Hi everyone.
I know my pics are terrible but here is a picture of a blanket chest made from the knotty pine paneling. The case is just but joined and the screw holes bunged, as I do not have a dovetail jig capable of thru dovetails on a glueup this wide. The top has a breadboard edge pegged w/ glue in the center 6 inches of the edge. To date, Golden Pecan stain has been applied. I plan on an oil varnish finish with wax.
This is the first piece that I have made out of the pine which several of you were kind enough to advise me on, and the largest piece I have made to date. I really just wanted to see how this old wood worked.
I have heard several shaker chests had trays in them or tills. Could someone describe to me the arrangement or layout I have not been able to find an illustration. Were they just open divided trays? Did they run the full width of the chest?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Webby
Edited 6/7/2008 8:02 pm ET by webby
Replies
Sorry I also meant to throw in a pic of the breadboard edge. This is before I stained the freshcut and routed edge and pegs to match.
Webby
It appears that you doweled your breadboard end continuously across the width of the lid. Did you provide space for expansion in the area of the outer dowels?Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Thanks for the input. I am pretty happy with it, as the first large piece I have really made. I owe the look to the aged pine. I just rubbed on a similar colored wood stain to freshen the color up.
I was aware of the type of till that is incorporated into the sides of the box. However I had in mind one as a seperate tray which would ride on rails.
I did elongate the dowel holes on the tennon for the breadboard edge.
I was also thinking about some arrabgement to keep the lid from falling back to far.
I thought about using some shaker chair tape copper rivets and making some attachment points out of wood. I used antique brass hinges and would like to keep from ading anything to modern or shiny. My goal was just to build a relatively authentic copy of a simple functional chest in a shaker/rural /utilitarian inspired design.
What methods have some of you employed for a lid restraint that you might share?
Webby
P.s. It is probably my machine but my font size keeps going to an infinetisimal size. have any of you experienced this?
Edited 6/8/2008 12:38 pm ET by webby
Very nice Webby! I haven't had the opportunity to make breadboard ends yet but when I do yours will serve as inspiration.
Brian
Thannks for the compliment and input. Mine aren't perfect and my pictures aren't very clear.
One thing to watch out for if you use the pegs like I did- I ran my pegs all the way thru and then used a flush cut saw to trim them. As I drove them thru from the top, I had some chip out on the bottom. Oh well, it is my first one. I have been thinking about a way to avoid that. When I drilled the thru holes, I did use a backer board. Maybe I should leave it in place when I insert the dowels.
This is some aged pine, darkened by I think a light stain and just exposure to sunlight and air. It used to be pine paneling. So I cant really sand it aggresssively or I will lose the patina. So it is kind of challenging to work with.
Webby
Edited 6/8/2008 10:00 pm ET by webby
Webby,
Your blanket chest looks nice. Good work. A till is usually a box located at one end inside the chest. It can have a lid, which when open will hold up the lid for the chest. The till usually has a side and bottom which cooperate with the end and two sides of the chest to form a box.
One blanket chest that I built has a separate box that slides on rails inside the chest. I like that arrangement, but it is not the typical design.
Some advice on dovetails: Try cutting them by hand. The pine is soft and somewhat easier than hardwoods. Practice on small pieces. Learn how to repair your mistakes. You will find the experience very satisfying.
Good luck, Tom.
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