By 1st Sgt. Koepp
This project came about because we now have a company cleaning kit and as 1st Sgt, I no longer have to carry every item in bulk or tools for every repair contingency in the company. The most practical way for me to carry all of my field gear in the past was to tote around a super-farby range box which came out after the event closed for the day. I have been looking for some time for original examples of Sharps cartridge boxes with little to no luck except for a Richmond Arsenal example. In all the manuals I have researched, I haven't found any references to anything other than generic dimensions for ammo boxes. The Skipper found some info that really helped to get me started. I found the perfect stencil font in Microsoft Word surprisingly and used Publisher to match my line spacing to original non-Sharps ammo box stenciling. I've included the .pdf for the stencil for free download at the end of this article because at Company D, we're all about sharing resources. If any readers have photos or references to original Sharps boxes, please leave a comment or email us. Keep in mind, like many boxes in our hobby, this one is designed to hide farb. I went hardcore on the case construction that people will see and sought convenience and the appearance of correctness on the inside.
Box Construction:
This starts out as a standard issue ammo box with finished dimensions of 7 7/8 x 12 1/4 x 16 1/4. I used 3/4" 1x8 pine. For detailed instructions check out A.J. Hammler's Civil War Woodworking Vol. 1. It's joined with finger joints and 1 3/4 cut box nails from Tremont Nail Company. I used a Lee-Nielsen tongue and groove plane to join the top and bottom of the box. When making a box, I like to leave my lids about 1/16" or less over sized on all sides for ease of access and a little more rain protection.
I added a till or tray in the inside of the box that rests on 1/4 by 1/4 walnut rails glued in place with some TiteBond 2. Any wood would work but I try to diversify the varieties as much as I can. The till is designed to fit my personal kit needs and has final dimensions of 2 1/4 x 6 x 14 9/16. The bottom is 1/8 plywood glued and tacked on. As a woodworker, I avoid plywood in almost everything except drawer bottoms. The stock is 3/8 pine though I needed a bit extra and I used a bit of 3/8 poplar because it was handy. I then used some Helmsman Spar Urethane spray to make clean up and maintenance a lot easier. The till is slightly less than half the width of the box so I can easily slide it back and forth to reach the bottom contents without removing the till.
Finishing includes sanding up to 150 grit though 100 grit is fine since this is being painted. I always start painting with at least one coat of Kilz primer. Painting bare pine means you usually have to double the amount of finish coats since the wood absorbs the first two coats. It's a little extra work, but totally worth taking the time to prime your work. For top coat, I'm currently using Lowe's Olympic "All About Olive" flat exterior latex. It's not as dark as I would like, but is currently the best I can find where I'm at. Once the paint dries, I stencil the sides with basic craft store white acrylic paint and a foam brush. Once that's done, I drill and countersink holes on the lid where the lid screws would have been if this was an actual issued cartridge box. The last bit I add is I stencil my regiment, company, and line number identification on the box to identify it as mine. Personal stenciling is so over looked in this hobby it's incredible. Every manual says each company should have it's own stenciling kit for marking their equipment. It would have been readily available and no one wants their stuff stolen. To show the impact the screw holes and stencil make, I added it as a before and after in the slide show. The inside Watervliet stencil came from Hammler's book. Watervliet was actually producing Sharps rounds in 1862.
For interior box finishing, I used Old Master's water-based spar urethane in semi-gloss applied with a foam brush. I applied one coat, let dry, then sanded gently with some 000 steel wool before cleaning and applying a second coat. Again, not period correct but we all know how dirty cleaning kits can get. If you want period correct you can use shellac or just use BLO. If you use shellac I would recommend at least 3 or 4 coats to build up a good layer of protection. Hammler also mentions research that boxes were lined with a packing paper. Though, through time none seem to remain with the originals
If you've heard me rattle on about fasteners on our YouTube channel, you might notice these pictures have Phillips head screws on the mortised hinges. They won't be there for long. I have to drive quite a ways to my hardware store to find the slotted screws I need so they'll be on this weekend.
