King Tutankhamun's Plywood Legacy!

In 1500 BC Egyptian craftsmen used thin strips of dark ebony to decorate the outside of a cedar wood casket found in King Tutankhamun's tomb.

The Greeks and Romans later used this technique to produce decorative objects such as fine furniture. In the 1600's this method of decorating furniture became known as  veneering and the thin strips were called veneers.

Since then the technology has advanced considerably and plywood is now made from three or more thin layers of wood veneer, glued together with an adhesive. Each layer, or 'ply', has the grain running at right angles to it's neighbour, in order to reduce shrinkage and improve strength. 

Birch Ply Round Hamper Gift Boxes

Plywood has excellent strength and stiffness properties, and therefore performs well in applications where high strength and rigidity is required. It also has good resistance to humidity and is easy to work and handle.

Most plywood is supplied in large, flat sheets with thicknesses ranging from 1.4 mm to 76 mm. The most common panel size used is 1.2 m wide by 2.4 m long.

One of the great advantages of plywood, particularly birch plywood is that it can be pressed into simple or complex curve shapes, for use in furniture, boats and aircraft, so is an extremely versatile material. 

For example, the De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito flown so successfully in World War II was built from compound sandwich panels using Canadian birch plywood.

De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito

However, plywood is also used extensively in wood box making! Among the most common uses for thin gauge birch plywood is the manufacture of round boxes such as large round hamper boxes and shaker boxes.

It's also used as the base layer of wooden boxes to provide greater overall strength and rigidity and as the top layer of larger wood boxes where solid wood would tend to warp!

Plywood has a smooth even grain pattern that's ideal for the application of clear lacquers and beautiful, natural wood and colour stain finishes, that undoubtedly add a touch of elegance and class to the finished product.

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How To Get A Cracked Paint Finish Onto Wooden Boxes!

Many wood gift boxes manufactured for commercial use today are made to high quality standards, with a highly polished finish!

However, authentic cracked paint finishes on wood boxes are also incredibly popular but authenticity is a rare commodity nowadays.

So, this kind of finish is often produced artificially, to provide similar effects to the natural deterioration that occurs to paint over time, particularly when exposed to daylight.

Wooden Box With Cracked Paint Finish

The resulting paint finish is unusual and eye-catching and if done correctly can provide that weather beaten, rustic, farmyard effect that you may be looking for.

So, how do you get a cracked paint finish on a wooden box? Well, there are a number of proprietary 'crackling glaze' products, that you can buy over the counter at your local DIY shop, that will get the job done for you.

The application of the paint is simple enough but you need to understand the process, if you want an authentic looking finish. With this in mind, a little practice on some wood off-cuts you've discarded, until you get it right, makes good sense.

Proprietary crackled glaze products will provide instructions on how you can apply their paint successfully. However, to achieve the very best results, you need to use a combination of water based emulsion paint and crackle paint.

Use two base coats of emulsion paint, then one base coat of proprietary crackle paint. After the first coat of emulsion, add the crackle coat, brushed in the same direction as the emulsion paint underneath.

The second coat of emulsion paint should be applied at right angles to the first. Naturally, each coat of paint needs to be thoroughly dry before the application of the next coat.

Here are three tips to help you, when applying your paint finishes ...

Tip 1: Avoid applying the crackle paint in straight lines. You'll get a far more natural looking finish by painting randomly over the whole box.

Tip 2: Apply the crackle paint quickly, as the crackling process starts almost immediately.

Tip 3: Avoid overdoing the painting. If you paint back and forth too many times, you'll smear over the cracks and spoil the effect.

To provide a more interesting finish, you may wish to use two paint colours. For instance, you can use white emulsion paint as the base coats and red crackle paint as the finishing coat. Your wooden boxes will be painted red overall, with white cracks showing through - a terrific effect!

After drying, you can apply the crackle paint top coat which will seal and protect the crackle effect you've produced.

The process of applying your crackle paint finish is easy and straightforward, once you've had a little bit of practice. 

If you proceed step by step, with a little care and attention, you'll give your wooden boxes a great vintage look and feel that will impress not only your customers but maybe those farmyard animals as well!

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Turn Your Wood Presentation Boxes Into Objects Of Desire & Real Affection!

Now that Christmas is over, what do you do with all those wonderful, wood presentation boxes that were used to package your presents?

Most presentation packaging materials such as cardboard and plastic are designed to be discarded once the product inside has been consumed or used.

However, wooden boxes are more robust and long-lasting, so there's no need to throw them away. There's something really satisfying about prolonging the life of wood boxes by finding new and creative uses for them.

