The Legend of Zelda: Rupee Engagement Ring Box

Hey Instructabots!

I'd like to present to you instructions for building your very own Rupee engagement ring box, which was inspired by the all of the classic Rupees from the Zelda series. This doesn't necessarily have to be used as a box for a proposal, I just figured that it was suiting to present your girlfriend with a piece of treasure that opened up to reveal MORE treasure! The total time for the Rupee Box was approximately two days, and only so because of the time required to let glossy paint dry thoroughly. I was able to make my unpainted Rupee box without paint in about 3 hours, but then again...my garage is pretty disorganized, so you could probably make it faster!

Here are the things you're going to need for the entirety of this project: (Don't worry about gathering all of the materials ahead of time. I'll re-list the materials needed for each part on the respective steps.)

Power Tools: VRRRRRRUUUUUMMMMM!!
> Table Saw
> Scroll Saw
> Bandsaw
> Belt Sander (40 or 80 grit sandpaper belt)
> ShopVac (to consume the colossal amount of dust you will generate)
> Drill with a small bit 1/16" or smaller (Optional)

Other Tools:
> Sandpaper (100, 150, 180 grit)
> Clamps
> Flathead Screwdriver (Optional)
> 2-part Epoxy (Optional)
> Super Glue (Optional)
> Scissors
Wood--I used a variety of wood types, mainly because it's what I had lying around. I'll list what I used for each piece...
> 2 3"x5"x1/4" Pieces (Plywood)
> 2 1"x3/4"x5" Pieces (Aspen)
> 2 1"x1"x1 3/4" Pieces (Aspen)

> Soft foam, approximately a 1 1/2" cube. (I repurposed an old memory foam pillow for this part)
> Small amount of black cloth, approximately a 2" square

> Rust-Oleum Filler Primer http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=11
> Rust-Oleum Multi-Purpose Gloss Spray http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=97 I used Apple Red, but you can use whatever color you'd like
> Wood Glue (Any brand will work)
> 3M Dynatron Glazing and Spot Putty http://3mcollision.com/products/fillers-and-glaze/putty/dynatron-glazing-spot-putty-650.html

> Hinges (I found some great hinges at Menards that I have included a picture of. The exact hinge style isn't critical...you need only be concerned with the overall size of the hinges.) http://menards.com/main/tools-hardware/builders-hardware/door-window/residential-hinges/5-8x1-decorative-hinge/p-1475524-c-9687.htm

Protective Equipment:
> Safety Glasses
> Ear Plugs/Muffs
> Dust Mask (when working with the belt sander)

> Pencil
> Ruler
> X-acto Knife

So, without further ado, let's get on with some step-by-step instructions for building your own Rupee engagement ring box!

Step 1: Assembling the Box

Tools Needed for this Section:
> Table Saw
> Sandpaper (150, 180 grit)
> Pencil
> Ruler
> Clamps
> Wood Glue

Materials Needed for this Section:

Wood:
> 2 3"x5"x1/4" Pieces (Plywood)
> 2 1"x3/4"x5" Pieces (Aspen)
> 2 1"x1 1/2"x1 3/4" Pieces (Aspen)

Protective Equipment:

> Safety Glasses
> Ear Plugs/Muffs

To begin making the Rupee ring box, you're going to need to first cut all of the wood pieces listed in the Materials section. On both of the 3"x5"x1/4" pieces, do your best to carefully replicate the plans I have included using a pencil and a ruler. Then the box will be ready to assemble. Since the completed ring box will have an inner section for the ring, we will make the starting box with a hole in the center, covered on both sides by the 1/4" piece. Start with one of the 3"x5"x1/4" pieces and glue the 2 1"x3/4"x5" pieces flush with the edge of the 1/4" pieces. Make sure the 1/4" piece is plan side down! Next, glue the 1"x1 1/2"x3/4" pieces on the upper and lower parts of the 1/4" piece, between the 2 1"x3/4"x5" pieces, leaving a 1 1/2'' gap in between them. Allow the five pieces you have just glued together to dry (15 minutes maybe?), before gluing the final 3"x5"x1/4" piece on top of the 'box". Make sure you glue the final piece with the replicated plans facing upward, as we will use these for the next several steps. Use your clamps to make sure that this glues tightly on to the 'box'. Allow this another 15 minutes or so to completely dry before moving to Step 2.

