Toy Chest Progress Pics...

[Jim Hinze]

I haven't posted much, but I've been working on a solid oak toy chest for my boss's new daughter. Thought I'd post some progress pics and get some opinions... needs sanding and is about 80% complete or so...

http://www.cryptgym.com/wood/44889700357.jpg

http://www.cryptgym.com/wood/44889700485.jpg

http://www.cryptgym.com/wood/44889700613.jpg

[Lynn Sonier]

Looks good, Jim. Don't envy you all the sanding. Usually when I get to the sanding part, the fun parts (the cutting and fitting) are over. Thanks for posting the pix.

[Tony Falotico]

Keep going and keep them pictures coming.

[Shelley Bolster]

Jim, you might have built that to be used as a Toy Box, but when older, I'm sure it will be her "hope chest" that she will have forever! Great work! One question, what type of hinges do you plan to use for the top?

[Alan Turner]

Jim,
Nice looking piece, but wonder if there might be a downstream issue on this fellow. If your sides are solid wood, then it might be that the outside stiles, which are probably glued on, present a cross ghrain situation. Just a thought, and they meay be paly, which would work fine. I don't envy your sanding.
Alan

[Jim Hinze]

Jim, you might have built that to be used as a Toy Box, but when older, I'm sure it will be her "hope chest" that she will have forever! Great work! One question, what type of hinges do you plan to use for the top?

I've been thinking about using a piano hinge for the top with lid supports but am not 100% sure yet... if I can find some nice antique brass hinges strong enough, I might use something like that.

It was intended to be a toy chest while young but then become an airloom/hope chest later in life.

Thanks for the nice comments.

[Jim Hinze]

Jim,
Nice looking piece, but wonder if there might be a downstream issue on this fellow. If your sides are solid wood, then it might be that the outside stiles, which are probably glued on, present a cross ghrain situation. Just a thought, and they meay be paly, which would work fine. I don't envy your sanding.
Alan

Alan,

Thanks.

There may well be. I'm still kinda new to this and am still trying to learn wood movement. The sides are solid oak and the stiles are cross grain. The frame is glued on using biscuits.

My hope is since the stiles are quite narrow and the wood very dry, there will be minimal movement. Also, the solid panel sides were glued up from 2" wide strips, also in hopes of reducing movment.The panels have lots of room for expansion inside the frames.

How much movement/trouble do you think I'm in?

[Alan Turner]

If this is tangential grain (plain sawn) red oak, and if the stile is 15" tall, all of which are assumptions, and if your winter to summer moisture change is 6% to 12%, which is proabably heavy, then you can expect the 15" of the side panel which is glued to the stile to move about 5/16", which may cause problems later on.
Here is the site for the shrinkulator, which is just a spread sheet progarm with the different woods, and the shrinkage formula, plugged in. I haven't done a computation by hand since learning of this site a number of years ago.

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/shrinkulator.htm

Wood movement is always something to think about at the design stage, and in many ways it controls much of the way that furniture is designed.

Alan

[Jim Hinze]

If this is tangential grain (plain sawn) red oak, and if the stile is 15" tall, all of which are assumptions, and if your winter to summer moisture change is 6% to 12%

Alan, THANKS FOR THE SITE!

It's plain sawn white oak, MC is ~7% now. The side panel is 13"... Using some assumptions, I came up with a little less than 3/16" for unfinished wood.

On the upside, I have warned my boss that because I'm a realtive newbe, I may have messed up w/the movement aspect. I'll have to keep an eye on it....

In the future, what could I have done differently? Also, is there a book that covers design related to movement?

[Alan Turner]

Jim
I am not sure about a design book. The only book, modern, that I know is by Seth Stem, and is out of print, but you might be able to find it on Amazon as a used book. That is where I got mine.

As to solving this design problem, at this stage, on your piece, it would require major reconstruction. One possilibilty is to change out the side panels for frame and panel construction method.
Note that in a traditional blanket chest the planks all go around the sides, with all having horizontal grain. And on a traditional slab sided chest, the sides are vertical grain, which is the same grain direction as the top and bottom.
In your case, had you used vertical grain in the sides, there would be no problem.
Note that you will not be able to restrain the seasonal wood movement, either with a strong glue, or a thick finish. The movement of wood through moisture exchange is incredibly tenacious. My Dad, after he retired, moved to Arizona, and make a few things for me. There is no wood movement to speak of in the Ariz. desert. But, in Pa., many split apart.
Alan

[Michael Stafford]

Jim,

Project looks good. I figure when the woodworking is done the project is half done as sanding and finishing are 50% of the work.

They make closers to support toy chest lids so little ones don't get their fingers pinched. Don't want to pinch the boss's daughter's fingers now do we :eek: ;) :D

[Kurt Aebi]

Jim,

Looks great, like Big Mike said, they make special lid supports that will hold it up and make closing it a soft operation. I think you can find them in Rockler, although, you may be able to find them at an ACE or other hardware store in your area. It is real easy to check Rockler's web site before you go looking locally as it gives you a picture to go by.

I think your Boss' daughter will have somethng to treasure for a long time. I made a toy box for my niece (no-where as nice as your's) when she was a tyke and 2 years ago, she wanted me to line it with cedar and turn it into a blanket chest for her, so maybe someday your's too will take on a second life!


Nice Job - Keep us posted! You're doing Just Fine, acually Much Much more than Fine!