It's a bit like an old work horse who's retired and is now enjoying a more sedentary life on a farm, providing rides for the local kids, instead of being sent to the knackers yard!

Wooden Storage Box Decorated With Promotional Theatre Images

Wooden gift boxes are often thought of as simple storage containers but with a little creative thinking they can be turned into objects of desire and real affection!

Wood gift boxes are used as containers for many everyday products, such as whisky and premium spirits, wine and champagne, cheese and condiments and tools etc. They come in all shapes, sizes and designs. Some have hinged lids, lift-off lids and sliding lids or are supplied as cases and crates without lids.

So, how can we give our wooden boxes a new lease of life? Well, that's up to you but you can turn them into such things as flower boxes, wall décor shelves, storage containers for old vinyl records, kitchen utensils, vintage china, tools and children's art materials. 

They can also be used to create flower arrangements for dinner table centre pieces, seed beds for the garden and storage containers for your fruit and veg!

Once you've decided how to use your wooden boxes don't worry about the condition. Sometimes that battered look is an advantage, so all you need to do is clean them up a bit. 

Children's Pencil Boxes Plain Decorated With Side Images

On the other hand if you want some colour you can paint them with a plain matt emulsion to provide that rustic, retro look and perhaps stick some interesting images on the sides! 

One simple and inexpensive way to decorate your boxes is to create attractive collages using materials from around the house. These could be bits of old newspaper, wallpaper pieces from your last decorating job, hand crafted paper, brown wrapping paper, coloured tissue paper, pieces of coloured silk and flock fabric, pictures from glossy magazines and old sheet music!

Your wooden boxes can truly become objects of desire and real affection, with a long lease of life, if you find a new purpose for them. All you need to do is to put your thinking cap on and get those creative juices flowing!

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Transfers For Wooden Gift Boxes!

Traditional ways of decorating a wooden gift box include painting, staining, carving, pyrography, inlay, laser etching, decoupage etc. But a novel way of decorating wood boxes that we discovered recently was by transferring photo images. This is a great way of personalizing wooden boxes and they make great gifts, not only at Christmas but at any time of the year.

Transferring any image from paper to another surface is fun and surprisingly easy. You don't need any special skills - just a little practice. Give it a go and soon you'll be looking for more ways to apply this simple technique!

Transfer Images On A Wooden Gift Box

The first thing you should bear in mind is that it's difficult to transfer an image obtained from an inkjet printer, as it will tend to smudge. That's okay if you like impressionism but not so good if you want a clean, crisp image transfer. So, what you'll need is a black and white or colour photocopied image.

The process of transferring the image involves applying a special transfer solution to the image you've chosen. You can purchase the transfer solution from any craft shop, or online. You then press down the image (photo side) onto the surface of the wooden box and leave it to dry.

The wooden box you have in mind can be unfinished, or if you want the image to stand out, it can be pre-painted with a water based emulsion paint, or even an oil paint.

Once the photo copy paper is dry, a damp cloth is used to wet the paper which is then gently removed leaving the image behind.

You can use a wood oil aerosol spray, or a proprietary seal from B&Q or Homebase to remove the paper residue and to provide a nice sheen or gloss finish.

The finished result is great because the image looks as though it's part of the wood rather than being stuck on like a paper transfer, or decoupage. So, what's stopping you - give it a go and release those creative juices!

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North American Bent Wood Boxes!

Traditional square or rectangular wooden boxes sometimes have rounded corners for effect. The process comprises making wood boxes with 90 degree corners, using traditional jointing methods such as mitres, butt joints, finger joints etc. and then reducing the corners to a rounded shape, either manually or by machine.

Bent wood boxes however are traditional wood boxes made by the First Nations people of North America from one piece of wood that's steamed and bent at the corners to form a box. The rounded corners are therefore formed naturally by the way they're made.

North American Bent Wood Box

Uses for bent wood boxes were varied and included food storage, cooking utensils, clothing accessories, for ceremonial purposes and burials, water carrying, canoes and dwellings.

Bent wood boxes were often elaborately decorated and / or carved, particularly if they were made for trading purposes, whilst other more utilitarian boxes were left plain undecorated.

Today, many bent wood boxes of different shapes and sizes are made for specialist collectors and can be purchased online, from museum gift shops, as well as directly from the craftsmen themselves.

Bent wood boxes are made from a single piece of wood in which three grooves called 'kerfs' have been cut where the corners occur. The wood is then steamed at each groove position, bent and pegged at the final corner to create the four sides of the box.

A cedar wood base is then fixed to the underside of the box using pegs and finally a lid is made for the top which is usually rebated to fit.

