Hope Chest (Pics)

[Bill Grumbine]

Howdy everyone

It has taken me a bit of time to get this posted. I made it for one of my most special customers, my oldest daughter, who turned 16 last year. It has been finished and delivered since then, and it took me a bit to get her to unload it and let me take it up to the shop to take some pictures.

<img src = "http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/hopechest01.jpg">

This chest is made of cherry. The bottom is a piece of 1/2" Russian birch plywood topped off with aromatic cedar, making it a genuine cedar chest. I've been calling it a blanket chest, and every time I do, I get in trouble. "It is a hope chest Daddy! Don't you want me to get married?" (lower lip sticks out) Even SWMBO and the other two SWMBETTES are joining in on this. Anyway...

Overall dimensions are approximately 34 1/2" l x 18" h x 15" d. It's not huge, but it is the size she wanted. It is finished with three coats of Bartley's Gel Varnish. I used a lid support from Woodworker's Warehouse, but I am not wild about it. I will use something different for the next one I think.

<img src = "http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/hopechest02.jpg">

I am already late for starting on hope chest #2 for daughter #2.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Oh yeah, one of the reasons it took me so long to get it posted was that I just didn't feel like fighting with her to get permission to schlep it back up to the shop. I finallky did so, thinking how nice it would look photographed with my seamless paper as a backdrop. Well, dontcha know, the chest was too big for the paper to cover the mess in the shop. Sooo, I did a little magic with Adobe Photoshop Elements, and walla, as the girls say, perfect background. I think I might chuck the paper and go electronic. And just in case anyone is wondering, the only thing electronically manipulated is the background.

Bill

[Chris DiCiaccio]

That is excellent! (even though its not round)

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

My kind of stuff....
I think it's a really nice one. Can I have some details:
What are the size of the dovetails?
How were the DT's cut?
Size of the Cleats?
How are the cleats attached?
Is the bottom in a dado?
Is the cedar just tacked down?
How did you seal the endgrain on the top for even staining?

[PeterTorresani]

"It is a hope chest Daddy! Don't you want me to get married?"

Overall dimensions are approximately 34 1/2" l x 18" h x 15" d


She must be planning on marrying a rather short man.:D


Beautiful chest. I like the dovetails

[Craig Howard]

Originally posted by Bill Grumbine
And just in case anyone is wondering, the only thing electronically manipulated is the background.

Bill [/B]

If that grain was faked on PhotoShop, you should sell the lathe and get a job in the graphic design industry. :D
Looks great, Bill. I'm with you on calling it a blanket chest instead of hope chest. My oldest daughter turns 17 next month and the thought of marriage still seems like about 10 or 15 years down the road.

Craig

[Todd Burch]

Good job Bill! I'm making two of them right now, although my wife will call them coffee tables when I'm done! :D

I like the look of the figured cherry. Nice proportions too. Since mine will exist as coffee tables, I made mine a little deeper (as in width, depth, height).

Keep 'em coming! Todd.

[Tony Falotico]

:) NICE WORK BILL !!

[Dave Avery]

Beautiful work, Bill. I particularly like the way you carried the DT's though to the integrated legs. Neat design! Dave.

[Charles McKinley]

Very nice Bill


It will be hard for my girls to get married. I don't think they will be allowed out of the house until they are at least 30!:rolleyes:

[Glenn Clabo]

Very..very ...VERY Nice! You do nothing but good stuff.

[Jim Baker]

I love those big beautiful dovetails, Bill.

When I go into a furniture store, I often judge their furniture on the basis of "will my kids fight over it when I'm dead." In many stores it's hard to find anything that fits that description. I think yout great grandchildren may "fight" over this one some day.

[Bob Lasley]

Bill,

I really like the way you use simpler designs to showcase beautiful woods and this chest is an excellent example of that. I'll bet it is one of your daughter's most prized possesions.

Beautiful work.

Bob

[Jim Becker]

SWMBETTES?? LOL!!! But I can appreciate that...and I've met those lovely young ladies.

Great job on the chest, Bill. It looked good unfinished and it looks OUTSTANDING now. Your daughters are very lucky to be the progeny of a master woodworker. I'm sure they can't wait to get the next piece for their collection...

Our birds don't seem to care much either way...even though I make them things to chew on.

:cool:

[Ken Wright]

Really nice hope chest ....

[Howard Barlow]

Beautiful work, Bill. I know she is proud of it.

Is the optical illusion of the dovetails as pronounced in person, as in the picture? I think that is a "Wow!" effect.

[Tom Sweeney]

Just kidding - As always Beautiful work - love the Cherry & the dovetails. :cool:

My Swmbette is 14 going on 28 & way too attractive. I'm thinking of locking her in her room till she's 30 instead of making her a hope chest ;)

[Glenn Hodges]

Beautiful Bill, now she has to go to work filling it with all her quilts and such. Nice work, I'm sure she will treasure it forever, it is hard to imagine she is that old now.

[Bill Grumbine]

Thank you all for your comments, kind words, etc. This is not an original design. Last year I solicited ideas from people on the Pond, and had all kinds of suggestions. I showed my daughter all the pictures and she picked this style. I do have to say it is my personal favorite too, although #2 is asking for something a little fancier.

Zack, the dovetails are approximately 1 1/2" wide. I cut them with a Leigh jig and PC router. I just lined them up until the looked good. Nothing is really measured. the cleats on the lid are 3/4" x 3/4", and are attached with screws. the bottom is attached to cleats as well. I thought about dados, but that just made things more complicated, and with the through dovetails, I would have either had to make stopped dados or plug holes. The cleats made it faster and simpler. The cedar is nailed down with brads. I thought about trying to make all the joinery invisible, but then I thought that in use, the thing is going to be full! Who is going to worry about a few tiny brad holes? I also made some quarter round molding 1/4" from some 1/4" square stock to conceal the edges of the cedar, which was given lots of room to move. There is no stain on this - just a bit of suntan. The varnish I used is clear, and is the only finish on this except for a coat of Butcher's Wax.

Thanks again all for your kind words, and for you guys that thought I just turn, well stay tuned for some more flat stuff.:D

Bill