Blanket Chest Question

[Kevin Swindle]

I am helping my step-son build a blanket chest as a birthday gift for his wife. The chest is a frame and panel design with walnut frame and curly maple panels. The lid will be made of walnut boards, edge glued together. He also wants the lid to have a cushion, which brings me to my question.

I was planning on having the cushion simply lay on the top loose and held on three sides (2 ends and back) with 2" tall rails. I have also considered attaching the cushion permanently with no rails but don't know how I would attach it. I have never worked with a cushion before so any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Kevin

[Philip Berman]

Here's an idea - a piece of wide elastic, stitched to the underside of the cushion, run diagonally across each corner of the cushion. When you put the cushion on the top, just slip each piece of elastic under the corner overhang of the lid. Another option would be a piece of non-skid mat, available from Recreation Vehicle supply places, also sewn to the underside of the cushion. Option 1 would allow the lid to be opened without the cushion moving, don't know about option 2, but it would keep the cushion in place when people were actually sitting on it.

[Waymon Campbell]

If it were me I think I would sew a couple of strips of velcro on the underside of the cushion and apply the corresponding pieces to the lid with dbl stick tape. That should hold the cushion securely thru any sitting or lid opening operation, but allow the cushion to be removed for cleaning, etc...

PS. I would use the short loop velcro since the long loop kind would probably pull the dbl stick tape up if you removed the cushion.

Waymon...

[Todd Burch]

Kevin,

When you make your cushion, make the bottom of the cushion out of plywood. Put your padding and muslin (or whatever you use) on the plywood, then stretch your fabric over the padding and under the plywood and staple alll around. You could then screw the cushion to the top of the chest from under the lid.

Another option for your lid would be to make the lid a frame and panel design also, and have the panel be flat and recessed from the frame. Then, make your cushion the same as described above. The panel would then sit in the recess and look like more of pin-cushion instead of an afterthrought. Also, wood movement for the lid would be less of a concern with a frame and panel design than with a solid wood, edge-glued (or sometimes called "stave") top.

Todd

[Kevin Swindle]

Kevin,

When you make your cushion, make the bottom of the cushion out of plywood. Put your padding and muslin (or whatever you use) on the plywood, then stretch your fabric over the padding and under the plywood and staple alll around. You could then screw the cushion to the top of the chest from under the lid.

Another option for your lid would be to make the lid a frame and panel design also, and have the panel be flat and recessed from the frame. Then, make your cushion the same as described above. The panel would then sit in the recess and look like more of pin-cushion instead of an afterthrought. Also, wood movement for the lid would be less of a concern with a frame and panel design than with a solid wood, edge-glued (or sometimes called "stave") top.

Todd

Todd, I like your idea of making the bottom of the cushion out of plywood and attaching with screws from the underside of the lid. I really didn't want to see screws inside the lid but have reconsidered and don't think it will be that bad. I am also going to eliminate the rails on top.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Kevin