Steaming the wood makes it softer and therefore more pliable, especially if the wood is green, so it bends easily at the groove positions where the wood thickness has been reduced.

The First Nation people of North America used cedar wood because it was readily available in the areas they lived and because it has a straight grain, lending itself to being bent and is also lightweight and easily worked, making it the ideal material for making boxes.

Important members of the tribe were able to demonstrate their status by the number of bent wood boxes they possessed and how elaborately they were carved and / or decorated.

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Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes Make Stunning Gifts!

Plain, undecorated wooden boxes (box blanks) can be transformed using a variety of traditional decorative techniques into functional and artistic gifts. The visual effects these decorative techniques can provide are limited only by your own imagination.

Traditional methods of decorating wooden boxes include painting, with acrylic craft paints, emulsion, oil based paints and wood stains, with natural wood and / or colour stains.

Polmac (UK) Ltd Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes

You can use small pieces of coloured tissue paper to decoupage your wood boxes, if you prefer a more random, vibrant finish.

The sea glass you've collected from a recent visit to the beach can be glued to your wooden boxes, to create stunning mosaics.

You can also create more complex or basic designs using pyrography (wood burning) and traditional wood carving techniques.

However, one of the most unusual and interesting methods of embellishing wooden boxes is to use decorative ceramic tiles, glued onto the surface.

You can create your own ceramic tile designs, if you have access to a kiln, by hand decorating, or using decorative transfers. If not, you can use decorated tiles from your local tile shop.

When fixing ceramic tiles onto your wood boxes, bear in mind that wood 'moves' due to moisture content, whereas ceramic tiles and glass are static. This means the glue needs to provide separation as well as adhesion.

So, a good choice would be silicone, as it's relatively inexpensive and easy to use.

However, if you're using plywood, you'll need to seal it first, then use a flexible, cement based adhesive, rather than a pre-mixed tub adhesive.

These two gluing methods assume the substrate, whether it's wood, mdf, or plywood, is reasonably rigid and doesn't flex or bow with variations in temperature.

Wood boxes decorated with ceramic tiles and mosaic, are perfect for displaying your tile and mosaic artwork.

They offer unusual design opportunities that can wow and impress your friends and / or clients.

These decorated, ceramic tile boxes make stunning gifts to store treasured mementos and photos in, or to use as elegant gift packages!

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Getting Married? Use Wooden Flower Boxes For Centrepieces!

When considering the décor for your wedding reception it's always tempting to leave the arrangements to the wedding management company, if you have one. Whatever the circumstances, you'll naturally have an input but you can easily use your creative talents to add your very own personal touches.

For instance, you can design and make your own wedding invitations and stationary and you can also design your own wedding centrepieces, that will undoubtedly set the tone for the wedding reception.

Using Wooden Boxes For Floral Centrepieces

For brides and grooms a DIY craft wedding is a terrific way to put your own stamp on your wedding, especially if you're looking for a more rustic overall flavour. If your wedding is taking place in a barn for example, it may be an ideal opportunity for some creative thinking.

Weddings can be expensive affairs, so making some of the decorative items yourself can be an excellent way of saving money, especially if the finances are a bit tight!

If you haven't done any art since school don't worry about it. You can still wow your guests by using your imagination and developing some really interesting ideas. One way to accomplish this is to design your own wooden boxes for centrepieces.

If you're looking for modern trends, a good place to start looking are wedding websites and magazines where you can find some terrific ideas for wooden boxes for floral arrangements.

You'll also find the little bits and pieces you'll need as embelishments, such as coloured ribbons, bows, cut out decorations and trims. This will ensure your wood boxes for centrepieces look modern, fresh and of course professional.

Wooden boxes come in all shapes, sizes and finishes, such as square, rectangular, round, hexagonal, octagonal, single tier and 2-tier etc. You can use old wooden craft boxes from the shed and decorate them yourself, or you can have new ones made to your requirements and even have your names and a message printed on them.

The very first thing to decide is the shape and the size of your wood boxes and after that the finish. For instance, this could be a simple matt emulsion in light pastel shades, a clear lacquer finish or a wood or colour stain if you wish to retain the grain character of the wood.

Wooden boxes can make spectacular wedding centrepiece floral arrangements. The keys to success are to provide lots of colour and variety in your floral arrangements, so use your creative juices to mix things up a bit!

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There's More To Birch Than Flogging!

 The birch is a true native of the Northern Hemisphere and grows to heights of 610m. It thrived well before the last Ice Age and was among the first trees to re-colonize the land in massive tracts of forest, after the ice retreated.

