Lost and Found Box
A place to reconnect items lost on local trailheads with thier owner
A common problem solved by community
Once upon a summer hike...
My hiking buddy and I found a pair of glasses on the trail. Unsure of where to turn them in, we looked for a lost and found for our city or the park but could find none. So we made our own! We reached out to the Parks department and asked if we could create a lost and found box to post near trailheads, and they instantly jumped on board. We have since gone through design iterations and finalized & installed our first box.
This is an ongoing volunteer collaboration between myself and the Secular Humanists of Rochester, a community group that manages the boxes. We are working to create CNC files for the boxes for others to utilize and build, open-source style.
Ideation
Laser cutting the prototype allowed for fast and easy design changes until all final dimensions and layout were solidified. We assembled and displayed a working cardboard model for the parks department's approval.
Fabrication goals
-
Open bottom to prevent water build-up
-
Slanted lid for ease of opening and inside visibility
-
Place to hang lost fabrics, like gloves and scarves
-
Cards and pencils to fill out lost/found items sheet
-
QR code to post and search for lost items
-
Secular Humanist of Rochester logo on lid
-
Create open sourced CNC files for others to follow
Rabbet joinery makes for a simple, no fuss and accurate glue-up. CNC routers can easily make these joints without stopping to change the bit, allowing for an open source design that can be cut with minimal saws for fabricators of all skill levels.
Taping off the unfinished wood and laser-etching our logos makes spray painting with precision a breeze
To finish, we applied a simple waterproof polyurethane varnish that will stand up to changing weather conditions