plans or suggestions? curved top box

[Kevin Brown]

I would like to make a version of this toy chest
http://www.leighjigs.com/photo.php?id=76

But I'm not sure how to make the curved top, anyone know of a set of plans or have suggestions on the best way to do this?

[Frank Pellow]

There are plans for something similar at http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=431

I bought those plans and am planning to make the chest (but not until I finish building my workshop).

[Joseph N. Myers]

Kevin,

The picture your showing is from the 1998 yearly issue from Leigh Jig and it doesn’t give credit to who built it. If fact, I could only find one item that they gave credit to, that being a blanket chest in the 2003 issue. So you can’t call up the maker.

You could call Leigh Jig and ask for the maker/builder. I have often thought of building some of the stuff they show. If they published the plans, I bet they would really sell well.

It is hard to tell from your picture but the 1998 issue clearly shows 2 curve pieces attached to the top of the chest, one being just inside of the bear’s right ear. They look like they come in from the ends maybe 2 inches, are maybe a 1 1/2 inch from the front/back and are probably 1 1/2 wide. The chest is 17" deep, so these "braces" are probably 14" long and 1 1/2 wide at the top of the curve. And they look like maybe 1/2 at the ends. The top are probably screwed to these braces and edges cut at an angle to match. And a lot of hand planing and sanding.

If you don’t have the 1998 issue, I’ll be glad to fax you a copy of the photo.

Regards, Joe

[Ken Garlock]

Kevin.

David Marks made a similar chest on his show this year. He has pictures of it on his website (http://www.djmarks.com/woodworks/505.asp) . Unfortunately, he does not yet have plans available to purchase. I saw the program, but my Teflon brain does not remember how he made the curve, but I think he made a template, machined the slats with the correct bevel, and glued it up, and clamped it with matching cauls. Of course I may be remembering incorrectly. Maybe someone else on the creek remembers the show :confused:

[Paul Regan]

Norm made a curved top chest (http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0203) and I think that Woodsmith had plans and instructions for one as well.
Good luck

[Steve Miller]

Here is the link to DIYs walk through of the David J Marks curved top.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ww_chests/article/0,2049,DIY_14440_2380916,00.html

He uses bending plywood and a vacuum press to do the curved top. Once through for the core and a second time for the veneer.

Hope this helps. I'm going to be doing some bending this weekend on an inlay for a round coffee table top.

[John Olson]

You might want to look at a book called Boxes & Chests by Alan and Gill Bridgewater. They have a Barrel - top sea chest. I build one out of Cherry and it has held up good over the years. My daughter dropped it down the up stairs steps and I just had to put the molding back on. It is heavy. I hand planed all the staves to fit. It was a fun box to build.

[Jim Becker]

The top can use stave construction with ripped bevels. Once it's glued and cured, you refine the curve with hand planes until it's curved on the outside. The flats on the inside don't really matter since you only see them when the piece is open for placing or removing contents. This eliminates bending or even use of plywood which IMHO, would be out of character for such a lovely piece. Otherwise, this is just a basic box...no plans necessary.

[Jamie Buxton]

It looks like the builder first made a coopered top and then added ribs underneath. Doing coopering right is a little involved. You bevel the edges of all the boards, edge-glue them to produce a barrel-shaped panel, and then plane the exterior to get a smooth seamless surface. It is somewhat tricky to get the bevel angle correct, and a little tricky to joint the beveled faces. However, a bigger challenge is to clamp the boards together tightly while the glue cures.

I suggest you do something which looks similar, but is less challenging. First make the ribs, and then fasten the boards to the ribs. You might still bevel the board edges, or maybe not. At any rate, you don't rely on that board-to-board joint; the ribs really are what hold all the boards together.

Me, I'd make the curve of the rib top from a series of straight cuts, rather than a smooth curve. The straight faces provide landings for the boards. To fasten the boards to the ribs, you can use glue, or glue and nails, or even screws.