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How to make a glass box. Box for a collectible product made of plexiglass. Types and brands

Love is the force that motivates us to do good deeds. It is she who generates mercy and kindness, which, in turn, become the initiators of good deeds. For example, helping not only close people, but also complete strangers who need something. And today, contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of people with love in their souls. Each such person tries to help his neighbor morally and financially. For the latter cases, very often in public places you can find boxes or boxes for donations, shown in the photo.

Material Features

At first, such products were mainly made of wood. This is a simple solution, since the material is inexpensive and it is quite easy to process. However, certain nuances, for example, the multi-stage preparation of the structure, necessitated the search for alternative solutions.

As a result, such boxes not only acquired new materials, but also forms. Everything is done to make it convenient for both parties: both those who donate funds and those who collect these funds.

Given the increased popularity of the use of plexiglass in various fields, it was decided to try this material for these purposes. And here he settled down. Now most donation boxes are made from organic glass. Such products can be found in a variety of places: on the street, in transport, in shopping malls, in medical and educational institutions, in catering establishments and so on.

It was plexiglass that began to be preferred in the manufacture of boxes due to the many qualities of this material. For example, it is inexpensive, light in weight, strong enough and malleable for such purposes, it does not allow moisture to pass through, it can be transparent, matte or colored. It is also important, of course, that plexiglass does not enter into chemical reaction with banknotes, shows resistance to chemicals and is a dielectric. Therefore, it is an excellent material for these purposes.

Types of organic glass

  • Transparent. It has a bright sheen and a smooth finish. Light transmittance - 92%.
  • Colored transparent. An analogue of the first option, only painted in a certain color.
  • Corrugated transparent. On the one hand there is a smooth surface, on the back - a relief.
  • Matte white. Light transmittance - 20-70%.
  • Matte color. An analogue of the previous view, only with a uniform color.

Essentially any type of plexiglass described can be used to create boxes. It all depends on the goals and operating conditions. After all, for example, when using a donation box, it is better that it be transparent. If it is used as a ballot box, then here it can be non-transparent - it all depends on the rules of the event.

Tools

If you want to make a box of organic glass with your own hands, this may require a certain tool. But, in principle, processing technique is of primary importance. So, to bend a sheet in a straight line, you must first heat the area along the axis.

If you need to cut the sheet, then the cutter can be made from an old hacksaw blade. In order not to hurt your hands, one end of the canvas should be protected by making something similar to a pen. Cutting must be done on a level surface.

If the box involves a frame, as in the photo, it can be made of plastic or metal. To create a connection between it and the walls, a sealant is used.

Before proceeding with specific actions to create a box, it is recommended that you first conduct several experiments - practice to get a feel for how the material behaves, learn how to handle it correctly.

Organic glass opens the frontiers

Indeed, thanks to the use of plexiglass, many products have become available for DIY. After all, processing does not require special equipment, as, for example, when using wood. Here you can get by with improvised means, while getting a high-quality result, in this case - a box. And if it will serve for donations, this is a great way to contribute to helping those in need, and there are enough such people in the world. And everyone needs care and love.

Plexiglas crafts are becoming more and more popular. This beautiful and malleable material is suitable for making figurines, photo frames and other interesting and beautiful things. In this article, we will tell you how to make a price tag holder and a phone stand out of plexiglass.

Advantages and disadvantages

Plexiglas has become a popular craft material due to the following qualities:

  • ease;
  • durability;
  • resistance to ultraviolet radiation;
  • impact resistance;
  • pliability to many types of processing and decoration.

The disadvantages of this material include flammability and poor scratch resistance.

Video "Making a plexiglass ring"

From this video you will learn how to make a ring from plexiglass with your own hands.

Classification

There are several types of plexiglass.

  1. Transparent. Colorless smooth sheets that transmit up to 95% of light. Suitable for etching and engraving. A frame or a carved figure made of such material looks great with an LED garland fixed around the perimeter.
  2. Color. The material has a uniform color, transmits 20-75% of the light, depending on the thickness of the sheet and the saturation of the shade. Such plexiglass can be relatively transparent or frosted, gently diffusing light. It makes spectacular stained-glass windows and lamps. Sheets that let in a minimum of light are especially good for nightlights.
  3. corrugated. On one side of the sheet there is a convex pattern. Such plexiglass can be both transparent and colored. It is rarely used for crafts.
Plexiglas is a popular material for making various figures.

