Toy box soft close

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JHZR2

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Have an old plywood toy box. Made of 5/8" plywood, about 65 years old.

It has a 5/8" top, 21"x36". About 9 lbs.

Wanted to add something to slow down the close, to ensure no pinched fingers. Have been very fortunate, it would prefer to be prepared.

My wife got a spring loaded thing from HD. Holds it open well, but doesn't cost close. I got an 18lb gas shock thinking this was enough.

So the box is 65+ years old. It's held together with wood screws, but perhaps not enough.

I installed the gas strut, hoping it would slow the close. It slows the initial 45 degrees of arc, but get past that, between 45 degrees and close, and it readily falls.

But the pressure due to the shock caused one of the screws (closest to the shock) that hold the back panel to pull out. This then caused the opposite side screws for the top hinge to pull out.

I can fix the screws with dowels and epoxy. But I can't seem to get this to soft close the last few inches. Yes it's old, and yes perhaps the screws aren't holding what they ought. But I'm surprised that the gas shock didn't work.

I will strengthen the box a bit. But the main thing is, what is recommended to soft close/protect fingers in case that the box gets slammed.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!
 
Your subject gave me a chuckle. I also have a toybox, about 60 years old that my grandfather made for me and my sister. It also served my 2 kids just fine. BUT, when the first granddaughter came along grammy insisted it was too dangerous unless I put soft close things on the lid.

I put on one of these and it actually will hold the door at any position: https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Hardware-...ose+lid+support

I put one of these on the lid of a weaving bench I made because I wanted something classier: https://www.amazon.com/douper-Scimitar-S...ose+lid+support , 2 in a set, total overkill for the bench lid.

9 lbs is a fairly heavy lid, you probably want to look at longer ones to reduce the leverage on the screws. There are also slow close hinges.
 
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