# Blanket chest



## edmund (20 Jul 2005)

Hi Everyone,

I finished my first serious project and am sharing some pictures (sorry my IT skills have failed so I've insert a gallery link :? ) for comment and appraisal. It's taken me 5 months to finish (not full time obviously  ). I drew up the plans based on an article i saw in a woodworking magazine but made changes so that it would fit in the specific space I wanted it and also I had to change the construction techniques so that I could make it without machine tools.

http://www.filehigh.com/viewgallery.php?f=3760

I used sapele for the carcass and cedar of lebanon for the bottom. It measures approx. 31"w x 19"d x 27"h. The frames are stub haunch tenoned and I assembled the carcass using double lap secret dovetails (picture below in case you don't believe me  ). The panels are made from 4" wide stock jointed, and I fielded them by hand (took a while). 

Frames and panels were glued using polyurethane glue. Carcass and lid frame were glued using aliphatic wood glue (for no other reason than trying something different).

The rebates in the rails and stiles were done using a Record 44 plough plane. The mortices with a lovely japanese mortice chisel. Tenons cut by hand for the frames (I used a bandsaw - a recent acquistion - for the lid, which I had to remake). Panels fielded using my plough plane and no.7 jointer and no.4 smoother. Dovetails cut using dovetail saw and japanese dovetail chisels. For all else used low angle block plane and shoulder plane.

Hinges are by Brusso - quite expensive at £30 a pair, but having put so much effort into this I couldn't skimp at the last hurdle. Apart from having to remake the lid the only disaster I had was that one of the screws for the hinges sheared - much cursing occurred - despite adequate pilot holes. Managed to drill out the shank, and had to enlarge the hole and fitted patch which seems to be working well. Restoration before finishing it, whatever next!

Currently, the bottom is placed on the lipping. I had planned to fix with screw to aid rigidity, but it seems to be fine without. Any views on what to do for this?

Finish was special pale polish - 5 coats. Still have to polish with my homemade wax polish which I'll do once the shellac has hardened. 

What have I learned: 1. don't change the plans midway through - I hadn't worked out how to join the frames when I started so once I'd decided to go the dovetail route the carcass became deeper and narrower, so my first lid didn't fit right. 2. sapele can be difficult to work where the grain is interlocked. Still ended up with some tear out, which I've tried to hide as best as possible. 3. good quality, well sharpened tools make all the difference - and it means you can't blame them when you mess something up. 4. Don't underestimate the number of clamps needed - could really have done with another half a dozen sash clamps for assembling the carcass. 5. Wood will still warp between cutting and assembly - a bit of gentle persuasion on assembly seems to have righted the wrongs


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## Noel (20 Jul 2005)

Edmund, beautiful chest. Canny see the pictures other than lifting the URL. Got a feeling Reliveit doesn't like direct linking although I think the first address did not end in JPG?
Excellent work with handtools.

Rgds

Noel


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## edmund (20 Jul 2005)

Just recovering from trying to do the imaging. UploadIt doesn't work for some reason either.

I ended up having to redo the lid because the dimensions for the carcass assumed some sort of butt joining. However, once I'd decided to do dovetails (I don't have a biscuit jointer and wanted to try an "old fashioned" type of joint - don't know if what I plumped for is ok) the width of the box decreased by an inch and increased in depth by an inch, so the overhand on the lid was much bigger and there was hardly any overhang at the front. It looked more like an altar or ark of the covenant  Anyway, we live and learn.


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## Noel (21 Jul 2005)

Don't worry, we've all "lost" wood by not taking into account the amount of stock "used" by an interlocking joint. Well done.

Noel


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## Waka (21 Jul 2005)

Very impressive work


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## Newbie_Neil (21 Jul 2005)

Hi Edmund

Well done, that's a lovely chest.

Cheers
Neil


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## Philly (21 Jul 2005)

Looks cracking!
Keep up the good work,
Philly


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## Chris Knight (21 Jul 2005)

Edmund,

That looks very good indeed, well done. I think the joinery is unusual for a corner joint but it certainly works. There is no need to screw the bottom unless you wish to, in which case it needs to be frame and panel like the sides to avoid stresses due to wood movement.


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## MikeW (21 Jul 2005)

Hi Edmund, very nice chest indeed!

And yes, one can never have too many clamps!

It may not be the best thing to rub wax on the inside if you were planning that. You do mention it is homemade and so may not impart a chemical smell to an enclosed space.

Again, well done.


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## dedee (21 Jul 2005)

Edmund, very nice chest.

Tip: run a steel screw of the same size into your hole before inserting the brass one.

Don't tell anyone but last time this happening to me I glued the head back in place 

Andy


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## Freetochat (21 Jul 2005)

Impressive result!!


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## thomaskennedy (21 Jul 2005)

Smashing chest Edmund  

Ta, Tom


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## Alf (21 Jul 2005)

Coo, double lap secret dovetails. :shock: =D>


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## Anonymous (21 Jul 2005)

Lovely job edmund  Particularly for a 'first serious project' :shock: :shock:


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## edmund (21 Jul 2005)

Thanks for all the positive comments and tips. 

I think pre-screwing is a really good tip. I actually ended up doing this second time round for the hinges - don't know why I hadn' thought if it before... I also put a blob of wax polish on the screws and they went in a treat.

Not waxing the inside of the chest is another good point. My homemade polish uses turpentine as the solvent which, although I love the smell, is probably not going to be great impregnated in blankets and linen  . Besides, the bottom is cedar of lebanon which smells nicer - I'm just going to leave unscrewed on the lipping (thanks Chris).

Looking forward to my next project - think I will have a go at some sort of table.


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## Adam (21 Jul 2005)

edmund":2ttsyv1q said:


> Thanks for all the positive comments and tips.
> 
> I think pre-screwing is a really good tip. .



I snapped a screw ona recent project. It dawned on me to lubricate the screws eventually. I wipe them in my tub of beeswax polish before screwing them in, and it makes all the difference.

Problem is, by the time I remember to do it, its always because I've just snapped a screw :roll: 

Adam


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