Hope Chest for LOML (Pics)

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Everyone,

Sorry for all of the project completion posts lately, I was VERY busy before xmas so I didn't get a chance to get pictures of everything. At John M's insistance I got pictures of about half of what I made....

Well up until the hope chest, everything that has come out of my shop has been for me, or for others. Well as you know, it makes it hard to justify tools with LOML. I helped one of my friends build a very simple blanket chest last year and LOML was green with envy!! Well ever since then I knew that I was going to build her one, I just didn't know how to keep her from knowing about it. Finally it hit me, I told her that I was going to build one for my Mother. My LOML and I got married this year and my mom was a great help, so it wasn't too much of a stretch that I would build this for my mom.

Anyway, with the justification out of the way, I started on the project. The hope chest is made from almost all solid cherry. It is lined with Aaromatic Red Cedar. The bottom is made from 3/4 inch oak ply that I had sitting around. Since the bottom was lined with cedar and not visible from the outside, I figured why waste good cherry on it.

This project was my first time making raised panels. I am proud of how they turned out. This was also my first time using frame and panel construction. I LOVE the looks of it. The dresser I will be starting shortly will have frame and panel sides!

I really love this project, but the best part of it was her face when she recieved it. Kelly and I went up to her parents on xmas eve to celebrate with them. Well earlier in the week I snuck the chest up to their house. After supper the girls went to do dishes and her dad and I moved it out into the living room, where we were opening presents. She came out to open presents and saw it sitting there. She said ohh!! I was so jealous of your mom I really wanted that! ;)

On to the pics:
http://www.woodworkersweb.com/modules/gallery/albums/albut49/100_7237.sized.jpg
http://www.woodworkersweb.com/modules/gallery/albums/albut49/100_7236.sized.jpg
http://www.woodworkersweb.com/modules/gallery/albums/albut49/100_7238.sized.jpg

[Jim Dunn]

Jeff,

That's one real nice chest there! But I've got a ? I have to guess that your already married, RIGHT? What is she "hoping" for? Maybe you better not ask, there could be trouble brewing:)

Seriously, that really is one nice chest and I do like the frame and panel construction.

[Michael Stafford]

Very well done, Jeff, a nice looking chest. Is the cedar attached to the cherry in some way or is it "floating"? Like the idea of a hope chest for your Mom. You can never do much for Mom!

[Mike Tempel]

Beautiful work. I have always been shy of cherry because I have always been told of the burning problems one must endure while working with it. Seems like you had no such problems. Any secrets you would like to share? You did a great job on it. Same question on the cedar - floating or attached??

[Ted Shrader]

Jeff -

Beautiful chest and a great story to go along with it.

Well done!

Ted

[Dave Avery]

Jeff,

Nice work, and an even better story. Keep up the good work. Dave.

[Jim Becker]

Jeff, I really like that! Nice job...and don't fret about posting lots of project pictures. That's a GOOD thing!! :D

[John Miliunas]

Yo Jeff, that turned out SUPER!!! :D Well done there, neighbor! One thing I didn't catch in your description(s) is finish. Oil, poly, wax??? Regardless, it really does look GREAT! Very well done!:) :cool:

[Jerry Olexa]

Jeff V nice job! Looks good. Love those raised panels. I'm curious also how you attached the cedar behind the cherry panels, Great way you surprised her!

[Karl Laustrup]

Excellent job Jeff. That is one pretty piece. It seems like that would deserve a new tool? :D

[Bob Marino]

Well done and a very nice story!

Bob

[larry merlau]

nice chest jeff, looks like the DC worked very well for you, and i think you must have picked up some skills from the john guy as well. nicely done cedar, have some of that left over in the shop and its to short to use as the bottome but would work just fine vertical like you did, so let us in on the finish and methode of attaching it to the panels. once again great job jeff.

[Pete Harbin]

Beautiful job Jeff, and you can never go wrong doing something nice for your bride.