The birch is often the first tree to establish itself on a new site and is tolerant of adverse conditions, such as  severe weather, frosts and the polluted environments that we often experience today. 

Birch Trees

For many centuries trees played an important part in man's spiritual life, representing a new awakening each spring. It was often the custom for example, for girls to give their partners a birch twig as a sign of love. 

The so called "Besom Wedding" which involved the couple jumping over birch twigs was recognized as legitimate. On midsummer nights birch boughs were often hung over doors to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Birch was also used in more practical ways. For example, birch bark was stitched together to make food receptacles, canoes for hunting and the pitch was made into glue to fix flint arrow heads and spears onto their wooden shafts.

Polmac Hamper Boxes Made From Birch Ply

In spring, birch sap was used to make mead and the fresh cambial tissue was used to make a nutritious bread. Birch tea is an ancient and powerful remedy used to combat such ailments as gout, rheumatism and arthritis.

The sawdust from birch wood was used for smoking fish and is a practice which endures to this day. The bark was used to tan hides and as a roof covering to keep the rain out, much like the way roofing felt is used today.

Birch wood is quite soft and fairly easy to work and has a wonderful, silver-bar like quality which is highly prized that Polmac uses for making customized, wood boxes where specified. The wood can also be pulped and used for making writing paper.

Birch is a tough, robust wood which is also used to make the best quality, narrow gauge plywood, which is ideal for manufacturing round boxes such as hamper and shaker boxes.

Birches are fast growing and are often used to screen less hardy species, especially on windy higher ground. 

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The Natural Beauty Of Wood Presentation Boxes!

Wood is a material that has been deeply embedded in the history, culture and life of humans worldwide. It was used to create fire, build shelters and make weapons, so it has satisfied the basic survival instincts of human beings, from the earliest times.

 

People have been fascinated by the colour, texture, tone, durability and flexibility of wood for thousands of years. It's one of the reasons it resonates so well in many traditional industries today, such as the Scottish whisky industry.

 

Polmac (UK) Ltd Wood Perfume Boxes

 

Wood is ideally suited to meet people's basic needs and desires. They want a calm, stress-free atmosphere in their lives. They also want to counter the constant 'white noise' they're subjected to, every day.

People today are savvy about the environment and how it impacts on their lives, so are searching for more sustainable, eco-friendly materials. When managed properly trees provide a rich wood resource that satisfies this need.

Polmac (UK) Ltd manufactures custom-made, wood boxes and sources it's wood supplies from sustainable and managed forests, near the beautiful, jagged Carpathian mountains in the south of Poland.

Every step of the manufacturing process draws on the expertise of our craftsmen, whether using the very best hand-crafting techniques, or technological innovations.

No other material today matches wood in versatility or beauty, so it is fantastic to see how creatively wood is used today, whether as a sleek modern design or a more traditional design.

Wood's true beauty emerges gradually over time and develops a subtle, yet rich, quality that gives it a true personality. This is why products associated with natural wood increase in perceived value and become instantly more attractive to potential customers. If people see real value in a product, they will always be willing to pay more for it.

This combination means that Polmac (UK) Ltd can create custom-made, wood presentation boxes and packaging of exceptional quality and beauty that your customers will find irresistible!

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Plywood v Solid Wood - The Pefect Combination!

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a combination of solid, natural wood and plywood in the manufacture of it's customized, wood presentation boxes.

 

Plywood is essentially a wood product made from multiple layers of thin solid wood that are glued together to form a panel of a specified thickness. The layers are rotated so that the grain direction in one ply is at right angles relative to the adjacent layer. This increases the strength and dimensional stability of the plywood.

Plywood is most commonly manufactured in thicknesses of approximately 5mm to 19 mm. A standard sheet of plywood measures 1.2 m wide by 2.4 m long, although over sized plywood, can also be ordered.

Harrods Wine Cases (Made from a combination of solid wood and plywood)

Plywood is made from softwoods and hardwoods and is available in a number of grades. For example, 'A' grade plywood is practically free from all defects, whereas 'X' grade plywood has plenty of knots, knotholes, cracks and other defects.

The choice of plywood grade would naturally depend upon the usage. Where specified, only the best 'A' grade plywood is used in Polmac wood presentation boxes.

In large presentation boxes, Polmac (UK) Ltd often uses a combination of plywood and solid wood. Plywood is used for lids and bases where the surface area is large, in order to prevent warping. The sides of large Polmac wood boxes are usually made from solid wood, unless otherwise specified, as they are usually shallow and are stiffened and restrained by the lid and base panels.

