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Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Jun 1, 2005 5:26pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Does anyone know where to get the Lock 'N Lock boxes online? I know I can get them at Target or Wal-Mart, but I was hoping to find a website for them. They are the best containers....plus, they make small ones that are great for microboxes.
Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4600 by Oceanwytch
Jun 1, 2005 5:35pm
Thread (disabled) Board

I've purchased them online through Target.com  $20 for 23 piece set

Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4600 by Oceanwytch
Jun 1, 2005 5:42pm
Thread (disabled) Board
In the SF/Sacramento area of California they can be found individually in oriental markets.  There is a Japanese Dollar store in Japantown, San Fran where they are a dollar and a large Korean market here in the Sac area that carries all sizes, various prices.

If you have an oriental market near you, I would give it a try.
Da Kool Kats
Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4611 by Jabber
Jun 4, 2005 5:32am
Thread (disabled) Board

http://www.heritagemint.com

Direct website from the supplier.....go to the shop and you can order a variety of sets....

Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4632 by Armadillo Jo
Jun 4, 2005 5:42am
Thread (disabled) Board

Wow, thanks Jo!  Expensive little buggers, but a very nice product. I saw my first on a trail and they really are ideal. I would just spray paint mine with some SprayPaint for Plastic to make them perfect.

Which brings up my question..I use a variety of containers...to make it more interesting. A couple of my boxes are not meant to be hidden all year as I am aware they are not fully waterproof or airtight, but I just liked the container and tried to make sure everything was bagged. I expect to pull those few boxes for the winter.Does anyone else do this? Can you relate your experience so I can learn from yours?

Lock Wench

Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4633 by Lock Wench
Jun 4, 2005 7:48am
Thread (disabled) Board

I've planted a couple of 'temporary' boxes over the past couple of years but they were mostly for gatherings and cuckoo clued hitchhikers.  I personally don't plant 'temporary' boxes that must be pulled seasonally.  Too much effort--probably because I often plant boxes long ways from home and don't revisit them on a set schedule each year.  The 'temporary' status would be just too unreliable.  We also live in a quite damp environment (Pacific Northwest)--so the boxes need some basic protection from most elements.

I mostly use boxes that are not watertight--for camouflage purposes (brown/black VHS cassette tape containers).  I do this hoping the box will survive much longer even if it isn't rehidden well (a common problem in letterboxing circles)--as many boxes are hidden in fairly populated areas.  I am often at the total mercy of 'visitors' to close the freezer zippered baggies after they stamp in.  Occasionally, the bags aren't closed.  Hence, the passionate pleas for folks to take the extra time to close the bags.  I always double bag the logbooks and label the bags with "please double bag the logbook".  Often during maintenance trips they aren't double-bagged anymore.  Then, the flame wars ensue about plastic baggy problems and why it isn't all that important. The folks who dismiss the 'plastic baggy' frustration threads are probably ones who haven't planted a lot of letterboxes and have probably never had a logbook with over 2-1/2 years of visitors' comments get destroyed because of one careless visitor.  I figure their 'attitude' would adjust after this happened a couple of times.

I've also used Lock 'n Lock boxes and have had some problems with them being properly closed after visits, too--which is odd. Although the ones with the metal 'locks' and 'O' rings seem to work exceptionally well--they're just WAY TOO expensive for me. I've yet to find the absolutely perfect container.  I do like a particular 'freezer storage' container for its waterproof qualities but then I don't like that I can only find them in 'blazing come and get me' white and cream colors and I only find them used in thrift stores--so they're few and far between.

I attempt to plant boxes that 'take care of themselves' (i.e. the tendency to use camouflaging containers), planting the seasonal boxes is just too much of a hassle to worry about.  After my initial 'enthusiasm' for letterboxing waned, I don't find it all that exciting to go out and maintain the many boxes we planted.  I love to read through the logs and see folks' comments about how the location or clues touched them (I do a lot of historical based clues).  Perhaps the lack of enthusiasm for maintaining boxes is because of all the ones that we have found that were damaged over the years?  We treat them like 'kids' it's hard to see them go.  ;)  I'd rather go out and seek out new ones instead. 

