A box for a collectible book ??

[BadeMillsap]

I have been asked by my daughter if I would commission a "box" for a friend of hers to contain a collectible book they have acquired ... I know several of you folks are "box builders" and it's something I have never considered ... so I was hoping you might offer some pointers to reference material (books videos etc) I might review before I said "sure" ....

[Mildoc]

Not sure what you mean by "collectible." But if it's an expensive, leather bound volume you would be better off buying an archival book box from a source such as Gaylord (search "archival book box").

Otherwise, lots of book building books available at the library.

Haven’t built a book box, but I have built many a picture frame for some very expensive paintings etc. that I own. Achieving archival quality took me months of research before I even started.

Again, for true archival storage:

1. The wood should be as stable and oil free as possible. Maple is a good choice.
2. Glue used on the wood should be archival PVA. Not sure if Titebond qualifies as archival (probably not), so, to be safe I use http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.co...dhesive-tapes/
3. If you wish to stain the wood, use an aqueous stain
4. When finished the wood should receive 4-5 coats of an aqueous acrylic coating, each coat allowed to dry 1-2 days. My favorites for both #3-4 are General Finishes http://www.generalfinishes.com/profe...shing-products
5. Next comes the lining for the box. VERY important. Any tape, paper, or board used must be buffered, acid and lignin free, again using archival PVA glue if any. One source is http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1288&parentId=1257&navTr ee[]=1257&navTree[]=1288

So, good luck. Any members have any other suggestions?

[Ed62]

That's good advice. One other thing I'd mention is that you want to be sure how long the finish has to age in order to fully disipate any fumes that could possibly be harmful. You'd be surprised how long paint fumes will affect things like that.

Ed

[Mildoc]

Agree, that's why ONLY aqueous stains and coatings should be used. No outgassing, VOCs, erc. I contacted GF re: this, and they stated that 48 hrs was good for EVERY coat of either.