Solid wood planks are sawn from logs, then cured outdoors and / or kiln dried. The drying process reduces the moisture content of the wood and increases its strength and dimensional stability. However, even after kiln drying, large solid wood pieces can still experience some shrinkage in changing atmospheric conditions particularly humidity. Careful monitoring of the moisture content is therefore necessary.

Solid wood is also graded depending upon whether it's a softwood or a hardwood.

Plywood is used when a sheet material is required that is not susceptible to cracking, shrinking, or warping, or where curved surfaces are required, such as round hamper boxes or hat boxes. In these circumstances using birch ply is ideal!

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses natural wood, in the manufacture of it's wood presentation boxes not only for it's intrinsic strength and stiffness but also because of it's beauty and aesthetic quality. Where there is the possibility of movement, high grade plywood is used.

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Electro-Plating Ironmongery For Wood Display Boxes - How The Magic Works!

In fairy tales, wizards use alchemy to turn ordinary objects into gold and silver. Alchemy is of course a fantasy but using specialized, modern day, electro-plating techniques is perhaps the next best thing. 

By coating a base metal with a more appealing (and expensive) metal we can quickly and easily transform the appearance of the base metal into something special and magical. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses ironmongery (caches, hinges, stays etc), with a brass, or nickel plated finish on our customized, wooden display boxes. This enhances the appearance of the ironmongery and wood boxes, by providing a highly polished finish that looks much like gold and silver.

Brass or nickel plated finishes are also long-lasting, economical and provide excellent rust and wear resistance. Other more specialized, metal plated finishes, such as bronze and copper can also be provided if specified, although these tend to be more expensive.

Polmac Electro-Plated Ironmongery

Metal finishes by their nature have a tendency to oxidize and will tarnish over time but using a proprietary metal cleaner when required, will soon bring back that original shine and sparkle.

In electroplating, two 'electrodes' are placed in a special solution called an 'electrolyte'. The electrodes are then connected in a circuit to a power supply, such as a battery and an electric current is passed through the electrolyte.

When the electricity is switched on, it flows through the circuit and some of the metal atoms are released through the electrolyte. These are then deposited as a thin layer onto one of the electrodes, which then becomes 'electroplated'.

The longer this electro-plating process continues, the more metal is deposited on the electrode. Adhering to strict quality standards ensures that the right thickness of metal is deposited on the ironmongery, every time.

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Coins, Collectibles & Wooden Display Boxes

Coin collecting is described as collecting coins or other forms of legal tender. However, coin collecting is different from 'numismatics' which is concerned with the study of currency, which can include paper currency.

Coin collecting and numismatics are similar but there are differences. A person interested in numismatics for instance, may or may not collect coins and vice versa.

Since the time coins were first minted, people have collected coins, mainly for their bullion value and there are many examples of ancient coin hoards being discovered by people with metal detectors, buried in ceramic jars or wooden chests.

However, collecting coins for their artistic or commemorative value was something that developed much later.

Commemorative medallions, presented as awards for sporting, academic and other achievements are also a feature of collecting today.

For example, after the recent One Day International (ODI) cricket series between England and New Zealand (which incidentally England won), all the players and officials were presented with commemorative medallions.

Wood Single-Tier Coin Box

Collectors are always interested in limited edition coins, coins minted with flaws and especially coins that have aesthetic qualities, or some sort of historical significance, because they are the most valuable.

In ancient Rome and Mesopotamia, evidence has emerged suggesting that coins were collected and systematically catalogued by their national treasuries.

Individual citizens who could afford to do so probably also collected old and exotic coins, as a sort of portable art, to impress their friends and acquaintances.

It is thought that in the first century AD, the Roman emperor Augustus liked to give his friends and officials old and exotic coins, during special events.

Coins that have a value, whether intrinsic or actual are often kept in special boxes for cataloguing, accessibility and protection purposes. Commemorative medallions as awards, often come in individually designed boxes.

Wood Display Box With Single Medallion & Ribbon

Polmac (UK) Ltd are specialist suppliers of customized, single and multi-tier, wooden coin boxes and wood boxes for other collectibles and memorabilia, including military collectibles and gifts. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, making them ideal for the purpose!

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Chocolate Boxes & The Science Of Dating!

According to new research in America, showing up on a first date with a box of chocolates may not be as 'cringe worthy' as it first appears.

American scientists have found that consuming something sweet like chocolate, can increase levels of attraction and sub-consciously, may also encourage feelings of 'desire'.

So, offering a box of chocolates on a first date may be an excellent strategy for someone, if he wishes to charm his date.

It seems that the same brain processes that underpin the taste for sweet things also underpin feelings of love, which may explain why we often crave both.