Just some food for thought.

dvn2r ckr

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4637 by daelphinus
Jun 4, 2005 7:54am
Thread (disabled) Board
I haven't had much luck with paint for plastic. I've painted a few boxes with it, but it seems to scratch off quite easily. I don't usually pull boxes on a regular basis, but this year I've decided to pull two of mine for our rainy season, just because they're in low areas and one tends to get swamped and the other tends to "float away" out of its hiding spot. There's another one that's behind a place of business, with their permission, but they're only open seasonally. I leave the box there, but I do pull the clues during the time they're closed, to keep people from tramping onto the property when the business is closed. DebBee
Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4638 by DebBee
Jun 4, 2005 8:09am
Thread (disabled) Board

Ref 'plastic paint' I've had some success with that 'rubberized' texture paint for outdoor gardening tools.  It comes in assorted colors and is typically used to spraypaint the handles of gardening tools to add some 'grip' and waterproof protection to them.  I used it on Altoids tins for a while but those tins kept 'walking away' instead of lasting long enough to survive the elements so I have no idea what the long term effects on 'tin' would be.  It did scratch off a little from plastic 'rubbermaid' containers but it didn't lessen the camouflage characteristic of the container all that much with a few scratches.  Camouflage is more due to 'breaking up' a color or shape/size/pattern that you're not 'expecting' to see in the woods/outdoor environment more than really changing a color.  Some folks find success in 'wrapping' their hidden boxes in burlap.  In Asia, I've hidden almost all of my letterboxes in small black plastic shopping bags as an extra camouflage attempt--as every park/trail is meticulously maintained and camouflage is absolutely imperative to ensure a box will survive at all.

dvn2r ckr 

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4639 by daelphinus
Jun 4, 2005 8:20am
Thread (disabled) Board

I think Camo duct tape rules! 

Often available in the hunting section of your major discount retailer.

DB

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4640 by dewberry
Jun 4, 2005 10:08am
Thread (disabled) Board
<< I think Camo duct tape rules! >> I've used this--the cloth kind, which forms easily to the shape of the box. I have found that after awhile it gets brittle and sort of comes away from the box, though. DebBee
Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4637 by daelphinus
Jun 4, 2005 11:13am
Thread (disabled) Board

Hey, I ran across one of those 'freezer' containers that I like so much in my LB container stash.  Here's the deal--I've seen them survive long-term sub-freezing temps and still be waterproof/protect its contents.

The box is made by Freezette, Republic Molding Corp, Chicago, IL 60648 and it's No. 332 or 3332  It's about 8"x5"x4"

It just seems to have a great seal on it and it works in very prolonged cold/snowy environments.  Please don't ask me how I know this, just know that I've planted some boxes that have survived these conditions for a long time now.  Too bad Freezette doesn't make camo brown or black containers.  :(

Oh--these are the containers that I find used in thrift stores such as Goodwill/Salvation Army/St Vincent de Paul/Value Village.  I consider it a successful 'treasure hunting' day at the thrift shop whenever I find one of these containers.  :) 

dvn2r ckr

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4643 by DebBee
Jun 4, 2005 12:55pm
Thread (disabled) Board

I am a big fan of the camo duct tape, I just bought a ton of it at the local Wal-mart.

And I also do not do temporary boxes because of the work involved. I know a local Seattle  boxer had a temporary series out one Christmas and I did not get them then, she has since dropped out of the letterboxing scene and those letterboxes will probably never come out again! Bummer! I should have made the time to get them that Christmas!! ;-)

But I find it a chore just to go and hide the box in the first place, I would hate to have to remove it and replace it on a seasonal basis. But if that doesn't bother you, then by all means!

I also know of a letterbox in the Portland area where the stamp changes with the seasons. The letterbox is in the same place, but the owner changes the stamp periodically. That is kind of neat!

-Amanda from Seattle

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4655 by Amanda from Seattle
Jun 4, 2005 5:01pm
Thread (disabled) Board
There used to be a geocache in our area that changed every month. The placer would go out and relocate it in the same park and also change the trade items inside to got with the "theme of the month"--usually whatever holiday occured in that month. I always thought about how much work that must have been month after month after month. Cool idea, though. DebBee
Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4655 by Amanda from Seattle
Jun 4, 2005 5:18pm
Thread (disabled) Board

I should have added that I have created a number of temporary boxes.   One for groundhog day, one for valentine's day, one for april fool's and one that we have out right now that is housed at a temporary art installation that should be demolished next week (www.artleaguehouston.org if you want to see something kinda cool).  Some I have listed on AQ, some on LBNA, some are just clues that I have posted to either the Texas Yahoo List or just emailed to lbers that I thought would like them.

