welcome to the smartBoxmaker workshops

  •  deep in the heart of the South Shropshire Hills, this is the home of smartware, the original and best high quality box hardware. From here the finest box locks and hinges can be delivered to your door, wherever you are on planet earth

  •  it’s also where I run a range of courses for professionals and amateurs alike
2025 course dates posted

smartBoxmaker on Instagram
my course dates for the first half of 2025 are posted on the new smartBoxmaker website - link in bio.  #boxmaker
#boxmakers
#boxmaking
#boxmakingcourse
#boxmakingcourses
#boxmakingskills
#cabinetmakingcourses
 #fineboxes
#fineboxmaking
#fineboxmaking
#furnituremakingschool
#furnitureschool
#inlaidboxes
#jewellerybox
#jewelleryboxes
#jewelrybox
#jewelryboxes
#smartboxmaker
#veneering
#woodworkart
 #woodworking
#woodworkingclass
#woodworkingclasses
#woodworkingcourse
#woodworkingcourses
... well, this is turning into a tedious saga! But then anyone who’s had experience of dealing with Meta will not be at all surprised by THAT! 
The previous version of this was rejected again [their ‘Drugs and Pharmaceuticals policy’ AGAIN] and Meta have refused to engage on the matter, explain or even respond to any communications. 
So - this announcement is posted yet again here, attempt number 3, without any additional images in the hope that Meta’s moronic, unfit-for-purpose algorithms won’t find anything that goes against any of their precious policies or ‘community guidelines’. 
Incidentally - when I view the previous version of this post I’m helpfully offered a button that says: ‘Resume Ad’ - but when that’s clicked I’m told: ‘This post is already boosted. Please delete the existing ad before boosting the post again.’ So, no help at all, then! 
So again: a new version of the smartBoxmaker website! Link in bio. 
This new site is much more representative of my activities, lots of information about the courses I offer, my smartWare box hardware and more. More material being added all the time. 
Come and take a look around - and if you haven’t already please sign up to my smartBoxmaker newsletter - a signup box will popup when you visit the site for the first time.  #boxmaker
#boxmakers
#boxmaking
#boxmakingcourse
#boxmakingcourses
#boxmakingskills
#cabinetmakingcourses
#fineboxes
#fineboxmaking
#fineboxmaking
#furnituremakingschool
#furnitureschool
#inlaidboxes
#jewellerybox
#jewelleryboxes
#jewelrybox
#jewelryboxes
#smartboxmaker
#veneering
#woodworkart
#woodworking
#woodworkingclass
#woodworkingclasses
 #woodworkingcourse
#woodworkingcourses
SOUND ON! I’m immensely proud of these locks, they are the result of a great deal of research and experimentation during 2016 and into early 2017. Introduced early in 2017, smartLock is the only 1/4 turn, ‘live action’, full mortice box lock there is. 
The action of almost all simple box locks and catches relies on a compression or leaf spring, the effect of which is to lock the mechanism in one of two set positions, locked and unlocked, by turning the key. But the spring’s influence between those 2 positions is just friction, so rendering the action sluggish. 
It’s an OK system - traditional and tested - but I always wanted something better, brighter, ‘livelier’ to partner the already very successful smartHinge. So, in 2016 I developed the smartLock action, based on a twin coil torsion spring. 
The huge advantage of using a torsion spring is that its influence is always ‘live’ - that is, initially it exerts a force against the turning of the key - gradually increasing until it reaches the half way tipping point when it takes over and snaps the locking arm to the opposite position. 
The twin coil torsion springs produced to my design for the smartLock are precision made and shot-peened - a process used to strengthen and extend the life of high stress components such as used in formula 1. During early 2017 the mechanism was tested multiple times to 50,000 iterations with no mishap.
 Once experienced, trust me, nothing else will do ... 
In 2020 this exact action was appropriated by a competitor, collaborating with a previous manufacturer of mine. Many of my customers know who I mean. I decided not to go public, at the time I couldn’t ‘compete’ [with the lock I DESIGNED!] as I didn’t have a supply of the locks myself. 
Now, as part of a major relaunch of the extended smartWare range I have superb stock of the one and only original smartLock in polished brass and stainless steel at smartBoxmaker.com. And the competitor has reverted to a compression spring model. 
Download the full smartLock pdf description at https://tinyurl.com/ycxj8y9b. 
#boxlock
#boxmakers
#jewelleryboxes
#jewelryboxhardware
#boxmakingcourses
#boxmakingskills