This means that a simple box of chocolates could bring a chap 'sweet success'. The tricky part though, is persuading the lady to get stuck in immediately, without making it obvious what you're up to.

The Spaniards learned about chocolate from the Aztecs and brought it to Europe. It was introduced into England in about 1657.

Not long afterwards, individual chocolates were being made and sold in boxes, with pictures on the front to make the entire presentation more appealing.

Ever since, chocolate box designs have included everything from 18th century classical elegance, to the latest modern art.

Today, there is a vast range of chocolate box designs, catering for the finest Belgian chocolates to the more economical varieties.

Most chocolate boxes are now made from cardboard and modern synthetic materials. However, when something special and unique is called for, they are also made from sheet metal and wood.

Polmac (UK) Ltd specialises in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes, including chocolate boxes, where specified.

Polmac Colour Stained Chocolate Boxes For: Lindt

Polmac wooden boxes are supplied with beautiful, food compatible, colour, or natural wood stains and stunning, internal fabric linings. They can also be overprinted with a logo, or text, if a more personalised, branded finish is required.

All Polmac wood chocolate boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to transform your products into exquisite gift sets that your customers will find irresistible.

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Clear Lacquers: Enhance The Natural Beauty Of Wood Presentation Boxes!

Lacquers are clear or coloured finishes for wood that dry by a process of evaporation, or curing producing a hard, durable finish. Lacquer finishes can be matt, eggshell (semi-matt), gloss, or high gloss and can be applied directly to the finished, natural wood, over a wood stain, or even over a water-based paint finish.

Lacquer Spraying A Wooden Box

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses clear lacquer finishes because they dry quickly, are durable and enhance the natural beauty, depth and richness of the wood. They also protect the wood from unsightly finger marks. 

The term lacquer is derived from a Sanskrit word lākshā which means 'wax'. In ancient India, people used the reddish, resinous secretions from the 'Lac' insect as a wood finish.
 

There are many different kinds of lacquer, with different performance characteristics.

Polmac (UK) Ltd however, uses water-based, clear lacquers because they are durable, have good abrasion resistance, low odour and exclude many of the flammable and corrosive ingredients of other lacquers.

Drying Rack

Water-based lacquers are usually made with either an acrylic resin or an acrylic urethane mixture. The addition of urethane makes the resin tougher and more scratch resistant. When applied, each new coat partially dissolves the previous coat and chemically bonds with it. This characteristic makes these finishes easy to maintain.

Polmac lacquers are applied to our wood presentation boxes in the Spraying Room, using special spraying equipment, although they are sometimes brush applied. Protective breathing suits have to be worn by operatives when spraying, because of the solvents present in the lacquer.

After the application of each coat, the wooden boxes are put on special, metal drying racks with spaces between, ready for the next coat. The drying racks allow plenty of air to circulate around the wooden boxes, so they dry as quickly as possible.

Because water-based lacquers are quick to dry, several coats can be applied in one day, making them very economical to use.

Lacquer finishes can be easily cleaned using just soap and water and due to their stability, they are also useful for colour matching purposes later, if required.

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Concealed Hinges: Elegance & Functionality Combined!

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies a large number of customized, wood presentation boxes with hinged lids that are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value.

We use many types of hinges ... large, small, plain and decorative, made from different materials and finishes.

Polmac Ironmongery Showing Round, Concealed Metal Hinges

However, the most popular hinges are made from pressed, sheet steel with a brass, or nickel plated finish, as they are elegant, durable and economical.

Hinges with a special black, or bronze finish, as well as solid, polished brass hinges are also used where specified, although they are more expensive.

Brass and nickel plating on metal hinges is used primarily as a decorative finish but does also provide excellent wear and corrosion resistance.

Hinges must always perform one important function: To secure the lid to the base of the box and allow it to be opened and closed smoothly along a hinged axis, in perfect alignment

No matter what type of hinges are used, they must also enhance the visual appearance of the finished wood boxes. We therefore use special 'concealed' metal hinges as standard, unless otherwise specified.

These hinges are supplied round, hexagonal, or rectilinear in shape and are fixed at the back of the wooden boxes, where only the narrow knuckles are visible, on the outside and the inside, providing a visually appealing, 'clean' look. 

The two flanges of the concealed hinges can be a smooth finish, or have raised 'prongs' in the surface, to increase resistance to extraction.

The fixing process is as follows ...

Firstly, two thin slots are cut into the ends of the base and side panels at their intersection, ready for the hinges to be inserted.

Secondly, the ends of the side panels are cut full length at 45 degrees to each other, creating an overall 90 degree joint. This is a special 'stop feature' which restrains the lid at the vertical position when opened and prevents damage to the hinges.