[Bill Arnold]

Jeff,

Great looking hope chest! The raised panels add some nice detail. Nice story to go along with the chest as well.

Regards,

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Jeff,

That's one real nice chest there! But I've got a ? I have to guess that your already married, RIGHT? What is she "hoping" for? Maybe you better not ask, there could be trouble brewing:)

Seriously, that really is one nice chest and I do like the frame and panel construction.
Jim, I just think that "hope" sounds better... as you can see it is truely a blanket chest.


Very well done, Jeff, a nice looking chest. Is the cedar attached to the cherry in some way or is it "floating"? Like the idea of a hope chest for your Mom. You can never do much for Mom!
Michael, if you look closely you can see that the top of the chest has 3/4 inch "trim" around the top of the cedar. The back of this trim has a rabbet in it to hold the top of the cedar tight to the chest. The bottom of the vertical cedar and the cedar in the bottom of the chest was held down with tiny brads. The brads in the bottom lining are hidden by the vertical peices. The only place you can see the brads is along the bottom edge of the vertical peices. However, in order to see them, you have to really stick your head inside. Also, all of the cedar is glued on the rails and styles only, so now it is the glue holding the cedar. If you wanted to go with no fasteners, you could rig up spreader clamps for the bottom of the vertical peices, but I decided not to.


Beautiful work. I have always been shy of cherry because I have always been told of the burning problems one must endure while working with it. Seems like you had no such problems. Any secrets you would like to share? You did a great job on it. Same question on the cedar - floating or attached??
Mike, Yep, cedar does burn FOR SURE. I am sure that there are some out there that can work it with out buring it, but I am not one of them. The key is sand paper. The raised panels did not burn at all. However, even with very small passes, the round overs on the lid and around the "feet" of the chest did burn and required careful sanding. The worst burning occured during routing, with practice I was able to set the speed on my router, along with my feed rate to only have buring where I was doing "climb" cuts. That said, the effort to sand out the burn marks you do receive is worth it.


Yo Jeff, that turned out SUPER!!! :D Well done there, neighbor! One thing I didn't catch in your description(s) is finish. Oil, poly, wax??? Regardless, it really does look GREAT! Very well done!:) :cool:
John, Thanks as always! The finish is 15% mineral spirts, 85% gloss poly for 3 coats, followed by the same mix of satin poly for the final coat. LOML does not like the gloss look! :) In between each coat I sanded with 400, with a final sanding at 1000.


Excellent job Jeff. That is one pretty piece. It seems like that would deserve a new tool? :D
Karl, yep it did! I got a new dc: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15248
and a new SCMS:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15247


nice chest jeff, looks like the DC worked very well for you, and i think you must have picked up some skills from the john guy as well. nicely done cedar, have some of that left over in the shop and its to short to use as the bottome but would work just fine vertical like you did, so let us in on the finish and methode of attaching it to the panels. once again great job jeff.
Larry,

Thanks for the compliments! This is the third hope chest that I have made, the rest were very simple designs. Anyway, I feel that the main place that you need cedar lining is on the sides. On the bottom it just gets covered up anyway by what ever you put down there. From everything that I have read, to get the most effect you have to line the sides. The bottom and top would be for looks. I didn't like the looks of having the top lined, so I did not do it. So long story short, if you do build one, don't be afraid to just line the sides.

TO EVERYONE else:
Thank you very much for the compliments. They mean a lot to me! If you have further questions, please feel free to post them.

Sincerely,

Jeff Sudmeier

[Jim Dunn]

Jeff,
I was just funnin ya. See my responce in the "how much time in the shop thread". I'm envious of all of ya working in the shop when I can't even stand up in comfort right now.

Jim

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Jeff,
I was just funnin ya. See my responce in the "how much time in the shop thread". I'm envious of all of ya working in the shop when I can't even stand up in comfort right now.

Jim Me too... I enjoyed the laugh :) Good luck in getting back into it!