My original thought with these is that I would carve different stamps every year and keep the same logbook.  But, who knows if that'll happen as we aren't at year 2 on any of these.  The April Fool's stamp is really good, so that one I may replant.

I also have recently launched a sorta-series based on what's blooming in my garden.  Right now it's foxglove, but it's looking pretty crispy, so I am going to pull the box, switch the stamp and then hide in a new location with the new rudbeckia stamp--same logbook.  I was thinking 6 to 8 weeks for each stamp, with maybe longer in the winter and the heat of summer when there's less change in the garden.  This series may evolve.  We'll see how it goes. 

Dewberry

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4664 by dewberry
Jun 4, 2005 5:23pm
Thread (disabled) Board

Scarab has a neat microbox with revolving stamps (and benches) called It's A Holiday in VA. I think it is a great idea to do the revolving stamps and keep just one log. You could always stamp into the log each time you change out the stamp.

Liz of Penguin Patrol

Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4637 by daelphinus
Jun 5, 2005 3:03pm
Thread (disabled) Board
dvn2r ckr!
thanks! you know I never have thought to consciously rezip those bags tight..now I know I must! rezip! rezip! rezip!

Havent thought to add the caution to boxers to reseal carefully.
hope we havent wrecked any letterboxes through ingnorance.;(
Now as for lock n lock boxes, we have found them at dollar stores in the US and Canada. so to buy from the site doesnt seem to practical, as long as one can find them at dollar stores.
So now we really keep our eyes peeled for them, as they do seem to work.
have fun boxing!!!



Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4660 by DebBee
Jun 5, 2005 8:34pm
Thread (disabled) Board

I can personally tell you just how much work it is. The Brat Pack (Team Nashoba and I) have a holiday box out. We try our darndest to change it every  month. There are supposed to be two new stamps each month, one carved by Pupp and one carved by me. That worked great for the first three months, then real life intruded and we changed it to putting 6 stamps in every three months. For instance, right now it contains stamps for Feb, March, and April. We just got together and carved the stamps for May, June, and July. I'll be putting those in tomorrow! It's lots of fun, but LOTS of work!

Maiden

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4643 by DebBee
Jun 7, 2005 2:36pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I visited one of your boxes (Tradewinds Express) over the weekend, DebBee, and the camo tape was coming loose. Most of it was still on the container, though.
Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4685 by pilgrimsinthisland
Jun 7, 2005 2:42pm
Thread (disabled) Board

rezip! rezip! rezip!

I ran across a LB (Dirigible Delite) this weekend and the logbook was soaked through and through. I tried to salvage the logbook but many of the stamps were washed away.

I've been carrying extra ziplock baggies. I either replace the baggy or double-bag before leaving.

Re: temporary boxes and plastic paint
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4733 by Rick in Boca
Jun 7, 2005 2:46pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Altoids Cinnamon Chewing Gum


Yes! I bought that too, and wound up throwing most of the gum away, because it was so strong. I enjoyed it, but it was actually making my mouth sore and raw! I love the tin, though!

As for the cammo tape, yep, that was one of the boxes I was thinking about. The other one was Top o' the Trees, but it's now disappeared, so the cammo tape is beside the point. <g> The tape on that one wasn't quite as brittle, though. I think because it was exposed to less heat and sun than Tradewinds Express.

I pulled my Ferns Too box yesterday, so it wouldn't get flooded during the rainy season, and the top, which I sprayed with plastic paint (Krylon, I think) is all scratched up. Almost as much blue showing through as there is green paint left!

DebBee
Re: Lock 'n Lock Boxes
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #4734 by Rick in Boca
Jun 7, 2005 2:48pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I ran across a LB (Dirigible Delite) this weekend


I've been wondering if that one's still there. We drove by the general area a few weeks ago, and it crossed my mind.

DebBee