I was looking for a way to store my keyboards that'd work vertically and open, for everyday access; and horizontal and closed, for storing them away.
Cardboard boxes seemed like a logical (and free) solution. But regular single-walled boxes aren't strong enough to hold a bunch of heavy keyboards upright, or to stack one box of them on another.
Two words:
banana boxes.
Unlike most corrugated boxes, banana boxes are
double-walled:
...so they're twice as strong (I did the math). And they're a great size for keyboards, up to large 101-key boards like Model M's. To store your keyboards vertically and open, you can use the bottom of one as-is:
Whether you bubble-wrap them or not is up to you. I've wrapped mine completely (using small pieces of transparent packing tape) for the 2nd part of this article. For regular access like this, you can make each board a bubble-wrap "pocket" by wrapping all but one long side of it, so you can easily slip it in and out of its wrap.
Using these boxes for horizontal, stacked storage is a bit trickier.
I'm sure there's a good reason, but banana boxes have a rectangular hole in their top and bottom:
The advantage is, most people don't
want boxes with holes like this, so they're easy to get. I don't worry about the top hole, either, as I don't find it affects the box's integrity.
But that bottom hole? You may think the box is strong enough even with it. That could depend on the size and weight of the boards you're storing. I can't make that choice for you—but what I
can do is show you how I cover the hole and reinforce the bottom.
If these descriptions and photos seem like overkill, I'm posting them for the benefit of our less-handy members (you know who you are!). I also live in the suburbs, so this qualifies as excitement. :?|
1. Place a newspaper section under the box bottom to protect the surface you're working on:
2. Measure the area of the box where it looks like some cardboard is missing; then cut a piece that size from a regular single-walled box:
3. Squirt some yellow carpenter's wood glue on the box's two exposed surfaces, then use a Popsicle stick to spread the glue evenly. Don't use too much glue, only as much as you need to spread it to the edges of the areas:
Carpenter's glue is stronger than white glue—and much better for woodworking projects, too—so it's worth picking some up. You can usually get it at dollar stores. They also sell Popsicle sticks there, which they call "craft sticks".
4. Place your cardboard piece over the glued area:
...and cover it with a piece of aluminum foil at least 1" bigger than the cardboard piece on all sides:
5. Now place two piles of books over the glued areas. The foil
should protect them from the glue—but don't use any books you really care about, especially on the bottoms:
Minimum drying time is 30 minutes, but for the strongest bond I let it dry overnight.
You now have a box strong enough to stack another box of keyboards on top of it. Don't stack them more than two high.
