Kirk (KC) Constable
04-10-2004, 9:04 PM
This is a smallish mesquite hope chest I finished this afternoon. I decided to do this last Saturday afternoon, and made the drawing Sunday morning...so from drawing to pictures was a week. Dimensions of the lid are 16-1/4 x 30-1/2, height is just shy of 19". Panels are 1/4 resawn. As with the desk I recently posted, the rails and stiles are 'stepped'...stiles just proud of the panels, rails just proud of the stiles and also inset from the corner of the legs. I've decided I like this little detail. :)
You can't see it in the picture, but the lid is a panel with a 3 piece mitered frame around it (front/sides). I cut a matching chamfer on the panel and the inside edges of the frame to get a 'vee' at the joint. This looks cool if executed perfectly, but it's awfully hard to hide any boo-boos if you tank it. I don't suspect I need to go into any more detail about that. :(
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest1.jpg
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest2.jpg
Inside floor is western red cedar, sides are 1/4" or so aromatic cedar (closet lining) with 7/16" western red behind. I put the western in because I didn't trust the 1/4" stuff to hold the screws for the lid supports (Woodcraft).
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest3.jpg
I used WATCO natural on the outside of the box and the lid, and left the inside mesquite parts naked. Then I sparyed a 'spit coat' of lacquer (Sherwin Williams dull rubbed effect pre-cat) on the inside and finished the outside normally. The cedar was applied afterward and is all unfinished.
This was my first chest of this type in many years, my first experience with knife (piano) hinges, and my first use of lid supports. Obviously, I got the size wrong, but I think the proportions are about right. This box is too small to be a 'blanket' chest, tho it would work nicely for sheets and such. Doing it again, I'd go with three panels in front instead of four. Also, the thickness of the cedar(s) lining affects the operation of the lid supports...so the opening in the picture is all I can get. I might could look into different support thingies, but I'll probably just leave it alone on this. The skinny width of the top rail also precludes use of a lock for the lid...I'm still not sure what to do to keep the lid closed...maybe a hasp of some sort. Anyway, thanks for browsing...and as usual, all commentary welcome. :)
KC
You can't see it in the picture, but the lid is a panel with a 3 piece mitered frame around it (front/sides). I cut a matching chamfer on the panel and the inside edges of the frame to get a 'vee' at the joint. This looks cool if executed perfectly, but it's awfully hard to hide any boo-boos if you tank it. I don't suspect I need to go into any more detail about that. :(
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest1.jpg
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest2.jpg
Inside floor is western red cedar, sides are 1/4" or so aromatic cedar (closet lining) with 7/16" western red behind. I put the western in because I didn't trust the 1/4" stuff to hold the screws for the lid supports (Woodcraft).
http://www.kcwoodworks.net/chest3.jpg
I used WATCO natural on the outside of the box and the lid, and left the inside mesquite parts naked. Then I sparyed a 'spit coat' of lacquer (Sherwin Williams dull rubbed effect pre-cat) on the inside and finished the outside normally. The cedar was applied afterward and is all unfinished.
This was my first chest of this type in many years, my first experience with knife (piano) hinges, and my first use of lid supports. Obviously, I got the size wrong, but I think the proportions are about right. This box is too small to be a 'blanket' chest, tho it would work nicely for sheets and such. Doing it again, I'd go with three panels in front instead of four. Also, the thickness of the cedar(s) lining affects the operation of the lid supports...so the opening in the picture is all I can get. I might could look into different support thingies, but I'll probably just leave it alone on this. The skinny width of the top rail also precludes use of a lock for the lid...I'm still not sure what to do to keep the lid closed...maybe a hasp of some sort. Anyway, thanks for browsing...and as usual, all commentary welcome. :)
KC