{"id":25296,"date":"2012-06-18T10:23:01","date_gmt":"2012-06-18T15:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=25296"},"modified":"2021-06-06T22:39:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T03:39:41","slug":"how-to-make-a-shoe-shine-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/featured\/how-to-make-a-shoe-shine-box\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Nifty Shoe Shine Box"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25328 size-full\" title=\"finished\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/finished.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage homemade shoe shine box illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/finished.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/finished-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><br \/>\nHere at the Art of Manliness, we&#8217;ve talked a few times about the manly ritual of a good shoe shine over the years. For awhile now, I&#8217;ve kept my own shoe shine supplies in a box I got for Christmas a few years back. It&#8217;s a pretty nice box, but I&#8217;ve always had an itch to make one with my own two hands. Then a few months ago I was looking through some old <em>Popular Mechanics <\/em>magazines, and a nifty shoe shine box design in an issue from 1950 caught my eye.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a simple design. You&#8217;ve got a place to hold your brushes and polish cans and a place to rest your foot when shining your shoes. What makes this design so nifty is the two free-turning dowels placed inside the box. After <a title=\"The Art of Shining Shoes: An Illustrated Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/articles\/shoe-shining-guide\/\">you&#8217;ve given your shoes a good polishing<\/a>, the dowels serve as rollers for your polish cloth for buffing your shoes to a mirror shine. Here it is in action:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JO_CW4PR3I8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is an incredibly easy and inexpensive project. It only takes an hour to complete, but you&#8217;ll end up with a unique and sturdy little box that will last you a lifetime.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the modified&nbsp;<em>Popular Mechanics&nbsp;<\/em>design that I used to make my shoe shine box:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25332\" style=\"width: 519px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/largeplans.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25332\" class=\"wp-image-25332\" title=\"boxplans\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/boxplans.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage diagram of shoe shine box illustration.\" width=\"509\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/boxplans.jpg 636w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/boxplans-320x281.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-25332\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click <a href=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/largeplans.jpg\">here<\/a> for larger image.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25509\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/assembledbig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25509\" class=\"wp-image-25509 size-full\" title=\"assembled\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/assembled.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage diagram of shoe shine box illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/assembled.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/assembled-320x244.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-25509\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thanks to AoM reader Robert Heffern for providing this SolidWorks image. Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Materials &amp; Tools Needed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Materials<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>(1) 3\/4&#8243; x 8&#8243; x 8&#8242; board (I used a cedar board I bought at Home Depot for $11. I was able to make two boxes out of one board. You can use whitewood for an even cheaper box.)<\/li>\n<li>(1) 5\/8&#8243; wooden dowel<\/li>\n<li>(18) #6 1-1\/4&#8243; wood screws<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>Tools<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Saw (I used my table saw. Miter saw works, too. Heck, you could even use a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/lifestyle\/gear\/toolmanship-how-to-use-a-handsaw\/\">handsaw<\/a> for this project.)<\/li>\n<li>Power drill<\/li>\n<li>Band saw or coping saw<\/li>\n<li>11\/16&#8243; bore bit<\/li>\n<li>Compass<\/li>\n<li>Measuring tape<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Measure and Cut Wood<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div style=\"width: 451px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"board\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/board.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage board cutting pieces for shoe shine box illustration.\" width=\"441\" height=\"662\"\/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here&#8217;s the board that I&#8217;m going to cut my pieces from. It&#8217;s a 3\/4&#8243; x 8&#8243; x 8&#8242; board that I cut in half. While the width of the board is labeled 8&#8243;, its actual width is 7 &nbsp;1\/4&#8243;.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25299\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25299\" class=\"wp-image-25299 size-full\" title=\"measure1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/measure1.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage measuring and marking all cuts illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25299\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I measured and marked all my cuts at once. I used the full width of the board (7 1\/4&#8243;) for most of my pieces to make things easy.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here are the measurements you&#8217;ll need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>(1) 8 &nbsp;1\/2&#8243;&nbsp;&nbsp;x 7 &nbsp;1\/4&#8243;&nbsp;(this will be your bottom piece)<\/li>\n<li>(2) 5 &nbsp;5\/8&#8243; x 7 &nbsp;1\/4&#8243; (these will be your end pieces)<\/li>\n<li>(2) 3 &nbsp;1\/2&#8243; x 8 &nbsp;1\/2&#8243; (these will be your side pieces)<\/li>\n<li>(1) 2 &nbsp;3\/4&#8243; x 8 1\/2&#8243; (this will be your top)<\/li>\n<li>(2) 5\/8&#8243; x 7 &nbsp;7\/8&#8243; dowels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_25370\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25370\" class=\"wp-image-25370 size-full\" title=\"cutting1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/cutting1.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage cutting wood with saw illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cut your wood with your saw.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25319\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25319\" class=\"wp-image-25319 size-full\" title=\"pieces\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/pieces.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage all the pieces for the box illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All the pieces for the box<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Mark Arcs and Bore Holes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_25301\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25301\" class=\"wp-image-25301 size-full\" title=\"compass\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/compass.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage marking the arcs, grab a compass and set the point and the pencil.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/compass.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/compass-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the end pieces we will cut two arcs that are 2&#8243; wide into the top corners. To mark the arcs, grab a compass and set the point and the pencil 2&#8243; apart. Place the point in the corner and trace out your arc.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25317\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25317\" class=\"wp-image-25317 size-full\" title=\"measure3\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/measure31.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage marking bore holes marking and measurements for the arcs and bore holes.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/measure31.