The picture below has a large red "X" to denote where the hole was located on the box. I was slightly paranoid of accidentally sanding too much or cutting away too much material and accidentally revealing the hole. I would suggest at least using your pencil to mark off the area where your hole will be as another way to gauge the shaping of your box later on.

Step 2: Cutting Corners

Tools Needed for this Section:

> Bandsaw

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Box as assembled in Step 1

Protective Equipment

> Safety Glasses

The next step is fairly simple: cut the diagonal lines on the box that you drew from the plans with your band saw. It's extremely important that you cut slowly and make straight cuts in order to give your Rupee box sharp, accurate angles.

After you've made the cuts, your Rupee box should look like mine does in the picture below. Let's move on to Step 3...

Step 3: Beveling the Edges

Tools Needed for this Section:

> Belt Sander (40 to 80 grit belt)
> ShopVac
> Pencil
> Ruler

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Rupee Box from Step 2

Protective Equipment:

> Safety Glasses
> Dust Mask
> Ear Plugs/Muffs

For Step 3, you're going to use your belt sander with a low grit belt to rip away the square edges on your Rupee Box.

To start, use your ruler to draw a line 3/4" in from the thickness of your box (which should be directly in the middle of the thickness). Continue this line all the way around the box.

In my opinion, the easiest way to do this is to set the belt sander upright and toggle the on/off switch to keep it running constantly while you push the Rupee against the running belt. As you can probably imagine, this is going to generate an ENORMOUS amount of dust. You'll need to set up your ShopVac to be close to the running belt to catch most of the dust that will be thrown toward you. For this reason, I strongly recommend using a dust mask to keep from inhaling small wood particles. Also, belt sanders are very, very loud. This, along with the sound of your ShopVac is potentially dangerous to your hearing, so I would also recommend using some sort of ear protection during this step.

After you've got your little belt sander/ShopVac rig running, take a square edge of your rupee and press it firmly and directly onto the running belt. You can monitor the bevel by looking at the line that you 3/4" in on the thickness. After a long time of grinding away on your Rupee, you should have something similar to the picture below.

Step 4: Let's Saw Your Beautiful Rupee in Half!

Tools Needed for this Section:

> Scroll Saw or Bandsaw with a small blade
> Sandpaper (100, 150, 180 grit)
> Pencil
> Ruler

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Rupee Box from Step 3

Protective Equipment:

> Safety Glasses

The next step is to cut in perfectly horizontal line across your new Rupee. I must admit that this was the hardest part for me since I had just spent 3 hours grinding away to make a beautiful piece and I was about to cut it in half! I decided rather than cutting my Rupee box equally across the middle that I would cut it asymmetrically to give me more room to add in ring-mounting foam later. However, I probably could have gotten away with cutting it in half.

To begin, use your ruler to draw a line across the square region of your Rupee, as indicated on the diagram above. I recommend using a scroll saw to make this cut because the thin blade will not remove a significant amount of material during the cutting process. After you've split your Rupee Box into two pieces, give the entire box a good sanding to smooth things out. Start with 100 grit and work your way up to 180 grit sandpaper.

Step 5: Hiding the Wood Grain and Applying Primer

Tools Needed for this Section:

> Sandpaper (150, 180 grit)
> Rust-Oleum Filler Primer http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=11
> 3M Dynatron Glazing and Spot Putty http://3mcollision.com/products/fillers-and-glaze/putty/dynatron-glazing-spot-putty-650.html

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Rupee Box (2 pieces) from Step 4

Protective Equipment:

> Safety Glasses

At this point you should have your sanded Rupee Box, unpainted, and in two pieces. Before we use primer to help the paint stick better and more evenly to the surfaces, we'll need to make the surface as smooth as possible. I've found that the best way to fill small imperfections and small scratches in wood is to use Glazing Putty (see materials for a link). Squeeze a small (maybe half of a pea) bit of the putty directly on to the surface and using your finger or perhaps a spreader of some sort, massage it into the all of the surfaces of the Rupee Box halves. There will be an excess of putty afterward, which is fine since all most of it will be sanded away shortly. Give the putty an hour or more to dry and start with 150 grit sandpaper and go over all of the surfaces of your Rupee Box. After that, go over the box again with 180 grit sandpaper (SO MUCH SANDING!). You should notice that your Rupee Box is MUCH smoother this time around.

