How did you do the edges that line the cavities?
One of the late box sets that I looked at had some of the trim separating .
In that case the walls were simply heavy paper .about the thickness of the paper used in brown paper bags or thin poster paper .
So that’s what I did .
First I fitted a piece of 1 ½ thick blue foam to the inside of the box .
NO the orignal box i spoke of did not use foam for the core .
Anyway I then drew out my cavity placement and cut those out .
As a NOTE to this . Your cavities must be cut so as to take into account for this added thickness of the doubled fabric and paper trims that will go all the way around the cavity . If you don’t then the parts will not fit OR fit so tightly that it will separate and crush the trim after it been applied . So remember your thickness is 3X the fabric +paper X 2 to account for the added thickness all the way around the cavity your cutting out .
Once that was done the core was then glued permanently into the bottom of the box .
Once dry I cut a piece of velvet ¼ wider then needed . This was then glued to the core and tucked in between the walls of the box and the core .
I then come back with a sharp blade and carefully cut down the center of each cavity being careful to stay at least 3/8 away from all the walls . Cuts are then made toward each corner so that the velvet will cleanly fold down into the box. don’t cut all the way to the corner or you will end up with and opening that’s very hard to hide .
Glue is the applied to the top 3/8 edge of the cavities and the fabric is pressed down into the cavity and onto the walls . this is your first thickness of fabric in your cavity .
I then take the piece that I originally cut out of the core and force them back part way into the cavity . these now are a very tight fit and will hold the fabric down while the glue dries .
Once the glue has set , these are removed and the fabric is trimmer from the walls up to the glue line .
I then cover the bottoms of all the cavities with fabric
For wall trim, I cut strips of paper the height of the walls then the velvet is cut 3/8 wider . The velvet is glued to one side . The excess is then folded over and glued to the back . .
IE one side of the paper strip is completely covered by velvet and the other side only 3/8. thus you get 2 more thicknesses of fabric + paper
You have to make sure that you glue the fabric all the way to the top edge . Both front and back . If you don’t the fabric will roll down into the cavity as you fit the pistol or part into the cavity
Once dry the strip is then glued to the walls of the box by applying glue to the back of the strip “side that’s only 3/8 covered with fabric “ and the wall
being careful to not let the glue get any higher then just below the edge of the wall ,about 1/16 . This depends on the glue used though . Remember as you press the trim in place the glue is going to spread . You don’t want it to spread out and thus damage the exposed fabric . So if your using white glue . Remember that it will spread out . Also keep in mind that if you apply it to thick , it will wick through the fabric and destroy the finish on any piece that is not backed with paper . So let things tack up alittle before you apply your fabric .
You also need to plan for a stop and start point . Your trim strips need to be long enough to reach these locations . These locations I chose inside corners that are closes to the viewer. That way the joining seams are not visible
With the open walled boxes I don’t do this trim . The walls I make of pine . I glue the dividers /walls into place in the box . Then I start the covering in the bottom of the box . Once that’s all done I come back and apply glue to the walls and apply the fabric making sure that I have more then is needed . Always starting to apply the fabric at the top and working down and into the box ,stretching and smoothing as I go . Then with a small corner set tool I press the fabric down into the corners and where it meets the bottom .
The excess fabric is then carefully rimmed off with a very sharp blade ,to make a nice crisp inside transition into the corners and where the walls meet the fabric in the bottom of the box
The other thing that’s very important is your fabric choice .
The fabric must be a unidirectional type . IE its stretchable in all direction .
This is very important especially if the fabric doesn’t have a Knapp .
Without the nap , there is no way to hid seams .
But with a fabric like velvet , those seams can be compressed and hidden in the Knap
Again you have to be careful with the glue . To much and it will wick or get on the face of the fabric and destroy your work
