Tele. Attachment Headgear Box Repair

[Flying10uk]

I purchased this headphone storage box on eBay not realising that the bottom 2 1/2" had been removed meaning that it wasn't tall enough to store headphones in. After reaching a settlement with the vendor over the matter, the only way to rectify was to replace the missing wood with new sourced from a box that was made of wood of the correct thickness. I wanted this box for it's original purpose, for storing a pair of WW2 headphones.

The first pic is of the box as received reduced in height by 2 1/2" at some point in the past. The 2nd pic is of the box with a pair of headphones in showing that the lid won't close. The 3rd pic is a comparison pic with another unaltered box in original condition.

Pic 4 is the new replacement wood cut with joints cut.

Pics 5 and 6 are of the replacement wood with the joints cut and assembled, unglued, and placed against the bottom of the box to check for size.

The last 3 pics show the new wood clamped and glued in place. The new wood has to be carefully aligned with the old before the glue dries.

The replacement wood was cut fractionally oversize to be sanded down to size once all wood has been glued in place.

The longest sections were glued and doweled to the existing wood using hand cut 7/32" oak dowels. The end sections are un-doweled because it is not possible to fit and dowel them with the long replacement sides already in place.

Information

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[Sapper740]

Great job putting the box back to it's original configuration! Quick question: everything for British WWII wireless telephony had a ZA prefix. Is the YA prefix for land line connected equipment?

[Flying10uk]

Quick question: everything for British WWII wireless telephony had a ZA prefix. Is the YA prefix for land line connected equipment?

I'm not sure on that. I believe that many stores numbers may have changed in the post war period? Im not sure if Peter is able to shed any light on that question, please?

[Flying10uk]

The first 4 pics show the box with the joints of the new wood sanded down. The last 2 pics show wood plugs glued into the unwanted holes in the ends.

As an aside this wooden box was superseded by a similar box made of steel.

[Flying10uk]

Today I reduced the glued in wood plugs in the ends, taking them off level and I then sanded them off flush. I had a tiny amount of wood, around 1/16", to take off the bottom of the box to get the correct height, when compared to my other original example, of 6 7/8", not including the base. It was then time to refit the original base, using the screws that had come out, following a de-rusting.

[browningautorifle]

Pretty convincing, you could get away with saying it's a workshop conversion. Many won't know the difference. Looks about right.

[Low & Slow]

Nice work. Don't think I've ever cut a straight line line in a piece of wood.

[browningautorifle]

Don't think I've ever cut a straight line line in a piece of wood.

That's me too...

[Surpmil]

From the finish in the first photo I would never have thought that was not the original height and configuration.

I assume when the bottom was removed the fresh cuts in the sides could be seen?

Bamboo is a wonderful material for all sorts of woodwork as long as the adhesives hold up.

[Flying10uk]

From the finish in the first photo I would never have thought that was not the original height and configuration.

I assume when the bottom was removed the fresh cuts in the sides could be seen?

It was only when I tried putting a pair of WW2 headphones in it that I realised that it was "somewhat lacking in height". I then compared it to the other box that I have, pic 2, post 1, and realised that the bottom had been cut off. When the bottom was removed you could just about see where it had been cut but it had been done very neatly and hence it wasn't that noticeable. You can just about see the tops of the cut-off lettering below "Headgear".