Ten Steps to Drop Back Box Construction

Step 1: Marking out the boards

Mark out base board around book, using gauges to allow for the thickness of the sides of the box. One of the gauges should allow for 2 boards the other just one board thickness. Always allow some extra thickness for the cloth covering.



Step 2: Depth measurement

Mark out the depth of the sides of the base of the box using the book as a template.






Step 3: Base construction

Cut out sides and base board as marked. Glue and build. Allow to dry.





Step 4: Lid and spine construction

Repeat steps 1-3 to build the lid, using the base as a template. Remember to cut spine piece. Spine piece should be wider than the lid sides by just less than 1 board thickness.




Step 5: Gluing out the cloth

Stick all 3 pieces to cloth. Allow sufficient cloth all round base and lid for turn ins. Gap between spine piece and both base and lid should be approximately 1.5 board thicknessses. This gap will vary depending on the thickness of the covering material. If the gap is too tight the box will not close, too wide and it will be too loose.



Step 6: Trimming out the cloth

A methodical approach is best to ensure the wrong corners are not cut off. (Believe me, even after making 1,000's of boxes, this is still possible)

a) Trim out the 4 corners, making 4 corner tabs for turning in.

b) Trim out the spine tab turn in. Cut should be slightly nearer the spine piece than the base and lid. This should allow for sufficient cloth to turn into the lid and base.





c) Trim out the sides. This is easiest done with the box on its edge.







d) Trim out both ends. Taking a slight trim of the width to all for the cloth to turn in easily on the inside of the lid and base.







e) Complete the trimming out by creasing and folding the sides to mark where cloth will be trimmed off for length.






Step 7: Gluing up and Turning In

Start by gluing up the long edges first i.e those with the tabs. Force the cloth into the edges with your folder.
Tips: Only use sufficient glue. Too much glue will give you lumps and bumps. Only glue that area of cloth you can work with quickly. Its amazing how quickly it dries or how many times the phone rings half way through.









Step 8: Spine cloth piece

Cut a piece of cloth sufficiently wide to cover the spine and allow for attachment to both lid and base once creased into the joints. The cloth needs to be creased and trimmed around both the lid and base ends.



Step 9: Lining

Choose your lining material and cut 2 pieces to fit neatly into both base and lid.
Tip - Again remember not too much glue and work quickly, as a paper lining will tend to curl once wet.



Step 10: Finishing


Choose your style and letter appropriately. Lettering can be done earlier in the process if required. You can block the cloth prior to mounting the box components but this requires careful marking out prior to both lettering and mounting.