Do your best to remove the small dust particles that may have accumulated on the surface of the Rupee Box. You should be ready to apply the primer to your Rupee Box at this point.

I used a pizza box with two dowels shoved through it to hold up my Rupee Box halves as they dried. After you have made up an adequate space for painting, give your Box a good spray of primer and allow it to dry completely before continuing.

Step 6: Painting the Rupee Box Halves

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Rust-Oleum Multi-Purpose Gloss Spray http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=97 I used Apple Red, but you can use whatever color you'd like

> Rupee Box Halves, primed

Protective Equipment

> Safety Glasses

Using glossy paint can be a real nightmare if you are accustomed to drenching your projects in spray paint. I know this firsthand, because I started painting my original Rupee Box this way. Since I'm teaching you how to do this, hopefully you won't make the same mistakes :)

Use the same paint station that you used in Step 5, and make sure that your Rupee Halves are not touching a flat surface as the paint will stick and leave a nasty finish.

Mix up your Glossy Paint and use small spritzes to cover the Rupee Box Halves. I don't think it's possible to achieve a perfectly glossy coat of paint in one coat, so allow your coats several hours to dry. My final Rupee Box had 5 coats of this Glossy Red Paint and looked beautiful, so be patient and yours will look amazing!

After your Rupee Box Halves are completely dry, move on to Step 7

Step 7: Installing Hinges and Ring Foam

Tools Needed for this Section:

> Drill with a small bit 1/16" or smaller (Optional)
> Flathead Screwdriver (Optional)
> 2-part Epoxy (Optional)
> Super Glue (Optional)
> Scissors

Materials Needed for this Section:

> Painted Rupee Box Halves from Step 7
> Hinges (I found some great hinges at Menards that I have included a picture of. The exact hinge style isn't critical...you need only be concerned with the overall size of the hinges.) http://menards.com/main/tools-hardware/builders-hardware/door-window/residential-hinges/5-8x1-decorative-hinge/p-1475524-c-9687.htm
> Soft foam, approximately a 1 1/2" cube. (I repurposed an old memory foam pillow for this part)
> Small amount of black cloth, approximately a 2" square (I cut up an old black T-shirt for this part)

Protective Equipment

> Safety Glasses

You're almost done!

The first step when attaching your hinges is to use your drill and with a small bit, drill holes to indicate where you intend to install your hinge screws. After I did this, I installed the rest of the hinges and noticed that the hinges were a little wobbly. To mend this, I applied some 2-part epoxy to the backs of the hinges and re-installed them to the Rupee halves. This little trick worked perfectly.

To finish your Rupee Ring Box, you'll need to install a proper ring holder. I decided to use some dense foam and some black cloth to do this. Using your scissors, cut your foam into two rectangular pieces of an appropriate size to fit inside the ring section of your Rupee Box. Using super glue (optional), wrap the cloth around the two rectangular foam pieces and insert them into the ring section so that there is a horizontal cleavage area for the ring.

Step 8: Finishing Thoughts

Congratulations on your new Rupee-shaped Engagement Ring Box!

I actually installed flush magnets on the interior of the Rupee box in order to keep it closed, but I decided to nix if from this guide just for brevity's sake. If you need help with this mini-step or would like any help with woodsy stuff, please shoot me a message!

Instructables User Zachariah Cruse and I built the chest in the picture together as a commission. If you're interesting in getting one for yourself, shoot me a message.

What are you waiting for?...Go grab yourself a fiance!