PO Box Door Banks for Christmas!

[rickc]

After having seen Stuart's banks, I decided to get on the band wagon and make some post office box door banks as Christmas presents for my daughter and nieces. 5 in all. I found a plan online, and then got busy. Each bank has a working (ie locking!) door.

I burned the combinations for a couple on the bottom of the banks. When having little luck making "A" and "B" I elected to use an engraver I have on some flashing, and then gorilla glued the plate on the bottom. Any how, it was fun just going in and making these, puttering around a bit. I already have one person interested in buying one, so I am planning on making 5 more to have on hand. Here are a few shots...

Doors the front row as I got them. The back row had initial cleaning done on them. (50/50 solution of ammonia and pepsi - scrubbed with a soft wire brush.)

I decided to partially finish the interior sides of the components, leaving the glue points unfinished. Just seemed easier than trying to finish the inside of the boxes after I assembled them...

Rough assembly...

...and two of the final banks. The box numbers of each are the month and day of their birthdays.

I have about 25 more doors to clean and banks to make before the summer. I then plan on trying to sell them at small craft shows, farmer's markets or roadside stands where I spend several weeks vacation during the summer. But for the time being, these as gifts, and one for myself (making it out of either some purple heart or cherry I have) will be the immediate goal. I am also going to try one of the trucks. Who knows - maybe that will be the one for me!

 

[woodArtz]

Very nice Rick! The recipients are going to love them! :icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum

 

[Bas]

Looks great Rick, you have a real assembly line going there. How do you make the rounded tops? Great looking finish as well. Do the banks come with money?

 

[rickc]

Looks great Rick, you have a real assembly line going there. How do you make the rounded tops? Great looking finish as well. Do the banks come with money?

Thanks! You'd be surprised how much money will be in those banks! :gar-Bi

As far as rounding the tops - I drew an arc on the tops and used the bandsaw to cut them. Then sanded them with a belt sander, and finish sanded by hand. Boy - I sure wished I had a 6" sander. That little 4 inch delta benchtop model sure got a workout!

 

[Tar Heel]

Nice looking banks Rick. You've been busy lately. I like the idea of using the birthdate as the box number. I plan to make a couple of more for two nieces,

 

[farmerbw]

Rick those are very nice and sure to become instant family treasures.:icon_thum:icon_thum Very nice save keeping those doors outta the landfill.:thumbs_up

Brian.

 

[Canuck]

Really nice banks, Rick!!!!:icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum

(I am however curious about your finishing schedule for the fronts though....50/50 ammonia and Pepsi????:icon_scra:icon_scra (Is this saying that my stomach is getting a daily workout with all of Pepsi I drink?)

I am sure that they will be very well received as gifts as well as the weekend browsers at craft fairs.

Very well done!:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Wayne

 

[redhawknc1]

I did 3 of those last year for Christmas presents using the same plans . My kids loved them and kept one for myself! Usually get about $100 of change out of it each time it fills up. Have a few doors left, gotta make some more for this Christmas! Nice job!

 

[thrt15nc]

Great looking banks Rick!! I enjoy those. I have two doors of my own left to do something with. One will be going in the truck plans. I'm really thankful for your tip on the cleaning of the doors. I've always struggled with getting them clean.

Tom

 

[Bryan S]

Those look great. :icon_thum :icon_thum :icon_thum

Where did you locate the doors? Making a couple of those would be great for my grandson.

 

[rickc]

Thanks guys for the kind words. The cleaning tip and some of my doors came from Jane Ingram, in Greenville, SC. Her contact information is:

E-mail: janeingram@bellsouth.net

Order Form: http://hardwickprint.home.mindspring.com/brochurepix1.pdf - this is the site for ordering HER banks. However, it does display some of the doors she has on hand and has contact information on it. It is best to email her so she can tell you what she has in stock. Seems like doors run $8-$10 plus shipping. They are uncleaned.

Best to give her a call at: 864-233-9931. She is a wealth of knowledge about the post office door banks.

Very pleasant lady to deal with. Helped me a lot - even if from SC, she behaves like an NCWWer! When I had some questions about cleaning, she even called me to talk to me personally, AFTER sending me an email. Plus for some of you, she is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away.

My other source was eBay. There I could get them for about $4-$6 each, uncleaned, but I had to get them in lots of about 10.

 

[maomoonshiner]

Nice looking pieces! I've done the same thing before, though not to the degree of perfection your repetition has attained. I have a whole box full of box doors stamped 1894 from Cleveland County, NC, and make one every so often for a friend. I'm planning on attempting a super narrow finger joint in the next one.

 

[flatheadfisher]

Those are cool. I may try making one!

 

[medic]

very nice idea looks like great christmas gifts :kermit:

 

[b4man]

Hey Rick,
I always enjoy seeing your projects, especially the 'in progress' ones. The banks are great and as always, your workmanship is quite an inspiration.
Fun stuff! Thanks for showing and telling!

 

[Splinter]

Very nice work. Looks like they will make great gifts. Hummm I have two grandsons. :wink_smil And my sister has two and my brother has a grandson and grandaughter. :wink_smil

 

[rickc]

Very nice work. Looks like they will make great gifts. Hummm I have two grandsons. :wink_smil And my sister has two and my brother has a grandson and grandaughter. :wink_smil

Beware though. Stuart (TarHeel) made some for his grandchildren and found whenever they visited his change supply disappeared! :icon_scra

 

[clowman]

Nice work, I really likes these. This may be a dumb question, and pretty obvious.. but how did you cut the coin slot in the top?

 

[ScottM]

Rick, you had just started on them when I was at your shop. They came out great. Rick I have one question. Which one is mine? :gar-Bi

 

[rickc]

Rick, you had just started on them when I was at your shop. They came out great. Rick I have one question. Which one is mine? :gar-Bi

In the final shot, the third one from the right! :gar-La;