Okay, anybody out there have experience with Cub Scout "Secret Compartment" books? I am in desperate need of some tips here!
My friend Emily and I got asked/volunteered on Sat. night to help the den leader with the project for this week. She said they were doing Secret Compartment books and wondered if we could do some prep work and first of all, get the books, and then "hollow" them out. I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but Emily seemed to understand.
So Emily went to the thrift store and picked up a bunch of old books (a steal at 10 cents each!). I took half (7 books) and last night sat down to figure this out. Brian just laughed at me and told me I was going to be there for months (not very encouraging!). An hour and a half later, with a sore finger and a mess all over, one book done. Deep breath.
This is what they look like. On the outside, your typical (yet, very old) book:
Open them up, and amazing! A secret compartment just great for boys to hide their stuff! (McKay saw one this morning and thinks it is very cool.)
I guess the boys will be gluing the pages together somehow and decorating them.
But seriously. There is no way I can do 5 more books by tomorrow night. I did a second one this morning (using an Xacto knife on both) and my finger is still a little numb. And as you can see (maybe) in the pictures, the inside edges are not even -- it's very hard when the book is open and you're cutting through several pages at a time to keep it all nice and straight.
Brian's only suggestion was to maybe try the jigsaw somehow, but he thought that was more likely to rip the pages up as well. I talked to Emily this morning and she was having the same problems. Her husband had suggested using a router, which they tried last night and she said almost burned up the book! I think we agree they're not going to be done by tomorrow and we'll have to turn some back over to the den leaders to work on.
But I thought maybe somebody out there had done this project before and knows a great shortcut tip to pass along. If you have, I'd love to hear it!
7 comments:
Those books are such a cool idea! Wondered if anyone out there actually ever made them! The bonfire--oh I would love a bonfire right now!! I can't remember the last time I played on an organ with those type of stops...if I ever have (gotta think about that one). Good luck with all Gayle!!
I don't envy you right now... sorry I'm no help. :)
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!
I found this on the internet. It appears to be a blog that explains how to do various things, and this is an entry that explains how to "hollow out" a book. Maybe it will be helpful:
http://how2dostuff.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-to-make-secret-hollow-book.html
There was a disclaimer saying about some stuff in entries in this blog might describe dangerous or illegal things. So, you might want to steer clear of other entries on this blog. Anyway, good luck!
What you need is just a big rectangular "cookie cutter" with sharp edges (or perforated edges). Put a hard piece of thin wood under 5-10 pages and then bit the "cookie cutter" with one or two blows from a hammer. Then, just lift (or tear) out the unwanted portions of each page. Do they make such things (cookie cutters with sharp edges)? Could Brian make one for you? If Dad (Grandpa) were still alive, he'd weld one from scrap metal and sharpen the edges with his grind stone.
This project was in our SHAC Pow Wow CD from last year that Gene and I put together... here are the instructions:
SECRET BOOK SAFE
Make a secret place to hide your stuff. You can put money, secret messages, keys, or treasures in the secret compartment. When you close the book and put it on your bookshelf, no one will know it’s a safe – except you!
Materials
An old hardcover book
Ruler
Pencil,
Hobby knife or scissors
White glue.
Instructions:
1. Find a hardcover book that no one wants. It should have at least 200 pages.
2. Open the book to the first page.
3. Take a ruler and pencil and mark 1 inch from all four sides of the page. Connect the lines to make a rectangle.
4. Using scissors or a hobby knife and ruler (with adult supervision and assistance)
5. Cut out the shape you just drew, leaving the 1 inch border.
6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining until the middle sections have been cut out. Be patient – this may take awhile. Try to cut a few pages at a time. When you’re done you should have a rectangle-shaped empty space inside the book.
7. Brush white glue along the four walls that line the empty space. You may want to do the same with the outer edges of the page to make them solid.
8. Allow the glue to dry. Several coats of glue may be applied one at a time with drying time in between applications.
Gayle - it looks like you followed the same instructions that I had... and your books look great... they'll be great for those Cub Scouts doing "Adventures in Books" this month!
My guess is that November's theme of "Seeds of Kindness" will be a little easier!
Go Cub Scouts!
Thats actually a fun/cool idea. You're such a great mom!
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