Cherry Blanket Chests Finally Finished....

[Irvin Cooper]

These are my first attempts at major case-work projects. Most of my other projects have been smaller. First attempt at raised panels, etc... Many lessons learned in building these. Chests are cherry, 48" wide, 21" deep. One is for my brother in law's new son, and one is for my neighbor's newborn.

Thank you to everyone who posted comments and answers to my usually ignorant questions....

Irv

http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/a.jpg
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http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/b.jpg
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http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/c.jpg
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http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/d.jpg
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http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/1.jpg

[jonathan snyder]

Wow Irvin,

It looks like you have made a hundred of those! Very nice work

Jonathan

[David Dundas]

Irvin,

Beautiful blanket chests. You are very fortunate to have access to cherry at a reasonable price; over here in Australia it costs at least US$12 a board-foot.

David

[Ron Blaise]

I love the warm color of your cherry, you done very good Irvin :D

[Mack Cameron]

These are my first attempts at major case-work projects. Most of my other projects have been smaller. First attempt at raised panels, etc... Many lessons learned in building these. [quote]Chests are cherry, 48" wide, 21" deep.Hi Irv; nice work. You say 48" wide, I think you mean long. I'm curious regarding the width i.e. front to back. Is that the 21" measurement? Then I'm interested in the inside depth of the carcase top to bottom.

Have I got you confused now?

[Hans Braul]

Very beautiful. Nice work. How did you join the breadboard ends to allow for expansion of the top boards? How did you join the corners? Can't quite see from the pics.

I can see that there is a blanket chest in my future, so I'm just gathering ideas.

Thanks for posting.

Hans

[Tim Malyszko]

Very nice work. I hope the one I'm building turns out as nice as yours.

Heck of a job for a first crack at major case work.

[Don Bullock]

I would definately say that it liiks like your first attempts were succesful. Congratulations!

[Brad Trent]

I love the lines. The larger panel in the center really interests me. The finish looks very nice, also. Conrgratulations on these beautiful chests.

[Michael Panis]

Beautiful chests. You coaxed a nice warmth out of the cherry. What did you use for finish?

---Mike

[Mike Monroe]

And plans? What plans did you use?

I'm on the hook to produce a hope chest as wedding gift whenever a nephew or niece gets married... and a bunch of them are of marrying age.

BTW - Nice job on the chests.

Thanks.
-Mike

[Jim Becker]

Outstanding, Irvin!

[David Cramer]

Nice job Irvin. I love Cherry and that project really shows why. What a cool looking wood and such a great way to show off Cherry! You can't be a novice, because I am and I could not produce that, YET anyways. Congrads!

Dave

[Mike Cutler]

Very nice Irvin. They have a nice warm tone to them.

I'm with Hans on wanting to see the breadboard end detail, if possible.

[Roy Wall]

Irvin,

Those are beautiful!! Excellent - thanks for showing!!

[Howie French]

Very nice Irvin, I like the wider center panel as well. The finish looks nice,
can you tell us how you finished it.

Howie

[Pete Brown]

One is for my brother in law's new son, and one is for my neighbor's newborn.


Those are beautiful. You wouldn't know it was your first try! Is that a BLO and shellac finish or something else?

I don't want to take the shine off this at all, but I do have some concerns. There's another thread where I beat to death the issues with toyboxes, but I wanted to let you know that if you are giving one to children, there are serious safety issues you have to consider. I know these are blanket chests, but any box in a kid's room share the same issues.

You will need to make sure the top can stay open at any position without any assistance (the hand holding it up makes me think that is not the case), that there is space for both adequate venitlation and little fingers (I don't see that in your photo), and that the top is light enough to be pushed open from the inside by a child.

The ventilation can either be a 1/2" to 3/4" gap under some or all of the lid, or holes drilled in the sides (not back, as that is usually pushed up against a bed or similar). The gap also helps with finger issues.