General Instructions

Now let's look at how to make simple but very useful things out of plexiglass: a price tag holder and a phone stand.

Instrument preparation

To work with plexiglass, you will need the following tools:

  • ruler;
  • knife, a circular saw or jigsaw;
  • weight;
  • inclined stop;
  • thermal cutter.

The cutter can be made by yourself. For this you will need:

  • nitrochrome wire 0.5–1 mm thick and 30–50 cm long;
  • frame;
  • 12 V power supply.

Thanks to a special knife for plexiglass, you can easily cut the desired parts from this material

The wire is fixed on the frame and connected to a power source. This device is needed to bend plexiglass.

Draw the exact outlines of the blanks in advance: an error of 1 cm can make the item unusable. Both designs have vertically arranged parts, so the base must be secure so that they do not fall.

Making a price tag holder

There are several types of price tag holders. For example, consider the manufacture of a desktop. It has the following shape: an inclined vertical part extends from the base with a tight clamp at the top, thanks to which the price sheet does not fall out. For such a product, you need a transparent sheet with a thickness of 1.5–3 mm.

The work is done like this:


Making a phone stand

For example, consider creating a stand with a base, a vertical part, a bottom stop and side holders. All these parts can be rectangular or made in an artistic form.


Plexiglas phone stand is quite easy to manufacture

For example, you can make a stand in the form of a man with holders in the form of hands.

The stand is made as follows:


By learning how to work with plexiglass, you can even set up your own business, creating either standard inexpensive items in large quantities, or unique products that also have artistic value.

October 5, 2018
Specialization: master in construction drywall constructions, finishing work and installation floor coverings. Installation of door and window blocks, facade finishing, installation of electrics, plumbing and heating - I can give detailed advice on all types of work.

Today I will share my experience of making a box for any collectible item. The process is simple, used available materials and the work is not difficult. But you can save a memorabilia or souvenir and protect it from damage. The size can be anything, it all depends on what you are going to store.

Process description

For simplicity and accessibility, I divided all the work into separate stages.

Step 1: preparing materials and tools

From the materials you need the following:

  • Plexiglas. The size depends on what box you are going to make.
  • wooden element. It can be a piece of board or furniture board, used for pedestal.
  • Epoxy adhesive. You can use any other composition, the main thing is that it slightly softens the plexiglass when gluing.

As for the tools, you need such a set:

  • Table circular saw. A special disk for cutting plastic should be installed on it, usually it has small teeth for accurate sawing.
  • Dremel. This compact tool will come in handy when processing elements.

For the box shown in the photo, the following parameters were used:

  • 11x20 cm: front and back panels.
  • 8x20 cm: two side panels.
  • 11x8 cm: top part boxing.
  • 12.5x10 mm: wooden base on which the plexiglass box will be located.

Step 2: cutting blanks and gluing the body

This stage consists of the following actions:

  • Plexiglas is marked and cut into blanks of the size you require. If your saw has the ability to adjust the blade tilt, it can be positioned at a 45 degree angle to make the ends beveled and perfectly connect all the parts.
  • The cut ends are additionally polished to give them perfect smoothness.
  • The case is glued on a flat surface: one of the wide parts is placed on the table, to which two sidewalls are glued on the side. The glue is prepared as indicated on the package, it should be applied carefully, avoiding large excesses. Bricks or other elements can be used as supports.
  • A second wide element is glued on top, a load is placed on it so that the parts connect perfectly.
  • The product is left for 2 hours so that the composition dries completely.
  • Excess glue on the ends is removed with a grinding machine.

Step 3: gluing the top

When the body is glued, you can start gluing the top. Glue is applied around the perimeter, after which the element is carefully put in place and leveled. For reliability and a snug fit, a load is placed on top.

After two hours, you can remove the load and grind the joints if excess adhesive has come out on them.

Step 4: Making and processing the wooden base

The wooden base is done like this:

  • If desired, the outer corners are pre-rounded. I did it with a milling machine.
  • A plexiglass box is placed, perfectly aligned with all sides, after which a contour is drawn.
  • Four holes are drilled in the corners. I selected the diameter of the drill according to the thickness of the plexiglass, the depth was about 8 mm.
  • Then there are two options: either drill holes along the line, as I did, or make a groove with a hand router, if you have one at hand.
  • The groove is leveled to perfection with a carpenter's knife. The work is simple, but requires accuracy and takes a lot of time.
  • I decided to treat the surface with a burner. It gently burns the entire surface. Then you need to wipe it with a rag and wax it so that it acquires shine and does not get dirty. You can do it easier and paint the wood or varnish it.

