Blanketchest Completed [PICS]

[John Hedges]

I have been meaning to post these for a little while now. I designed and made this for my wife for XMAS to match the bed I made for her last XMAS (each year I make a new piece of the bedroom set till completed). The box is made of hard maple and Mahogany. The top center is a raised veneer panel of birdseye and mahogany with a Mahogany frame. The veneered section was planned to be all birdseye maple but when I resawed the piece of birdeye I bought it had a large defect on it, so I changed the design, cut out the defect and added the mahogany stripe, but I think I would have preferred the solid birdseye (however the wife is pleased so I think I'm OK). I lined the inside with cedar (man that stuff is hard on the blades).

Thanks to John Fry for his help on my veneering questions I had on this, and for his finish schedule which I've used on this piece and the bed. I am generally happy with the execution but if I were to do it again I would change my design to have a different edge profile on the lid.

Excuse the mess in the room, as we are getting ready to redo the rest of the room (paint, curtains etc.) and with a new puppy in the teething stage debris seems to be everywhere.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1402b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1457b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1441B.jpg

[John Hedges]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1456b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1461b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1465b.jpg

[scott spencer]

Beautiful work John. Looks like a big hit with the girls too!

[John Hedges]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/BlanketChest/small/IMG_1403b.jpg

[frank shic]

beautiful job, john!

[gary Zimmel]

John

Beautiful looking blanket chest. Excellent joinery.

Now thats something the girls will be proud of!

[keith ouellette]

I love that chest and I think the mixture of woods was a good idea but those don't look anything like blankets. I hope you aren't charging them rent for the cramped quarters.

[Montgomery Scott]

I like the balance of the mahogany to the maple and the ropey figure in the carcass.

Is that Honduran mahogany or khaya or something else?

[Billy Chambless]

That's exactly what I think furniture should be -- a work of art, yet totally functional. I am truly impressed.

[Chuck Lenz]

Very nice, it goes good with the bed.

[Greg Cole]

John,
Very well done.
I sympathize about the puppy, I have a less than 6 month old puggle that I still drag to work with me every day & he's into EVERY & ANYTHING.
What's the step stool for next to the bed.. for the puppy? LOL
Greg

[julie Graf]

nice job - beautiful bedroom set. I really like that the woods are featured with the simple design and contrast.

what type of cedar did you use? i am making a hamper and am deciding between the solid panels and veneer.

cheers,
julie

[Jim W. White]

AWESOME

I like everything about this project. I would not change a thing! I think the top looks great in two long panels. Excellent work!

Jim in Idaho

[Brent Ring]

Gorgeous - I have some plans to do these coming up and I will keep these pictures in mind.

Brent

[Bill Wyko]

John the bed and the blanket box are excellent. Someday you'll have a problem though. Which kid does it get passed down to. They should be prized possesions for generations to come. You should be very proud, you've done good.:)

[Ralph Okonieski]

Absolutely beautiful! The center mahogony stripe looks great. I understand your "disappointment" but it looks great this way. Very, very nice.

[George Bregar]

Mmmm through dovetails! Great chest.

[Greg Muller]

John,
You, sir, have a nice eye for beautiful wood!!
Can I ask you what the dimensions are and how you did the dovetails? Hand or jig?

I want to make a couple of those myself and am saving for the Akeda BC 24" for that purpose.

Greg

[Mike Cutler]

Very nice chest John. It's gorgeous. It goes really well with the bed.

[Jerry Casler]

great Blanket chest and bed John, my wife walked in when I was looking at that and said I want that, geez like I don't have enough honey do's going on. LOL:):rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

Very nice...both the bed and the chest. And those animated "blankets" in the first picture are quite a special feature.... :D :D Great job!

[Carroll Courtney]

Now that is one nice matching set.Love that headboard and the curly maple and the mah. is a nice contrasting color.The girls looks like their having fun!

[Benjamin Dahl]

John, that is great. thanks for sharing.

[Dave Ray]

Great looking chest John, looks like the girls already claimed it for their own.

[Dave Chrudimsky]

Beautiful work. I was curious, though, what made you decide on the dimensions for the chest. As I was looking at the bed behind the chest, it felt like I wanted to see the blanket chest a bit longer and a little less wide to fit the bed better.

Please, don't take this as criticism. Your work is truly inspirational!

-chrud

[Claudio Olivas]

Excellent craftmanship John.

[Greg Just]

John:

Very nice - did you make the bed too?

[Jerry Olexa]

Good job....Nice detail, choice of material...looks very nice

[Thom Sturgill]

That's definitely one pretty bedroom set you got started. Makes me anxious to see what you do for the side tables & chests. (Bet your wife feels the same :))

[John Hedges]

All,

Thanks for all the kind comments. The piece was a lot of fun to make but pales in comparison to a lot of the pieces I see here.

Bill,

That is exactly what my wife said about making 2 (one for each daughter) but the oldest daughter helps me in the shop (handles the planer outfeed and is getting pretty good with handplanes). So I guess this one will be hers and the next one will be her sisters.

Greg,

I made the bed for last years xmas present.'

Dave,

The dimensions are 45" wide x 22" deep x 21" tall. The wife made the call on the dimensions when I brought some pieces of MDF into the room and modeled some different dimensions and let her make the call.

Greg Muller,

I used a D4 to cut the dovetails (got the VRS which was very nice to keep things clean). I got the jig a few years ago knowing I was going to be eventually building this piece and needing the capacity.

[Mike Bosdet]

Just gorgeous! Wonderful work!

[Ray Turney]

Very Very nice!

[Dave MacArthur]

Fantastic, I really like it!

[Ed Costello]

I want to build that bed!!! Is it your design???

Cheers
Ed

[Brian Rice]

I love using cherry and birdseye together, use it all the time. I usually don't respond when I see projects, but this one deserved it. Beautiful job.

Brian Rice

[John Hedges]

I want to build that bed!!! Is it your design???


Ed, for the most part yes. I figured out what I wanted then found a plan that was close and used it for the dovetail spacing and the shaping of the bottom trim piece