I’m not the first to use a ball-chain to create a lid stay for a box, but I think my overall approach is unique. While some folks use toilet chains for this purpose, I think a brass chain looks better. They are available online, with couplings included. More importantly, to hide the attachment points, so only the chain shows, I trap the couplings inside small wood blocks. Drill a hole through each block to let the chain pass through, and then a slightly larger hole to capture the coupling. I use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to lock the couplings in place. The wooden blocks are then glued to the box and lid, hiding the couplings. Note how the chain is free to drop into the space ahead of the lower block. That space also makes it easier to lift trays out of the box.

—Stephen Zerwas, Summerfield, N.C.

 

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