low-cost project. It just takes an hour to make, but you’ll have a one-of-a-kind, strong tiny box that will last a lifetime.
The Style
The modified Popular Mechanics design I used to build my shoe shine box is as follows:
To see a bigger version of this photograph, please click here.
This SolidWorks picture was provided by AoM reader Robert Heffern. To expand, click on the image.
Requirements for Materials and Tools
Materials
- (1) 3/4′′ x 8′′ x 8′ board (I used a $11 cedar board from Home Depot). I was able to create two boxes from one piece of wood. Whitewood may be used to make a box that is even less expensive.)
- 1 wooden dowel, 5/8″
- a total of 18 #6 1-1/4′′ wood screws
Tools
- Saw (I made use of my table saw.) A miter saw may also be used. This job may potentially be completed with a handsaw.)
- Drilling power
- Using a bandsaw or a coping saw
- Bore bit 11/16′′
- Compass
- Tape measure
Wood Measurement and Cutting
This is the board from which I’ll be cutting my parts. I chopped a 3/4′′ x 8′′ x 8′ board in half to make it. While the board is described as being 8 inches wide, it is only 7 1/4 inches wide.
All of my cuts were measured and noted at the same time. To make things easier, I utilized the whole width of the board (7 1/4′′) for most of my components.
The dimensions you’ll need are as follows:
- (1) 8 1/2′′ x 7 1/4′′ (this will be your bottom piece)
- 2 × 5 5/8′′ x 7 1/4′′ (these will be your end pieces)
- 2 x 3 1/2′′ x 8 1/2′′ (these will be your side pieces)
- (1) 2 3/4′′ x 8 1/2′′ x 2 3/4′′ x 2 3/4′′ x 2 3/4′′ (this will be your top)
- (2) dowels, 5/8′′ x 7 7/8′′
Use your saw to cut the wood.
All of the box’s components
Bore Holes and Mark Arcs
We’ll cut two 2′′ broad circles into the upper corners of the end pieces. Grab a compass and position the point and pencil 2 inches apart to mark the arcs. Trace out your arc using the point in the corner.
Make a mark where your dowel bore holes will be. They should be 3 5/8′′ from the bottom and 1 15/16′′ from the sides. The markings and dimensions for the arcs and drill holes may be seen above.
Cut Arcs
The arcs were carved out using my band saw.
The arcs carved out from the corners of the two end pieces are seen here.
Dowels Boring Holes
It’s time to start boring holes for the dowels. Get your 11/16′′ wood bore bit out of the drawer.
You don’t want to pierce the wood completely. 3/8′′ deep is a good starting point.
Pieces are screwed together (and Insert Dowels)
It’s now time to fasten all of the components together. Before putting in the screws, I suggest drilling pilot holes. Also, avoid using too much force with your drill to avoid splitting the wood. Begin by screwing the two bottom sections together.
Three screws, one on each end of the bottom piece, should enough.
The bottom piece was fastened to the two end parts.
Attach the two end pieces to the two side pieces using screws. Each corner has one screw.
At this stage, I insert my dowels. Getting them into their holes required some effort. This is something I should have done earlier, like when I was drilling the end pieces into the bottom piece.
Four screws in each corner secure the foot rest on top. With this handy shoe shine box, we’re almost done. There’s no need to be concerned if some areas seem to be unequal. A little sanding will take care of it.
Sand
Using a sander, sand the whole box. Spend effort repairing joints that seem to be crooked. You are welcome to stain it. I like the unpainted appearance, so I skipped the stain.
Enjoy Your Shoe Shine Box That You Made Yourself
The “shoe shine box dimensions” is a simple project that can be used for many different purposes. It is also very easy to make and doesn’t require any tools or materials. This craft will make your shoes look brand new again in no time.
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