This project came about because we now have a company cleaning kit and as 1st Sgt, I no longer have to carry every item in bulk or tools for every repair contingency in the company. The most practical way for me to carry all of my field gear in the past was to tote around a super-farby range box which came out after the event closed for the day. I have been looking for some time for original examples of Sharps cartridge boxes with little to no luck except for a Richmond Arsenal example. In all the manuals I have researched, I haven't found any references to anything other than generic dimensions for ammo boxes. The Skipper found some info that really helped to get me started. I found the perfect stencil font in Microsoft Word surprisingly and used Publisher to match my line spacing to original non-Sharps ammo box stenciling. I've included the .pdf for the stencil for free download at the end of this article because at Company D, we're all about sharing resources. If any readers have photos or references to original Sharps boxes, please leave a comment or email us. Keep in mind, like many boxes in our hobby, this one is designed to hide farb. I went hardcore on the case construction that people will see and sought convenience and the appearance of correctness on the inside.
Box Construction:
This starts out as a standard issue ammo box with finished dimensions of 7 7/8 x 12 1/4 x 16 1/4. I used 3/4" 1x8 pine. For detailed instructions check out A.J. Hammler's Civil War Woodworking Vol. 1. It's joined with finger joints and 1 3/4 cut box nails from Tremont Nail Company. I used a Lee-Nielsen tongue and groove plane to join the top and bottom of the box. When making a box, I like to leave my lids about 1/16" or less over sized on all sides for ease of access and a little more rain protection.
I added a till or tray in the inside of the box that rests on 1/4 by 1/4 walnut rails glued in place with some TiteBond 2. Any wood would work but I try to diversify the varieties as much as I can. The till is designed to fit my personal kit needs and has final dimensions of 2 1/4 x 6 x 14 9/16. The bottom is 1/8 plywood glued and tacked on. As a woodworker, I avoid plywood in almost everything except drawer bottoms. The stock is 3/8 pine though I needed a bit extra and I used a bit of 3/8 poplar because it was handy. I then used some Helmsman Spar Urethane spray to make clean up and maintenance a lot easier. The till is slightly less than half the width of the box so I can easily slide it back and forth to reach the bottom contents without removing the till.
Finishing includes sanding up to 150 grit though 100 grit is fine since this is being painted. I always start painting with at least one coat of Kilz primer. Painting bare pine means you usually have to double the amount of finish coats since the wood absorbs the first two coats. It's a little extra work, but totally worth taking the time to prime your work. For top coat, I'm currently using Lowe's Olympic "All About Olive" flat exterior latex. It's not as dark as I would like, but is currently the best I can find where I'm at. Once the paint dries, I stencil the sides with basic craft store white acrylic paint and a foam brush. Once that's done, I drill and countersink holes on the lid where the lid screws would have been if this was an actual issued cartridge box. The last bit I add is I stencil my regiment, company, and line number identification on the box to identify it as mine. Personal stenciling is so over looked in this hobby it's incredible. Every manual says each company should have it's own stenciling kit for marking their equipment. It would have been readily available and no one wants their stuff stolen. To show the impact the screw holes and stencil make, I added it as a before and after in the slide show. The inside Watervliet stencil came from Hammler's book. Watervliet was actually producing Sharps rounds in 1862.
For interior box finishing, I used Old Master's water-based spar urethane in semi-gloss applied with a foam brush. I applied one coat, let dry, then sanded gently with some 000 steel wool before cleaning and applying a second coat. Again, not period correct but we all know how dirty cleaning kits can get. If you want period correct you can use shellac or just use BLO. If you use shellac I would recommend at least 3 or 4 coats to build up a good layer of protection. Hammler also mentions research that boxes were lined with a packing paper. Though, through time none seem to remain with the originals
If you've heard me rattle on about fasteners on our YouTube channel, you might notice these pictures have Phillips head screws on the mortised hinges. They won't be there for long. I have to drive quite a ways to my hardware store to find the slotted screws I need so they'll be on this weekend.
| civilwarstencil.pdf |