Most toybox deaths are caused by the top falling down and strangling the child between the lid and the side (with their head poked into the box). A lesser number of deaths are caused by children crawling inside the box and suffocating due to inadequate airflow. Most other non-fatal injuries are things like broken fingers and concussions. Statistics are statistics, but if it's your kid...

Yes, I know many of us survived with only bumps on our heads from boxes that didn't stay open, but many people survived without carseats, airbags, crumple zones and seatbelts as well. Please make your BIL and your neighbor aware of these things before they put it in the child's room.

Google for statistics and safety considerations if you would like more detail.

Pete

[Doug Shepard]

Those came out great. Nice finish job too.

[David Rose]

Irvin,

Is the back a solid glue up? I can't tell for sure. If so, I hate to ask... did you allow for a lot of expansion across the back? With central heat and cooling in our house, I can get an extreme of almost a 1/4" per foot across the grain with cherry. That could mean a full inch of expansion of the back end to end. I haven't actually measured the change, but that is what the calculator shows. If it did measure that much in your case, that would rip those hinges right out... among other things.

David

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Well done!
-Jeff :)

[Irvin Cooper]

sorry for the delays in getting back to questions. job keeps getting in the way!

As per the comment on the lid-stay and the lid actually staying open, I had to replace the original lid supports I had on the chests with some more robust models to support th weight of the lids. They now stay open.

Measurements are as follow:
http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/meas.jpg
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Regarding the breadboard ends, the ends are m/t joints. The mortise is larger longer than the width of the tenons to allow for expansion and contraction. There are three cherry plugs that go thru the bb end into the tenon from the bottom side. The holes that the plugs go through in the tenons are elongated to allow for seasonal movement. The design for this type of bb end joint is one i saw norm do on a couple of projects back in the 80's. I pic of the bottom side of the lid showing the plugs is attached. The construction of the lid ends follows the lid pic.

http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/bbends.jpg
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http://www.astate.edu/executive/cio/7004.jpg
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I have about 50 or so hours in the two chests. Like everyone else, work and kids seem to consume most of my waking hours and I am generally fortunate to get more than 2 hours or so a week in the shop.

Thanks again for the comments and questions, and for all of the help to my seemingly ignorant ones of both.....

Irv

[Corey Hallagan]

Beautiful work! Those a really nice chests!

corey

[Jerry Olexa]

[quote=Irvin Cooper]As per the comment on the lid-stay and the lid actually staying open, I had to replace the original lid supports I had on the chests with some more robust models to support th weight of the lids. They now stay open.

Irvin: Really EXCELLENT work. I love cherry also...Your comment about replacing the lid support strikes me. I'm completing now a walnut toy chest (Top is 24"X50"X3/4" solid walnut) and I'm finding the standard safety lid supports are not doing the job. There is no damping or softening effect. I'm wondering if the lid is too heavy for the lifts.See thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=519336&posted=1#post519336. What supports did you end up using? Are you happy with results? Thanks..You did a really fine job on that chest...

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Beautiful Work Irvin,

I love the cherry and the design....beauty eh!

[Irvin Cooper]

Jerry,

I had the standard lid supports from lee valley (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=40648&cat=3,41427,41390), which were insufficient. I am embarassed to admit it, but I replaced them in an act of desperation with lid supports I obtained from Lowes.

Irv

[Jerry Olexa]

Jerry,

I had the standard lid supports from lee valley (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=40648&cat=3,41427,41390), which were insufficient. I am embarassed to admit it, but I replaced them in an act of desperation with lid supports I obtained from Lowes.

Irv

Irvin: Thanks. What type lift did you get at Lowes? Was it a pnuematic, gas or soft closer or other? I'll buy whatever it takes to solve the weight issue. Don't be embarrassed: I bought the first ones (like yours) @ Menards. Thanks in advance

[Karle Woodward]

Nice job! Man I love cherry wood!