The hinges are then inserted into the slots and the fixing positions pre-drilled. Special serrated, 'disappearing' pins are then inserted and carefully hammered home.

For small, wooden boxes 6 - 8 mm serrated pins are very effective and these are hammered at a slight angle, to provide a secure and permanent fixing.

The pin holes are then filled with wooden plugs and sanded off, for a smooth, even finish.

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Corrugated Metal Strip Inlay Decorations!

Many Polmac, custom made, wooden boxes are decorated using traditional methods, to create visually stunning, decorative designs and effects.

Corrugated, metal strip inlay is a special technique for decorated wooden boxes, that uses flexible, thin gauge, corrugated, or plain brass or nickel plated metal strips, as lines to create patterns, shapes, decorative motifs and borders. 

 

This type of decoration is often used in combination with other techniques, such as pyrography and hand carving, to create original, decorative effects!. 

 

Cutting Grooves Around the Pattern / Design 

The technique comprises three stages…

1/ Creating a design, or pattern on the wooden box.
2/ Using a special tool to cut thin slots around the design.
3/ Applying the corrugated strips.

Once the design or pattern is agreed, it is carefully transferred onto the lid and / or the sides of the wood boxes. This is often done by hand using pre-printed patterns on special see-through paper, similar to tracing paper.

 

Inserting Corrugated Metal Strips Into Pre-Formed Grooves

A pin is then used to apply tiny pin pricks through the paper, to ‘trace’ out the design. However, if the design is simple, or a particular one-off, artistic effect is required, the design can also be drawn using the sharp point of a pencil  

Thin grooves are then carefully cut into the wood around the design, to the depth of the corrugated metal strip using a special, hand held tool, which looks like a cross between a hand carving tool and a chisel.

 

These tools have a range of special cutting edges that can create different shaped lines, such as  curves, circles, straight lines etc.

 

Removing Excess Metal Strip

The metal strips are then tapped into the grooves, flush with the surface of the wood. This process requires the crafts person to wear a metal 'sewing' thimble at the end of their finger, to prevent being cut by the thin gauge, corrugated metal strips.

 

Any excess strip is cut off and the raised edges ‘sanded’ off, on a special sanding machine, to provide a flush, even finish on the wood surface.

 

Polmac Wooden Boxes With Metal Strip Inlay Design

Once the metal inlay process is complete the design can be decorated with multi-coloured, or natural wood stains and/ or block colours, to provide that all important finishing touch!  

http://www.polmacuk.com

Blackpool Rock Has Nothing On Us!

If you’ve even been to the seaside and bought a stick of rock, you may have seen a ring of letters at the end, spelling out the name of the resort...

And have you ever wondered how they get the ring of letters to run the whole length of the rock, so no matter where you break the rock, the lettering is always there and the words are always legible?

Blackpool Lettering Rock

It takes a great deal of skill to form the lettering, as each letter has to be constructed individually and drawn into long lengths. The letters are then put together in a warm, pliable sugar mass, to form the words of the resort and the long rounded shape of the rock.

We're often asked a similar question about the mitred joints we use to construct our custom made, wooden boxes.

Mitred Side Panels Being Assembled

All our mitred joints have a small wooden ‘tongue’ inserted lengthways (just like the lettering in Blackpool rock) and at 90 degrees to the mitre. The question we’re often asked is...'How do you do that?'

The wooden tongue is designed to strengthen the joint and the whole process, like the application of lettering in rock, takes a lot of effort and skill!

Mitred Side Panels Being Carefully Tapped Together

First, the four side panels are mitred at 45 degrees at each end, to form the four corners of the wood boxes. Small, narrow grooves are then machined along the full length of each of the mitred ends. The grooves are cut to the full thickness and half the width of the ‘tongues’

A length of ‘tongue’ is then glued and tapped into one groove at each corner. This is repeated on the three remaining corners and any excess ‘tongue’ removed and sanded off flush.

Wooden Box Carcass In Press

The four mitred panels are then all glued and carefully tapped together, using a small hammer, taking care that the loose ends of the ‘tongues’ are inserted into the corresponding open grooves.

The whole box assembly is then placed in a special steel press for 24 hours. Once the glue has dried the mitred box 'carcass' is removed, perfectly square and ready for the application of the lid and base.

 

A fellow took my photograph, it cost one and three.
I said when it was done, 'Is that supposed to be me?'
'You've properly mucked it up - the only thing I can see
Is my little stick of Blackpool Rock.'

With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock: George Formby

http://www.polmacuk.com 

Finger Joints - Strong, Durable & Virtually Indestructible!