Step 5: Attaching the Exhibit

The mounting method depends on what you place in the box. I have this robot, made to me once by my father, so I will tell you how to set and fix vertical elements:

  • The middle is located, the same indent is made from it in both directions and two holes are punched. This can be done with both a nail and a small diameter drill, the second option is much easier.
  • A small recess is cut out in the surface so that the wire can be placed in it, with which we will fix the robot.
  • The product is exposed, leveled, after which a wire is pulled through the holes so as to hold the two legs of the robot. From the bottom side, it twists until the souvenir becomes motionless.
  • The plexiglass box is put on: this completes the job. You can put a souvenir on the shelf and admire it. If you want to fix the cap in the base, take silicone, it can then be torn off without damaging the structure.

WarriorStudio shared his experience from www.instructables.com.

October 5, 2018

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

Plexiglas is otherwise called extruded acrylic or plexiglass, it is a pleasure to work with it, as it is characterized by pliability. Almost any product can be made from it. Sometimes the material is damaged, in which case the question arises of how to glue the plexiglass and how to do it correctly.

What to glue

Whether it is a crack or the need to connect parts made of transparent material, you will have to choose how to glue the plexiglass. The logical answer is a specialized composition. These are of two types:

  • acrylic solvent based adhesive- two substances of the same composition are combined with the help of a third, similar in composition, which ensures the transformation of all components into one whole;
  • - dries quickly, ideal for repairing cracks.

In addition to glue, plexiglass will combine strong acids and some other caustic substances that are often found in the workshop: glacial acetic acid, vinegar essence, methyl alcohol, formic acid, dichloroethane (a very poisonous dangerous substance, but sticks tightly).

It will not be possible to glue plexiglass with vinegar, even if it has a concentration of 7 or 9%. Acetic essence (70%) and acetic acid will perfectly cope with the task. The bonding procedure is not very fast, but the resulting seam is characterized by increased strength. Vinegar essence does not dissolve the Plexiglas surface, but only slightly softens it.


When deciding how to glue plexiglass, it should be borne in mind that all means, including adhesives, are divided into two groups according to the principle of action:

  1. The composition dissolves the surfaces to be bonded before joining, resulting in a monolithic seam, in some cases such a connection is called "cold welding".
  2. The surfaces do not dissolve, an intermediate layer is formed, which ensures the adhesion of the areas covered with a layer of glue (such bonding is very fragile, since plexiglass has no pores, and there is nothing for the adhesive to catch on).

The best option would be to use an adhesive designed specifically for polymer and acrylic glass.

Types and brands

There are several options for gluing plexiglass using specialized industrial tools.


The most popular are:

  • Glue COLACRIL-20 (liquid),
  • COLACRIL-30 (thick),
  • "Moment".

Plexiglas adhesive is transparent and thick, reminiscent of fresh honey in consistency, and is packaged in 100 g tubes.

The best adhesive for plexiglass of all known, used when joining such materials, therefore it is used in production.


Advantages:

  • forms a very strong adhesive seam;
  • grasps quickly;
  • has less toxicity compared to dichloroethane;
  • durable;
  • easily penetrates into narrow cracks and cracks of the material;
  • the seam is transparent and almost invisible.

Flaws:

  • expensive;
  • difficult to find on sale;
  • packaged in large containers of 1 liter.

Advice
Working towards 1 part add 10 pieces , this will allow you to better fill the smallest defects on the surfaces to be glued.

Glue COLACRIL-20 and COLACRIL-30 allow you to get a high-quality seam, absolutely transparent, without bubbles. The best effect will be if you use a mixture of these two adhesives for gluing.


"moment" and Cosmofen - two more means than gluing plexiglass. Both contain cyanoacrylate, so they have similar properties. It is not recommended to use them for gluing plexiglass, since they do not dissolve the surface and therefore the resulting seam is not durable. In addition, the adhesive seam turns white as it dries and loses its transparency, which makes the junction visible.


