Box Idea

Where I live is super humid, and I've been trying to figure out a cool design for some type of razor storage. I really like a leather wrap idea, almost in the bonsai tool style, but I couldn't figure out a good way to keep it out of humidity without putting it in a drawer or building a cabinet around it.

So here's what I thought up. The simplicity of Asian (Japanese in particular) design has always appealed to me, so I thought perhaps I could combine a zen garden with a razor box. It would fit perfectly atop a toilet. Anyway, I can't build it for another month when I'm back with my tool shop, so I figured I'd share and perhaps inspire someone :)

In case my writing is illegible, here's what the comments say, clockwise beginning at the left:

"iron texture handles"
"sand, like zen garden"
"tray of loose silica gel"
"acrylic (clear), weatherstripping around bottom edge"


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/...928345.jpg?v=0

I don't think I've understood the idea behind the garden thing, so please correct me where I'm wrong.

It seems to me you want to store your razors in a box with no lid, in your bathroom on top of your toilet.

Are you the only one using the toilet or do you have a guest lavatory as well?
I know that with me being a student, and thus not being able to afford a place with more than one toilet, I would never store mine in the bathroom, (it gets very humid after a shower) especially not when people come over for a party. People + alcohol + straight razors don't mix so well.

Sorry I should have explained it more thoroughly. The box is rather shallow and has an acrylic lid (with those handles attached to the top) with some type of weatherstripping around the bottom edge to seal it from moisture. Then the silica gel can start to dehumidify the air inside there.

It's my only toilet, but I don't throw any parties, and in the event I'd be entertaining I would be strongly inclined to relocate the box ;) Thanks for the insight!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skiblur

Then the silica gel can start to dehumidify the air inside there.

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I would like to point out that silica gel saturates with water molecules very quickly. It doesn't do anything after that, until you regenate it. This can be done by drying it in an oven. If your environment is really that humid, I think it could be necessary to throw in fresh silica gel, each time you open your sealed box. If you fail to do that and the temperature drops over night in such a sealed box, the relative moistness will peak and make everything in your box damp. Maximizing airflow might be a better approach, maybe in combination with a drop of oil on your blades.

I think your design might work very well as a "picture frame"-style box. Maybe you can hang it on the wall, outside your bathroom, right next the door. Could be a nice eye-catcher and it might be a good spot with enough draft to keep things sufficiently dry, provided that you drill air-holes through the sides, hidden behind the frame-shaped door. Such a thing would resemble those cabinet's you sometimes see in a butterfly-museum.

Just some suggestions,
I would love to see pictures when you're finished, 'cause I'm contemplating building a shaving box myself.

best regards,
Bart.

Ah, good thinking Bart. I'll have to try it out and see :) I'm gonna go fetch some balsa tonite and see if I can't work something up. I don't have any tools with me besides a small coping saw, but that should cut balsa easily enough.