A treasure chest for our 8-year old granddaughter

[Al Navas]

From my blog:

Just about a year ago, while our 7-year old granddaughter Sierra and I were spending some time in the shop, she asked me if I could make her a "...treasure chest, with a domed lid - you know, like a little curved top?"

I finally made it! Sierra will soon be 8 years old, and this will make a special gift for her, on her special day. It is a little whimsical chest, not associated with any period furniture, but it does have the domed lid!

Sandy and I spent some time in the shop this past weekend, which gave me the push I needed to get started on Sierra's chest. Sandy had not been in the shop for ages, as a result of her knee replacement surgery, and our daughter's move to her new home - Nana helped with the move for months and months...

I finished the chest yesterday, minus the little sliding shelf. As a result, I spent some time today completing the job.

Here is Sierra's treasure chest - it is 14 inches wide, 9 inches from the bottom edge to the edge of the domed top, and 10 inches deep. The wood is pine. It took less than one 10-foot long, 12-inch wide board to make the chest:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/treasure-chest-front-closed.png


http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/treasure-chest-front.png


http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/treasure-chest-side.png


http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/treasure-chest-back.png


It is amazing that something like this will make a lovely 8-year old girl very, very happy. I can't wait to give Sierra her chest, and watch her smile beautifully!

Thanks for reading!


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[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Al! And a wonderful gift, too.

[mark page]

Bet she beams brighter than sunshine Al.

[Don Carter]

What a lucky little girl, and what a great memory for a granddad. Love the chest!
All the best.

Don

[Gary Breckenridge]

:)I'm sure she will enjoy the treasure chest.:)

[Dewey Torres]

Not sure of you knew...

That is called coopering. In the old days a cooper... employed by a cooperage would build barrels to hold wine, whiskey, rum ... etc. The methods they used were the same as you employed in your curved top. Wineries today still depend on cooperages and will still select certain ones based on skill set and previous products. :)

[Al Navas]

Very nice, Al! And a wonderful gift, too.
Thanks, Jim! We can't wait to give it to her. Our hardest decision at this point: Deciding whether to wrap it, and if so, what to use... :cool:





Bet she beams brighter than sunshine Al.
She, and her five sisters, are our brightest, Mark. :) Every Nana and Papa should be as lucky as we are.





What a lucky little girl, and what a great memory for a granddad. Love the chest!
All the best.

Don
Thanks, Don! Memories made in the shop, both with our granddaughters, and making little things for them. Sandy and I spent some time with Emily, Sierra's 4-year old sister yesterday afternoon. Emily saw the chest, said "Wow, Papa, Neat! Now, I want to use the saw and the hammer." And we did, for about three hours. :D Got a real kick, holding her little hands in mine as we used Papa's big hand saw.






:)I'm sure she will enjoy the treasure chest.:)
Thanks, Gary. I am sure many other little girls wish for their own treasure chest - every one should have their own...






Not sure if you knew...

That is called coopering. In the old days a cooper... employed by a cooperage would build barrels to hold wine, whiskey, rum ... etc. The methods they used were the same as you employed in your curved top. Wineries today still depend on cooperages and will still select certain ones based on skill set and previous products. :)

Thanks, Dewey!

Do you have some contacts in the industry? With the current woes in the economy, I might need some referrals... :D:cool:


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[Mike McCann]

Al

great little chest and a great gift. Once your other grandkids see this you are going to have to make more.

[Al Navas]

Thanks, Mike!

You are right - the other girls (we have six granddaughters, one daughter) will fall in love with this one. As Neil Lamens said elsewhere, pine is a wood that won't break the bank. :D


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[Douglas Brummett]

Hey, where are the dovetails? :D :D :D

Nice project. I am sure she will enjoy keeping her treasures in it for years.

[John Thompson]

I'm sure Sierra will "treasure" the chest for a life-time.

Sarge..

[Chris Holder]

Hi Al,

That looks like a great project. I think I may try to make one of these for a friend of mine's child. I have a couple of questions for you as to dimensions and construction.
1. How did you determine the angles for the coopered staves?
2. How did you cut the sides below the coopering to the correct radius?
3. How did you glue up the staves for the top?

Thanks!
Chris Holder

[Lee Schierer]

Thanks, Jim! We can't wait to give it to her. Our hardest decision at this point: Deciding whether to wrap it, and if so, what to use... :cool:



You can get "gold coins" this time of the year that are filled with Chocolate. A bag full of them in teh chest would make it a real treasure chest!
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/candydepot_2028_24113898

[Al Navas]

Hey, where are the dovetails? :D :D :D

Nice project. I am sure she will enjoy keeping her treasures in it for years.
Thanks Douglas. No dovetails on this one... :eek:





I'm sure Sierra will "treasure" the chest for a life-time.

Sarge..
She is pretty special, John - and I hope she will like it very much!





Hi Al,

That looks like a great project. I think I may try to make one of these for a friend of mine's child. I have a couple of questions for you as to dimensions and construction.
1. How did you determine the angles for the coopered staves?
2. How did you cut the sides below the coopering to the correct radius?
3. How did you glue up the staves for the top?

Thanks!
Chris Holder
Chris,
1. I used a protractor with one edge on the sidewall, and the other edge on the tangent of the rounded top.

2. I used the band saw for the cut close to the line, and finished with a belt sander to the marked line.

3. The staves were placed one at a time with a drop of glue, and then nailed with an 18-gauge brad in place. This was the best size to make them appear as regular nails on this size chest.






You can get "gold coins" this time of the year that are filled with Chocolate. A bag full of them in teh chest would make it a real treasure chest!
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/candydepot_2028_24113898
Thanks, Lee. A great suggestion! But Sandy tells me that the regular "coins" come from China, and might be tainted with melamine. We must source some from either Europe, or the USA.


My thanks to all!


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[Lee Schierer]

Thanks, Lee. A great suggestion! But Sandy tells me that the regular "coins" come from China, and might be tainted with melamine. We must source some from either Europe, or the USA.


My thanks to all!


.
Do a google search for chocolate coins there are numerous sources for coins made in places other than China. I found some from Nestles , some Kosher ones and some made from Belgium chocolate.

[Al Navas]

Duh!

Thanks again, Lee! Sometimes I find it hard to see past my nose... :D I appreciate you telling me, as those coins will be perfect!!!


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[mark harmon]

it should have a safety latch so it can be opened from the inside.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark,

I have a difficult time seeing how an 8 year old child could get into a box which has external measurements of 14" by 10" by 9"......

[John Thompson]

I'll second Ken, Mark. 14" x 10" x 9". How could any child other than a new-born fit? And a new-born is not likely to know how to operate an inside latch.

Sarge..