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Permalink Reply by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on August 4, 2009 at 9:48am

Swear to god that this isn't a smart ass answer: buy a box that isn't covered in paper. I'm not sure how many are out there in relation to how many paper label boxes there are, but they are there. I just bought four.

Padron does some nice ones and every once in a while you can find a bare wood Punch.

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Permalink Reply by colin mcgrath on August 4, 2009 at 9:55am

Makes sense. Those are little more money around here. I was just pondering using DAMP low grit sandpaper to get the labels off.?

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Permalink Reply by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on August 4, 2009 at 10:12am

Well, you could do that or rub the paper down with some denatured alchohol, which should soak through the paper and eat through the glue. Also, since there won't be any decoration on the box once you remove the label, you could save yourself the trouble and get a craft box from Amazon or down at your local girly craft store. They should only pop for $4 to $6 and will get you what you need. I used craft boxes like that for the first five that I built Also, you can get lucky at your local smoke shop a lot of the time as well.

colin mcgrath said:

Makes sense. Those are little more money around here. I was just pondering using DAMP low grit sandpaper to get the labels off.?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on August 4, 2009 at 2:51pm

you have to be a little cautious about "soaking" a lot of the boxes covered in paper don't have real wood on the sides. It is a very strong cardboard. I think it would be real hard to take the paper off and end up with a nice box, but I've been wrong before.

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on August 4, 2009 at 3:04pm

If there is any doubt about the construction of the box.....take the paper off the inside, if it's fiber board...quit. If it's wood, I've had reasonable luck with glass cleaner loosening the paper/glue without raising the grain too much. Not a problem if your going to sand it pretty for a nekkid box.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on August 4, 2009 at 11:32pm

I sometimes take the labels off the inside of the box lids for making matching headstocks. To get them off intact I lay a damp wadded-up paper towel on the paper, let it soak for an hour, then gently apply some heat with a steam iron (still with the damp towel in place), then gently peel off. You do need to watch out tho, because once the wood gets damp, it will warp very easily, so you need to make sure it drys-out flat, which I do by putting some dry paper towels on it, weight the lid down with some heavy books on a flat table-top and leave for a day or two. Most paper covered boxes are made of pretty basic plywood...hardly the most attractive of materials..but each to their own.

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Permalink Reply by Diydc on August 4, 2009 at 11:42pm

Seems pretty clear that quite a few folks like to dampen the paper before removal. I used a special label remover to get rid of the tax marks and health warnings, worked very well, but need a lot of patience.
To clear the box completely an industrial cleaner is quite usefull (the one that smells like citrus oil).

But take warning, because many of the boxes which are covered in paper do not have a very attractive wooden structure underneath.

Maybe better to go straight for a wooden box, like monte Christo does, or Cuvee, Flor De Selva, etc...

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Permalink Reply by Roosterman on August 4, 2009 at 11:47pm

Or there is always the very quick but brutal belt sander method, assuming to don't want to keep the label for anything?
Gone in 60 seconds?? Yup!

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Permalink Reply by colin mcgrath on August 5, 2009 at 9:48am

thanks for the ideas. I have used a plain wood one before; just had some boxes I do not like the design on. Just wanted to see if this was worth my time.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on August 5, 2009 at 4:49pm

I build that way sometimes if I'm low on "wood" boxes.
I just lightly sand the paper off AFTER I've pulled off as much as I could beforehand.
But yes, you HAVE to be careful and check what your sanding every few seconds.
I also use boxes bought at craft shops which I prefer when I can.
Hobby Lobby carries inexpensive boxes that I've found to be easy to work with.

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Permalink Reply by peter martin on August 5, 2009 at 6:10pm

Hi Colin,
If you already have some boxes, your half way there, why not try offering the ones you do'nt like for a swap in "Classified and swaps",just post a picture of them and see what happens!.

colin mcgrath said:

thanks for the ideas. I have used a plain wood one before; just had some boxes I do not like the design on. Just wanted to see if this was worth my time.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on August 6, 2009 at 1:44am

Be careful that the top is actually solid construction. Sometimes the top is made of multiple pieces of wood that are only held together by the paper! I don't actually know this first hand...just horror stories.

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