By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more
Forum sponsored by:
Forum sponsored by Forum House Ad Zone

Useful Boxes

All Topics | Latest Posts

Search for:  in Thread Title in  
David George 101/01/2023 16:53:44
avatar
2110 forum posts
565 photos

Just been putting away bits and pieces and tools and noticed I had a collection of old boxes. I don't know why I have so many pastille  boxes.

 

20230101_164155.jpg

David

Edited By David George 1 on 01/01/2023 16:55:05

DiogenesII01/01/2023 17:03:29
859 forum posts
268 photos

The sight of an Old Holborn tin brings back some fond memories..

Martin Kyte01/01/2023 17:05:33
avatar
3445 forum posts
62 photos

Must be all that Old Holborn !

John Haine01/01/2023 17:05:40
5563 forum posts
322 photos

My father used to smoke Gold Block pipe tobacco and had 100s of very useful tins most of which contained screws, nuts, nails, off tools etc. He made a lot of little drawer units for them to fit in, I think my brother has most of the ones still left, I have a few. Same size and shape as the Old Holborn one in your photo. Being a smoker he also always had boxes of megezzones about his person and in his car, though few of those have survived.

Speedy Builder501/01/2023 17:09:15
2878 forum posts
248 photos

 

One rack of Old Holborn my Grandad used to smoke, and a rack in the house courtesy of BEA in flight cigarette tins made of aluminium collected by our old neighbour who was a radio operator on the flights at the time.

Other useful boxes were the outer cases for TK50 mag tape cassettes.

tobacco tins 2.jpg
 

tobacco tins 1.jpg

Edited By Speedy Builder5 on 01/01/2023 17:10:34

Peter Greene01/01/2023 17:34:36
865 forum posts
12 photos

I've got stacks of Altoid tins that I can't bear to throw out. FWIW Thingiverse has a number of listing for 3D-printed inserts for these tins for various uses.

Nigel Graham 201/01/2023 18:29:37
3293 forum posts
112 photos

I did notice the juxtaposition of baccy and throat-pastilles....

I reckon the little slide-lid "tin" that holds the 'Verdict' comparator (for e.g., centering work in a 4-jaw chuck) a worthy companion to the time-honoured tobacco tins. If not to the much odder containers also very untidily occupying my workshop and home.

Some of my boxes are lovely, varnished wooden ones about 11" X 8" X 2", still bearing the name "Bruel & Kjaer" on their hinged lids. These were work chuck-outs after their original contents, small test-hydrophones, had become unserviceable. One such box is my "hussif" (sewing-stuff). Others are full of mixed taps. mainly metric and UN, I will get round to sorting one day / week / year.

.

While in the corner are two wooden boxes about 6-inch cube with sliding lids. I've still to varnish them, and find them worthy careers.

Theirs is a rather sad tale.

I belong to a club that has a stove fuelled by donated scrap timber and logs (it's in a rural, not urban, setting); and quite a number of these boxes arrived thus one day, thanks to a member who is a teacher. He explained they were projects in what is now called "Design & Technology" (Yuk!); each made by a pupil, and to a good standard too; finished with a small turned aluminium knob and a laser-etched motif.

Their makers could take them home but only if they - or their parents - paid for the materials. It's likely some children did not want them anyway; and a few parents might genuinely be too struggling to feed and clothe their offspring to buy bits of plywood.

Even so I wonder how many parents thought the handiwork a waste.... If so, what a way to treat your children.

Ironically, if the school disposed of them, the Council Tax-payers would be paying for that as "trade waste".

So maybe a dozen or so of these little boxes appeared in the club-room firewood crate... and rapidly disappeared into their various rescuers' cars.

bernard towers01/01/2023 18:38:32
1221 forum posts
161 photos

For those of you who like 2oz baccy tins they are still available new and quite cheap as I have bought some recently to completely fill up a storage rack I made. just google smokers supplies.

Samsaranda01/01/2023 20:28:22
avatar
1688 forum posts
16 photos

When I was in the Air Force, when overseas, we used to be supplied with duty free tobacco which came in small tins identical to the Old Holborn tins but marked “Duty Free H M Forces “ I wish that I had collected them when they were discarded then, I find that tins like that are invaluable for storage. Dave W

Jeff Dayman01/01/2023 20:56:27
2356 forum posts
47 photos

"Erinmore Flake" had a nice size tin for small tools, much favoured by toolmakers in several firms I worked at. Nowadays nice storage boxes can be 3D printed (maybe by smart nieces/nephews/grandkids) for any size tool-safe storage cheaply and quickly.

Howard Lewis02/01/2023 09:33:40
7227 forum posts
21 photos

Still using 2 oz tobacco tins to store various items.

Unlike the plastic storage drawers, they don't crack!

Howard

Henry Brown02/01/2023 10:00:53
avatar
618 forum posts
122 photos

Dad used to smoke Golden Virginia, I still have some of his tins, ideal for engineers blue and graphite powder etc, and a set of 6 without their lids that I added little handles to that I made into a mini chest of draws at school...

Nick Clarke 302/01/2023 10:16:35
avatar
1607 forum posts
69 photos

2oz tobacco tins are not used anymore but I bought a load for next to nothing at the Telford Radio Rally a couple of years ago.

While in Amsterdam there were loads on sale, admittedly at silly prices, decorated for people who don't smoke tobacco to keep their stashes in so they are still being produced new somewhere

All Topics | Latest Posts

Please login to post a reply.

Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate