Odd sizes of music roll boxes are not readily available, and no one
will want to manufacture any at an affordable price. Using good old
American ingenuity, I came up with a process.
The box material is used Priority Mail boxes. Why fill up our land
fills with old Priority Mail boxes, when you can make them into roll
boxes? Take an old roll box apart for a template. The bottom is
smaller than the top. The ends should be connected, although sometimes
they weren't, and that is why they broke off. The template should look
like an elongated + .
Next, cut manila tagboard into corner-reinforcing strips. Crease the
box material, using a straight edge as a bending agent (table top with
a sharp edge). You might want to affix Magic Mending Tape or another
long-lasting tape as a stabilizer to the box corners, while the strips
which hold the box corners together are drying.
To cover up the printing on the box a good box paper should be used. I
prefer a basic black or other dark color textured paper. The paper can
be affixed with white glue (like Elmer's) and spread with your finger
very thinly on the box surface. The bottom can be covered with off-
white shelf paper or wrapping paper. I cut a strip a half-inch wider
than the box on each side, with one half-inch gluing to the inside and
the other half-inch going over the bottom. I then cut a strip of paper
to finish the bottom.
The result: a great box which will last a lifetime. However you would
not want to make these for a living.
Greg Filardo
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