Blanket Chest questions

[Matt Benton]

Well, I'm to the point in my first project where I'm hoping to get some help. I'm building a walnut blanket chest for the church auction next month. It is dovetailed with a breadboard top and plinth for legs.

I'm very concerned with wood movement, and am hoping to do everything I can to minimize/plan for it.

1. 3 of the 4 sides have a slight bow across the width of the glueups (maybe 3/64th over 16 inches, at most). I'm worried if I try to flatten them out during assembly, the stress could cause the glue to fail down the road. Would I be better off using a gap-filling glue and go lighter on the pressure?

2. I'm planning to finish with Watco Danish Oil, but only on the outside. I'd like to leave the inside unfinished, as is often recommended, but thought that finishing one side only could lead to movement.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading!

[kenmiller saas]

Nice Thinking. Good Luck......

[Barry Vabeach]

Matt, I am having trouble understanding your question. Lets assume your chest is 40 inches long, 18 inches wide and 16 inches high. The front piece is then 40 inches long by 16 inches high and joins to the side piece by dovetails. If there is a bow in the 16 inch dimension, assuming you clamped it flat to layout the dovetails, the bow will disappear at the ends when you do the assembly if the pins on the front, if the pins are on the sides, then the dovetails won't restrain the bend, but the glue will have no problem holding in a bow of a 16th of an inch. Since you said on 3 of the 4 boards, at least one ( and maybe 2 ) will be forced into shape by the nature of the dovetails.
Turning to the next question, usually you want to do the same to both sides of the wood, otherwise as it absorbs moisture the inside will expand, so instead of 16 inches tall, it will be 16.18 assuming you used kiln dried walnut at 8.5 % and the unfinished side absorbed moisture up to 14% - this is just a seat of the pants guess for a moderate swing see http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/shrinkulator.htm, which would cause the front to bow outward at the top and bottom. Is there an esthetic reason you don't want to finish the inside. If you don't want to use the Danish Oil on the inside, I suggest using dewaxed shellac on the interior - it is clear, goes on quick, and will help slow down the exchange of moisture. If you are staining the exterior, you may want to stain the interior before you apply the shellac. Test some shellac on the walnut without the dye to make sure you are happy with the color. Sounds like a great project . One other point - I have made a few blanket chests and while I am overly cautious - I suggest you either drill several large holes in the bottom of the chest and cover them with screening, or do not provide any way that the chest can be locked closed. Prior to 1987, the Lane co used to make chests that would automatically lock when closed - unfortuantely some children would go into the chest to play hide and seek and suffocate to death. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Lane+Home+Furnishings+Seeks+Public's+Help+Locating +Older+Cedar+Chests...-a0141712368 I freely admit I am over the top on this topic, but I get concerned that a child would go into a chest to play hide and seek and without ventilation pass away, or an older brother would lock a kid in the chest and forget - so if for some reason you want to put a locking feature, try not to make it airtight.Barry

[Matt Benton]

Barry,

Great reply! Thanks for spending the time.

Regarding the first question, you are right. I was just concerned about the 1/16" gap being enough to pull back apart down the road. I will go ahead and clamp it flush and trust the glue (and wood fibers) to hold.

Regarding the second, almost every blanket chest thread I've seen on the creek contains advice regarding finishing the inside, and the overwhelming concensus seems to be no finish on the inside (shellac is the #2 vote-getter). I'm planning Danish Oil on the outside, but am not sure if it needs some sort of protective coat, like a poly...

No lock planned, but good point about safety.

Thanks again. Any more insight regarding the finishing would be much appreciated...

[Barry Vabeach]

Matt, I put a finish on the inside of several blanket chests - over 10 years ago and no problem. I don't know why they would suggest no finish, unless they were using a cedar liner. The only thing I don't finish is the outside of drawers , because the finish would get in the way of the smooth action - but the drawer heights are very small in comparison to your chest sides, and they are closed most of the time so I assume they don't get as much exposure to swings in moisture. I love Watco Danish Oil ( though if you read Bob Flexner it is really just a wiping varnish) and used to use it a lot before I got into spraying, I am sure it will come out great. I am concerned about the color difference between the exterior and the interior - I suggest you make a few samples of the shellac versus Watco Danish Oil - I assume you are using the Walnut or Dark Stain instead of natural, and I just don't know what it will look like when you open it and see the unstained interior - some colors work well together and sometimes they don't. Finally, what are you doing to the top in terms of design. I have made a few and like to double up the top at the front and the sides to give it a little more bulk
This is one that is more of a tack box, but it gives you the idea
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee248/barryvabeach/P1010004Medium.jpg

[Matt Benton]

Barry,

Not finishing the inside was primarily for odor purposes. Seems as though people have reported odor problems with most finishes other than shellac.

I was planning to use either Dark or Medium Walnut Watco. Haven't decided yet. Also, the bottom will be 1/2" ply covered with T&G aromatic cedar (attached via construction adhesive).

The top is actually my primary concern regarding movement. It will be a 12" wide maple board that is bordered by 3" walnut on all four sides. The long sides will be edge jointed, the short sides breadboarded. I'm really worried that applying Watco to the outside of that wide board but nothing on the inside will really be asking for movement, considering that the maple will probably be close to 5/8".

Are Watco and shellac comparable when it comes to how much moisture they allow? If so, I'd probably just do Watco on the outside and shellac on the inside.

[Barry Vabeach]

Matt, I don't think anything absolutely stops the transfer of moisture, you just want to slow it down so it is absorbed evenly. The Danish oil is really just a thinned varnish - the dewaxed shellac is better than bare wood by a bunch - and I don't think it is overkill.