lid supports

Over the years since my Complete Illustrated Guide to Box Making was in production, some hardware suppliers decided to drop products. I get inquiries from readers wondering how to find specific hardware that I used and displayed in the book. One particular piece that offers a challenge is a small brass lid support. The lid supports currently available are much too large for small boxes.

So what you see in the photo above is a simple lid stay that may work for some box makers, particularly those making boxes with rustic character. To make it, I bend two pieces of steel strapping material and drill holes. One hole in each piece is for the string selected to form a check strap. The other hole allows for each piece to be attached to the sides of the box and lid. To use this check strap in finer applications, consider using polished brass rather than steel for the angle pieces.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Losing a source for simple lid stays led to this solution. In the meantime, I've had conversations with my suppliers in an effort to get the old brass lid stays brought back to the market. If my readers locate a source for them, please comment in the blog.