Tsuba Storage Box

[vajo]

Relative cheap Tsuba Collector Box.

 

By searching for another tsuba collector box, i found one under the search for coin boxes and bought it.

 

The price of 75 EUR incl. shipping  is not expensive for the work. The 6 drawers box is very heavy, much more you expect.

The box is made in poland under the brand "Schulz" (no not the Dr. Schulz from the Tarantino movie) from the company Marstol and of very good quality.

 

I bought it not veneered and not colored. The material is mdf and didn't smells like chemicals (formaldehyde) or something you know from older mdf plates. The smell is wood, nothing else.

 

 

I think it has a classic design and fits as a tsuba storage.

 

 

The box has place for 36 Tsuba.

 

 

The next step is:

 

1. Treatment of the surface

2. Replace of the furnature buttons

3. Building the inserts

 

 

 

This is the company adress: http://marstol.pl/

[Michaelr]

WOW I don’t collect Tsuba’s but that looks great. Thank you for sharing. Show us more pictures when it is done ( I think it looks great as It is )

MikeR

[vajo]

I bought some materials for the plates.

 

This will be some work to handicraft 36 pieces 

 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Great find, Chris! Thanks! Do you know if they can communicate in English? My Polish leaves a bit to be desired!

[vajo]

I bought it over ebay Ken.

There was two offered.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Thanks, Chris. Didn't see the second one, so it's probably gone.

[vajo]

Hi Ken

 

Look here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Munzmobel-Munzschrank-coin-cabinet-mit-6-schubladen-Medaillen-SCHULZ/303151068067?hash=item46953633a3:g:MQYAAOSw5YlcStnj

[Ken-Hawaii]

Thanks, Chris. But it says that it can't ship to the U.S. I'm going to contact the seller to see why, as it would work perfectly for my collection. I have a box from the Edo period, but it's too darn fragile for carrying around my 40+ tsuba, & I'm going to put it up for sale.

[vajo]

Hi Ken, i think they ship worldwide. Maybe you ask direct in english the manufacture. In the EU englisch is normal.

Btw i see that they make a lot of different verneere. So you can choose what fitd perfect to your furniture.

 

Here is the material plan for the drawer insert.

 

 

 

You need:

 

6 x 33,5 cm, wide 2 cm, height 1,5 cm wooden battens

12 x 23 cm, wide 1 cm, height 1,5 cm wooden battens

 

Today is celebration day in germany, i go and buy it tomorrow. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

I haven't heard back from them yet, Chris. Thanks for the bill of materials.

[vajo]

Today i bought the battens. Cut them and made the sections for the drawers.

 

 

The sections are 10,4 cm x 10,4 cm so there is some space for the plates to fill with the pillow.

 

 

 

The next step is to coat the Box and the drawers with a hard wax to protect the mdf wood plates and make it cleanable.

 

 

[vajo]

I was coating the box and the wodden parts for the section with hard wax. I mixed it with a little brownish wood color to darken the mdf wood a little bit.

 

 

 

You see the difference with the unwaxed new box.

 

 

Tomorrow when the wax is dry i will grind it with a fine sandpaper and coat it a second time. So it will get a slight gloss.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Looks really nice, Chris. I still haven't heard back from the seller.

[vajo]

Hi Ken

look here    they ship worldwide maybe.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Coin-Collection-Cabinet-Drawers-for-6-Trays-Perfect-for-Coins-Medals-Numismatic/332654187139?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160323102634%26meid%3D5934d5b2cf474f7eacd60a247a2f7129%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D332654184668%26itm%3D332654187139%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

[Ken-Hawaii]

I did get a response when I asked if he would ship to the U.S. -- No. Nothing else, no explanation.

 

Glad he shipped to you, Chris, & thanks for following up for me.

[vajo]

The british seller, too? 

[Ken-Hawaii]

So it seems: The seller has not specified a shipping method to United States. Contact the seller- opens in a new window or tab and request shipping to your location.

 

Maybe they're blaming us for Brexit?    It doesn't matter - wife has just found an small antique case that she says will be perfect for our collection, & we'll pick it up tomorrow. Photos forthcoming.

[vajo]

The little tansu was grinded twice and its finished with waxing. Now it must dry.

 

[vajo]

I finished the Tsuba sections in the drawers.

 

 

The next step is to handicraft the pillows.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Nice job, Chris. You're obviously an expert woodworker.

[Greg F]

Looks great Chris.

I contacted them to see if they ship to Australia and they would but shipping would cost at least 100 pounds.

 

Greg

[w.y.chan]

They look like medal cabinet.

I have one by Peter Nichols from the UK, they are made from mahogany to prevent discolouration and widely used in museums. I recall Peter saying years ago he made cabinet for Japanese tsubas as a request from collectors

 

This one is not mine but you get the idea

 

[vajo]

Wah i know these coin cabinets from mahagony in the uk. They are well made and very tastefull but they are also very expensive. 

 

http://www.coincabinets.com/

 

I want to show how someone can transform a cheap coin collector box into a nice tsuba tansu without spending a leg and a arm. 

 

[w.y.chan]

I have two Peter Nichols medals cabinet I bought from a real auction at a low price. One tall one short. I'm thinking selling the shorter one, it won't be anywhere near the price they sell them for from their website.

Sorry for hijacking your thread.

[vajo]

No problem Wah. You're welcome. The thread is not finished. I will show too how to made the pillows.

[vajo]

I finished the first tsuba pillow. 

 

 

now to make 35 others 

[EdWolf]

Chris,

You did a nice job. The green color pillow is a good choice.

[vajo]

Thanks Ed,

 

it looks a little bit darker on the picture as it is. I playing around with the thickness of the pillow. The fleece is 3 mm maybe it is better to use it double?

[Ken-Hawaii]

You're a lot more patient than most of us are, Chris!

[vajo]

Hi Ken, thank you.

 

After making some pillows now it is not very difficult. Ok, it could be more accurate (but i'm not a very trained handicrafter) 

I doubled the fleece pads and get so a nice height for the panels. Dont forget to drill 2 small holes (the peg will be 5 mm wide and 20 mm long).

 

The panels are 10 x 10 cm so let be a edge of some millimeters on the fleece.

 

 

 

The fleece was very cheap, i paid only 4,95 EUR in the tinker shop.

 

 

Cut out the fabric with a edge of ~1 cm around the edge.

 

 

After glueing with wood glue use some force to tighten the fabric.

 

 

When you are finished it should look like this.

 

The next step is to make the little wood pegs 

I will try out to find a way to make this in a faster way for 36 pieces...

 

(Thanks for reading and following this little project)