A finger joint, also known as a comb or box joint, is a wood joint made by cutting complementary rectangular slots in two narrow pieces of wood, which are then glued together.

If you interlock the fingers of your hands together at ninety degrees (hence the name finger joint), you’ll get the idea. 

 Finger Joint

Finger joints are stronger than mitre joints, butt joints, or even lap joints and are often used when a more ‘rustic’ quality is required!

An alternative name for a finger joint is a box-pin joint.

Finger joints are ideal for box making, as well as household furniture and kitchen cabinets and are suitable for use with natural woods such as pine and mahogany and wood based products, such as plywood and MDF.

Finger joints are really strong when used with a good quality, wood working glue such as PVA. If you lock your fingers together, try forcing them apart and you’ll find it difficult to do. The same principle applies to finger joints in wood boxes.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses finger joints mainly for larger wooden boxes, where stronger, more durable joints are required. 

Polmac Finger Jointing

If done by hand, finger jointing is a slow, laborious process and takes a great deal of time, effort and skill. For this reason, special finger jointing machines are often used.

When cut, the ‘fingers’ should fit together like a glove, without any gaps and the glue will ensure that the joint is virtually indestructible!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Pine - The Tree Of Life!

Pine trees are found in the Northern Hemisphere and are evergreen conifers that can grow up to 80 m  although most pines average about 15-- 45m. The Pine family is the most diverse of all the conifers species.

Pine trees grow cones that are packed with seeds, rather than flowers, or fruit and are easily recognized by this one feature. They generally have thick scaly bark and a tough, resinous wood. Some Pines today are over 4500 years old.

 Pine Tree

Pine wood is one of the most widely used softwoods, because it is relatively inexpensive, robust and readily available.

Pine wood has many uses including -- paper, furniture, roofing, flooring and window frames. It is also a very good material for making wood boxes. The resin from some pine trees is used to manufacture turpentine.

Polmac Pine Hamper Boxes For: Fortnum & Mason

[with white wicker infill panels]

One of the most well known and popular uses of Pine is of course Christmas trees. Pine cones are sometimes painted and used as decorations.

Pine wood has a warm amber colour with streaks of brown but has little grain character. For this reason, most woodworkers use knotty Pine for cabinets and furniture, to bring out that more rugged quality.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses Pine wood where larger, more durable wooden boxes are required and these are usually fitted with heavy-duty, brass, or nickel-plated, metal ironmongery.

Pine wood can be colour stained but Polmac Pine boxes are generally supplied with a clear lacquer finishes, because of the resinous quality of the wood. They are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value!

http://www.polmacuk.com 

Corrugated Carboard - A Dynamic Packaging Solution!

Corrugated cardboard packaging is used around the world today because it is cost effective, has good impact and vibration resistance for goods in transit and can easily be over-printed.

 The term ‘corrugated’ comes from the fluted and sandwiched inner layer of cardboard. Corrugated cardboard is made of two to seven layers of corrugated paper. These corrugated layers are glued together with layers of straight paper. 

Corrugated Cardboard Boxes

In 1871 an American, Albert Jones, inspired by the pleats in women's skirts patented the first corrugated board, as a creative way of packaging glass bottles.

It was thought that the first corrugating cardboard machine was made from old Civil War cannons.

Three years later Oliver Long improved the Jones design by adding a solid board, creating a two-ply solution. The first European factory began producing cardboard in London, in 1883.

Since then, new technology has considerably improved quality and introduced innovations in cardboard design.

Individually Wrapped Wooden Boxes

Corrugated cardboard has good impact and vibration resistance because the corrugations can absorb    severe impact, which minimizes the chances of damaging the goods inside.

Corrugated cardoard is designed for stacking. It withstands top and side pressure, is crush-resistant and has tear, tensile and burst strength, to withstand shipping pressures. 

Corrugated cardboard provides uniform stacking and weight distribution. For additional 'stackability' stiff, vertical plastic strips are sometimes provided, to reinforce the corners of palleted loads.

Cardboard has low water resistance, which can be overcome by treating the cardboard with a water resistant solution, or by shrink wrapping the cartons with water-proof polythene sheeting, on pallets.

Corrugated cardboard is the most re-cycled, packaging material by weight in the world, greatly reducing the amount that’s discarded, so provides an effective, environmental packaging solution. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses five-ply, impact resistant, corrugated cardboard cartons, shrink wrapped and paletted as standard, to transport your custom made, wood presentation boxes to the UK. 

To prevent abrasion damage in transit, your wood boxes are also individually wrapped in white paper. This ensures they are delivered in pristine condition!

http://www.polmacuk.com