Building a box, or.......boxing a Cox Corsair

Thank you Charles, sometimes the silly stuff is the most fun and rewarding.

Many boxes have been repaired with either masking tape or clear.  Better to find the clear as both will lift the box color when removed.  With clear you can use a warm iron and reattach loose fits and leave it.  With masking tape you pull at 180 degrees, not 90 which will lift the color print.  180 degrees not so much but still a last resort.

Really bad breaks, usually at the seams I back up glued joints with masking tape on the inside and iron flat again with a warm iron.  Then go over the whole thing with a warm iron when done.  I have a box about the same size that I use for this.  Just lay the subject open boxes over it and iron the flats and corners.  Cures a lot of ills.  

I have got to find a picture of a Corsair box then duplicate the interior.  Usually it's some sort of a stage with cutouts for fuel, battery, etc. and holes for wired tie-downs holding the model in place.  

The worse the box is, the better I like it.  These are not so bad, just two I happened to pick.  Notice the "window" has been replaced with a glassine interleaf from a three ring binder split and glued in with Elmers white.




Edit add:

Found a box on-line.  It's a start.



Found this on the same site:



Hey, that's my workbench, and the Corsair that Kim sent me me.  Happens all the time.  The pictures I post here get picked up and shared.  Kim's too. Probably your's.  A person once said, The internet is printed in ink, not pencil.  Don't post anything that you do not want shared.

i discovered that oddly, lighter fluid helps break up the tape adhesive - usually without affecting printing/ink

I've been using "test swab" on a box, then Q tips and lighter fluid soak, and lifting some of the most difficult tapes

cstatman wrote:i discovered that oddly, lighter fluid helps break up the tape adhesive - usually without affecting printing/ink

I've been using "test swab" on a box,  then Q tips and lighter fluid soak,  and lifting some of the most difficult tapes

Thanks Charles, I will have to try that.

I have often thought about using "Goo-Gone" or even RemOil right at the seam interface between box and tape while pulling back but was worried about staining. Right in the middle of that now with the Cox Corsair box.

I think “box art” sold a lot of model airplanes, It did with me anyway….Artistically done images had much thought put into them to help marketing…. Little treasures in themselves

Although it was eye candy for kids, I think the eye candy was more for the adults, so they would select (buy) these as presents for their kids and grandkids, and birthday presents through their kids to others.

Cut out the stage,  16" square with 1" risers.  Old spray can cardboard.






Instruction sheets are almost always deterioriated and mouse/insect eaten.  "Character"  Still needs cutouts for the landing gear wheels etc.. Box sides will be ironed flat which should tighten things up a bit.

Looking good Bob ! I see a lot of pics from here while browsing the net pics of ... I have a box full of an airplane and couldn't get the darn thing closed all the way and dummy me put packing tape around it i need to try and save the box it also collectable , Just seen a video of a guy using an hair drier but i don't know if my patients go that far right now lol ,, Thanks for the lighter fluid trick too .

I don't have lighter fluid, but I tried heating the worst of the previous owners clear tape (front of box) to remove it.  Didn't work, still pulled off the color background so I just heated it up and glued it back on saving the color but doing nothing to resolve the crumpled box.  Cutouts for the wheels to fit into.  Still needs holes for wire ties.  Might, might not.

Mono-coat iron with the sock on the shoe is best for small jobs, big laundry iron on the large areas.  Heat from the interior only, pointed end gets into corners.  low to medium heat.  No miracles here, band aid on a broken arm maybe.  "It's only new once" but it will be better than it was.  Pledge makes the biggest difference.  Brings out the colors while removing dirt and in this case bird droppings.  Never use Windex!  











Cox got the signal flag slightly wrong.  Should be a diamond square on a white background (Launching aircraft) not a rectangle.  Points for trying. Maybe it's perspective.

lighter fluid. I found some at the local drugstore

linen tape - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027A5E34

reinforced gummed tape - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026RHV7A

extra fine point Sharpie marker for black fill in

all things I never knew I needed, till I "met" RSVBob here on CEF

now I have these in my "box repair arsenal"



That said - anyone ever wanting to unload black Cox engine boxes? (thank you Kim)
I am always looking for em.

Another close relative to cigarette lighter fluid is charcoal lighter fluid…. I use either as a solvent for spray glue… Like 3M 77…

That gummed tape sounds good - "activated adhesive becomes part of the box or carton."

I don't have charcoal lighter either Robert.  Strike two on me!

I re-discovered a Cox battery that Jason gifted me years ago.  Can't decide between fuel cans when I do the cut-outs.  I have no idea where to stash this thing when I get it finished.  Something has to leave or get moved around.  I have stopped buying this stuff, but my son can't refuse a bargain.....or in this case a gift.  




Flight ops underway flag.



I guess it's close enough for this old salt.........