cedar chest difficulty

[Joe Trotter]

We went looking for cedar chests today for our daughters. I was dissapointed at the quality for the price.

I was curious as to the difficulty building a chest. The ones I looked at appeared to be mabe of 3/8 oak plwood and crown moldings.

Does anyone have any advice? It would be my first project. I spent twenty years as a tool maker so I am good with a mill and lathe. I may need to buy a table saw, but I think I can make the dados with my router.

Thanks, Joe

[Mike Cutler]

Twenty years as a tool maker.... I don't think that you will have any trouble making a cedar chest.

It's basically a big wooden crate at it's core. The rest is aesthetics, which can end up costing quite a bit. ;) There is a book titled "Treasured Chests", or very close to that. It has a lot of great ideas for a chest.

How old are your daughters? If they are young, there are a few design elements and bits of safety hardware to keep little kids from getting hurt by Toy Chests.

[John Kain]

What kind of chest are you thinking about?

[Joe Trotter]

Mike,
They are 11, and 14.

John,
I am really wanting to do something simple but nice looking. I would like to have a tray in it that lifts out when the lid is open.

I like the look of dovetails and may buy a jig for that.

Thanks guy's,
Joe

[Mike Null]

I've built a couple of them and am in the process of building another for my 20month old granddaughter. Hard telling how old she'll be when I finish but given my age I'd better hustle.

Anyway, the first one I built had a contoured lid and dovetailed joints. I was quite pleased with it. But it was too much work.

The one I'm building now is of walnut and oak with the walnut forming the lid and panels and the oak the frame. I'm using mortise and tenon joints on the frame.

This is considerably easier to build but I'm debating the finish.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Joe, it sounds like you intend to build using mainly the table saw. If that is the case then you will likely be using uncomplicated corner joints and rabbeting the bottom into the sides. The top can be attached to the top frame overhung or flush. Alignment of the top assembly with the case could be accomplished using 3/8" X 2 1/2" slats glued around the top of the case so they extend 3/4" above the case. A base or plinth could be made for the case to sit into make the chest more appealing. Applied moldings and carvings could be attached to dress it up. I would make it out of 3/4" red aromic cedar and finish it with several coats of Zinsar's Seal Coat shellac. Don't finish the inside. This would make an attractive long lasting chest that would be a great place to store the winter blankets over the summer. What a great smell they will have when removed for winter use.

[Carl Eyman]

You could go to the New Yankee Web site to view it. It was a copy of a Pennsylvania Dower Chest and maybe fancier than you have in mind, but you could simplify it. Leave out the drawer and the decorative painting and it still would be a good chest.

[Cody Colston]

Norm also made a pretty simple blanket chest out of Pine. It incorporates flat panels with stub tenon and groove joinery. The inside bottom is covered in Cedar closet lining from the borg.

This was the first serious woodworking project I attempted. I've since made six or eight of them out of various woods and with some personal embellishments, like bracket feet.

It's a very good beginning project, both beautiful and practical.

[Joe Trotter]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will also take a peek at Norm's site.

Joe

[Rick de Roque]

Joe,
3 years ago my daugther wanted a hope chest. I had a skill saw, $79 miter saw, and a cheap jig saw. Well I made it out of pine that I bought at HD that is already milled up into 2' x 3' panels and made her a hope chest. I lined it with ceder. I had never made anything else before. I enjoyed it so much that when I got done with it, I spent the next 6 months setting up a shop and have been woodworking as a hobby ever since. So you can do it with what you have.

Rick