Book box with hinges

[AndreaB]

Hi peps,

I've had an idea for a box for my daughter.  She's a complete bookworm and works for a publishing house.  I want to handbuild the box. Sloping top carved to outline a couple of books. How do I go about attaching hinges to it? Or should I rather make it a lift off lid?

Thanks and my you reside in your potting space for the weekend. 

Andrea 

[Rae Reich]

You could make lugs on the lid and back that fit together with a wooden pin or dowel through them. More rustic "hinges" can be rope, cord or leather thongs (shoelaces work) passed through holes in lid and back.

You want to be sure that no twisty pressure or stress is put on the clay and remember that any thin area with holes will be weak. You could reinforce holes by epoxying metal washers around them. I wouldn't recommend trying to glue or bolt metal hinges to clay (well, maybe a piano hinge wouldn't torque).