Cosmofen and "Moment" demonstrate their best properties if it is necessary to attach a small fallen off part of a decorative product. In this case, the glued element should not subsequently experience stress, otherwise it will fall off.

How to glue at home

Recommendations on how to glue plexiglass at home will help you get a high-quality, inconspicuous, reliable and durable seam:

  1. Thoroughly degrease the surfaces to be bonded with a cloth soaked in gasoline.
  2. Apply adhesive to both areas to be bonded. It is more convenient to do this with a medical syringe - fill it with glue, after grinding off the point with a bar at an angle of 90 degrees. Grinding is necessary to prevent splashing of the composition towards the bevel of the needle. Very carefully pour the glue into the joint between the slightly pressed against each other and securely fixed parts.
  3. Press the surfaces firmly together and apply firm pressure until the compound sets, this may take from 2 minutes to half an hour, depending on the amount of adhesive poured. The main thing is that the product must dry and not spread over the surface after you turn the product over.

Advice
To avoid unwanted contact of the adhesive on other areas, protect them with a film or masking tape before starting work.


In some cases, it becomes necessary to bond plexiglass to metal or wood.

For a high-quality connection of a metal part and plexiglass, the following are suitable:

  • dichloroethane;
  • "Liquid Nails";
  • glue "Moment for iron and plexiglass".

When gluing plexiglass with wood, it is important to obtain not only a strong seam, but also an inconspicuous one, otherwise the attractiveness of the product will be lost. For this reason, the choice of glue must be taken as seriously as possible.

For bonding wooden parts with plexiglass fit:

  • "Super glue";
  • adhesives MAFIX;
  • "Cosmophen".

In order to create your own florarium at home, you will need the appropriate materials, tools, following step by step instructions, patience and desire.

Ingredients
* Aluminum corners at least 10x10x1mm or wooden beam with a section of at least 20x20 mm;
* plexiglass 50X80 and 50X100, 2 pieces each;
* silicone sealant preferably transparent. White can also be used to seal the bottom;
* plastic sheets for the bottom and cover 2 pcs 50x100 each;
* bolts and nuts (note that long ones are needed for the bottom, and short ones for the walls);
* bars around the perimeter of the cover.
Tools
* Electric jigsaw;
* drill, wood drills for drilling plexiglass, metal drills for corners. Select the size of drills for bolts;
* a screwdriver and a screwdriver, because you have to twist a lot;
* invisible hair or paper clips;
* large film in case you work at home and not in the workshop.
Recipe
1. Cut 4 aluminum corners so that they match the height of the future florarium. It is advisable to measure directly on the sheets of acrylic, so as not to protrude too much.

2. On large sheets, use clips or invisible to fix the cut corners.


3. Lay the glass with the corner on a wooden beam and drill holes in the places where the bolts will be fastened.


Recommendations for working with plexiglass:
1. Always use a small size drill first, such as 2mm. If you immediately drill with a large one, then the plexiglass may crack. After that, you can increase the hole with a drill bigger size.
2. Always place the plexiglass on the wooden beam where the hole will be. If you drill, leaving it "in the air", then the plexiglass will sag and may crack.
3. Do not overdo it when tightening the bolts, the plexiglass may crack.
4. Fasten the corners on the long sides of the florarium with bolts and nuts.

5. After the corners are attached to the long sides of the florarium, attach two side walls to one of them, then attach the second long wall to them. Caution on this stage the whole structure is especially fragile and easily "walks". Any strong kink can break the plexiglass.


6. Now for the bottom and top of the florarium, you can assemble rectangles from the corners, which will be inserted INSIDE of the plexiglass box.
7. Bolt and nut the corner rectangles inside the Plexiglas box. The side that will touch the plexiglass can be lubricated with a transparent sealant.
8. Lubricate the corners of the future bottom with sealant, put a plastic sheet on top, which will be the bottom, fix it, for example, lean against the wall. Drill 2-4 holes through the bottom and corners, fix the bottom with bolts. For reliability, drill a few more holes on each side and also secure with bolts.


9. Florarium is ready. (1000) To make a lid just screw around the perimeter of the plastic sheet wooden bars nails.
10. A fan and a hygrometer can also be installed to control humidity. For this you need:
drill holes for fastening the fan with long bolts;
make a large "window" in the wall of the florarium. To do this, drill several large holes around the perimeter of the future “window”, and “cut” the plexiglass with a hot knife.