I love antique copper boxes, but unfortunately, collectors have pushed up the prices on even the most modest antiques. I’d also feel bad if I damaged an antique through carrying it around in my pocket, so I resolved to make a box in an antique style. I decided to make it really heavy-duty. I used thick copper, a strong hinge, plenty of solder where it won’t be seen, and just generally over-engineered it as much as possible. The bottom part is the very bottom of a copper pipe cap, which I cut with a plumber’s tube-cutting tool. The top part is thick-walled copper tubing that I annealed, cut open, and flattened. The hinge is actually a pair of brass hinges from the hardware store. I knocked out the pins from the hinges, and replaced them with one long pin to make a single hinge. The box is soldered together with lead- and antimony-free silver solder, and I also tinned all of the inside surfaces so that the snuff doesn’t come into contact with the copper. The lip on the inside of the lid gives a nice tight snuff proof seal, but I still have two tiny leaks at either end of the hinge. I’m going to fill those in with solder when I get around to it. The only other issue is that the bottom part of the box is too curved to get a good purchase on, and because the lid seals so well, the box is a little tricky to get open. I’m still thinking about how best to go about adding a small stud or nail nick to make it easier to open. It looks great all polished up, but it tarnishes pretty quickly. I have decided not to use a clear coat to keep it shiny, because it would only get scratched up, and I’d then get patchy tarnishing rather than an even patina.
I want one! Awesome job! Nice craftsmanship. @-)
well done.
Outstanding! Wonderful craftsmanship. Put me on the list, preferably ahead of the these two reprobates (Mouse and Matt) :)) =)) :)) B-)
Nice job! Now if you could only make one out of gold plated sterling silver …
I doubt if they make pipe caps out of gold plated sterling silver 
@chefdaniel : There’s not going to be a list I’m afraid. I’m not a jeweler, and I had neither the right skills nor the correct tools to do this. It’s a miracle that it turned out ok, and it took me around 6 hours to make it.
Wow ! Great job Doctor !! =D> =D> =D>
Awesome! Very skillfull work, even if you´re not professional turned out very well.
@doctorbeat Well done, very nicely crafted. Now that you’ve had it a while, how does it work?
Looks lovely! As you’ve got quite a deep lip on that lid, how about cutting a bit of the box edge a little lower so you can use a penny in and twist it to pop the lid a little?
I look at this thread nearly every other day with envy and a desire to replicate it. Maybe over the winter when I spend time int he workshop.
Hell yes!
Beautiful.
Nice work.