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/measure31-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25317\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark where your bore holes will go for your dowels. They should be 1 15\/16&#8243; from the sides and 3 5\/8&#8243; from the bottom. Above you&#8217;ll see the marks and measurements for the arcs and bore holes.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Cut Arcs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_25303\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25303\" class=\"wp-image-25303 size-full\" title=\"cuttingsemi\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/cuttingsemi.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage using band saw to cutting the arcs out.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I used my band saw to cut the arcs out.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25304\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25304\" class=\"wp-image-25304 size-full\" title=\"endpieces\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/endpieces.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage two end pieces with the arcs cut out from the corners.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25304\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here are the two end pieces with the arcs cut out from the corners.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Bore Holes for Dowels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_25305\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25305\" class=\"wp-image-25305 size-full\" title=\"borebit\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/borebit.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage boring the holes for the dowels.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/borebit.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/borebit-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Time to bore the holes for the dowels. Get your 11\/16&#8243; wood bore bit.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25306\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25306\" class=\"wp-image-25306 size-full\" title=\"drilling2\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/drilling2.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage boring the holes for the dowels illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You don&#8217;t want to bore all the way through the wood. Go about 3\/8&#8243; deep.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Screw Pieces Together (and Insert Dowels)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_25307\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25307\" class=\"wp-image-25307 size-full\" title=\"screwing\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/screwing.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage drilling pilot holes before screwing in the screws. \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/screwing.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/screwing-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Now it&#8217;s time to screw all the pieces together. I recommend drilling pilot holes before screwing in the screws. Also, be careful not to use too much power with your drill lest you split the wood. Start by screwing the two end pieces to the bottom.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25308\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25308\" class=\"wp-image-25308 size-full\" title=\"bottom\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/bottom.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage three screws on each end of the bottom piece.\" width=\"500\" height=\"467\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25308\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three screws on each end of the bottom piece will do the trick.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25309\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25309\" class=\"wp-image-25309 size-full\" title=\"ends1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/ends1.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage two end pieces screwed to the bottom piece.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/ends1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/ends1-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25309\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The two end pieces screwed to the bottom piece.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25313\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25313\" class=\"wp-image-25313 size-full\" title=\"screwside\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/screwside.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage screw the two side pieces to the two end pieces.\" width=\"500\" height=\"187\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25313\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screw the two side pieces to the two end pieces. One screw in each corner.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25310\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25310\" class=\"wp-image-25310 size-full\" title=\"insertdowls\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/insertdowls.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage putting dowels in at this point drilling the end pieces to the bottom piece.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25310\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I put my dowels in at this point. It took a bit of work to get them in their holes. I probably should have done this earlier, like when I was drilling the end pieces to the bottom piece.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_25314\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25314\" class=\"wp-image-25314 size-full\" title=\"presanding\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/presanding.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage secure the foot rest on top with four screws in each corner.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25314\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Secure the foot rest on top with four screws in each corner. We&#8217;re pretty much done with this nifty shoe shine box. If you have some spots that look like they&#8217;re uneven, no worries. It&#8217;s nothing a little sanding can&#8217;t fix.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>&nbsp;Sand<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_25311\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25311\" class=\"wp-image-25311 size-full\" title=\"sanding1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/06\/sanding1.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage entire box sanding illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/sanding1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/sanding1-320x264.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25311\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Give the entire box a good sanding. Spend time on joints that look uneven. Feel free to stain it. I liked the unfinished look, so I decided to pass on the stain.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Enjoy Your Shoe Shine Box You Made With Your Own Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25329 size-full\" title=\"bootshing\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2012\/06\/bootshing.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage homemade Shoe Shine Box illustration.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here at the Art of Manliness, we&#8217;ve talked a few times about the manly ritual of a good shoe shine over the years. For awhile now, I&#8217;ve kept my own shoe shine supplies in a box I got for Christmas a few years back. It&#8217;s a pretty nice box, but I&#8217;ve always had an itch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37709,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,42259],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-25296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-skills"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2013\/12\/finished-500x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2013\/12\/finished-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2013\/12\/finished-320x213.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25296"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173616,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25296\/revisions\/173616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25296"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=25296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}