Because I have no desire to pay between $300 and $400 for a pochade box to use plein aire painting, I thought I would try making my own box. Below are photos of the work in progress. I like it. Now I want to refine it. I don't own all the tools necessary to make it properly. I cut the square wood for the top and bottom with a circular saw. I need a table saw. As straight as I tried to cut it, it is not perfect and the hinges and latches don't line up right. This box is my prototype. I have used it in the field several times now. It weighs only 2 lbs. It fits in my backpack and holds a small palette, brushes and my rag and palette knife.
I am going to make a new box using the proper shop equipment if I have to beg, borrow or steal them. No, I have no degree in Engineering as I was asked by one who saw my box. My degree is in art. I just needed a smaller light weight box and had no desire to pay the going rate for one so I figured out what I needed and a way to make it. Due to size limitations on photos, I will have to post the finished piece separately.
Pochade Box lid and bottom
Inside lid showing spring mechanism
Close-up of spring mechanism
Inside lid cover with slots for metal "L-hook" for canvas support
Hinge made out of a toggle bolt
This is my newly handmade pochade box. See the post below for how and why I made it. It is set up and attached to a new light weight tripod I just bought that only weighs 2 lbs. My box also weighs 2 lbs, so that is pretty manageable in my backpack when I am out hiking around looking for a good location to paint. The outside of the box measures about 10 1/4 X 13 1/2". So it easily fits in my pack. My tripod collapses and folds down to 17 1/2" So it fits as well. The box mounts to the tripod with a T-Nut that I installed in the bottom of the box. You hammer it in to a pre-drilled hole. I had to glue a small piece of wood inside the box, as it was not thick enough to accept the T-Nut. It works fine! See photo below of T-Nut.
T-Nut installed in the inside bottom of pochade box. Used for mounting box on a tripod.
