Wedding Blanket Chest

[Mike Foster]

I have been a lurker here for quite a while but decided to post a couple of projects that I recently finished, just to show them off. This is a blanket chest that I made for my daughter who is getting married on Sat. (9/10/11). She put in an order for a piece of furniture from me as a gift. I don't do a lot of furniture, just now and then for family. I am really a turn-a holic and proud of it. She finally decided on a blanket chest, and her fiance wanted darker wood. Otherwise I had free reign. I visited a local importer of wood who has warehouses full of truly amazing wood. They had a number of stacks of English brown oak with whole logs cut in sequential stacks of 5/4 lumber. I bit the bullet and bought a 6' sliced log. It wasn't cheap, but I had in mind book-matching the 17" panels, and this just fit the bill. My daughter has a number of friends in the UK who have recently gotten married, and has been over for them. So it was another good reason for the choice. The maple came from our woods in Vermont. I had a couple of sugar maple trees go down a couple years ago and had them cut into 5/4 stock and they have been air drying since. I thought the two woods would look nice together, and both have some special meaning for her.

English Brown Oak, Sugar Maple, Baltic birch ply, Aromatic cedar lining
Shellac finish on interior, Tung oil/varnish/spirits blend for exterior

[Shawn Pixley]

Nice wood and nice work! You should be proud. Congratulations to your daughter. Do the through tenons go through the side rail tenons?

[Kevin Adams]

Great work, Mike, and with plenty of time to spare...I am usually up to the wee hours of the morning the day of a big event trying to get the piece finished!

I like the subtle curves in the top stiles and how you brought the curves down as reflected in the sapwood of the English brown oak panels. Just gorgeous wood...good call on that one, too.

Take care,
Kevin

[Mike Foster]

Thanks guys. I am actually not quite done. i still need to sign it and wax it, but it's close.

[gary Zimmel]

Real nice work on the blanket chest Mike. Looks like you had some real pretty wood to work with.