# Cherry Blanket Chest



## CodyC (Jun 29, 2012)

This is going to a young lady who is a friend of ours. She's expecting her first child in September. We're gonna fill it with disposable diapers and LOML is gonna make a pad for the top so that it can double as a changing bed.

The wood is East Texas Cherry (not very common around here) that was given to me by the young lady's dad. He has a Woodmizer LT-40 and when the tree began showing signs of dying last summer, he cut it down and milled it up. He gave me a few planks and I had just enough to do the chest by patching some defects with epoxy. I didn't have enough to include any molding so I omitted it as I wanted all the exterior wood to be from their tree. The inside bottom is Eastern Red Cedar over 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood.

The carcase is 20 in. deep, 40 1/2 in. long and 18 1/2 in. tall, not including the feet. The lid overhangs by 1 in. on the front and ends. The back edge is flush. The chest hinges are from Rockler and it's the first time I've used them. I think I'll use them again, though. I like them even better than the torsion hinges.

Finish is 5 coats of Target Coatings' EM-6000 Satin, Water-Based lacquer on the outside. The final two coats, I scuff sanded to 600 grit to remove any nibs. The inside is Zinsser shellac except for the Cedar bottom which is unfinished.

Thanks for looking.

[attachment=7282] [attachment=7283] [attachment=7284]


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## EricJS (Jun 29, 2012)

Wow! That's an absolutely beautiful chest. It's a wonderful gift, too. She'll get a lifetime of joy from it. So will the baby!


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## kfuknives (Jun 30, 2012)

Beautiful work!


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## Brink (Jun 30, 2012)

Cody, well done! No mouldings, but that fantastic grain doesn't need it. I'm sure she'll be overwhelmed.


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## Mizer (Jun 30, 2012)

Very nice! That is defiantly going to be a heirloom to the young lady! 

Two questions, why did you you use a different finish on the inside from the outside, and how did you make the feet?


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## CodyC (Jun 30, 2012)

Mizer said:


> Very nice! That is defiantly going to be a heirloom to the young lady!
> 
> Two questions, why did you you use a different finish on the inside from the outside, and how did you make the feet?



Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. I certainly appreciate them.

Mizer, I used shellac on the inside because it doesn't off-gas like lacquer does. The WB lacquer I used is low odor but solvent-based lacquer inside drawers or chests will smell for ages. I didn't want that to happen since the chest will likely hold baby stuff.

I've made those ogee, bracket feet several ways but here's how I did it this time:

1. Cut 8 blanks 1 1/2" thick x 4" high x 7" long.
2. Miter one end on each blank at 45 degrees.
3. Glue the cut-offs from the miters onto the blanks about 1" back from the outside of the miter. I use thick CA glue for this.
4. Glue the blanks up into 4 feet assemblies. Put the clamps on the cut-offs that were glued on. This allows you to clamp the miters tight. (note: some people like to use a spline in the miters but I haven't found it necessary)
5. Make a 1 1/2" wide x 4" tall template out of 1/4" MDF and draw the ogee shape on it. Saw out the shape at the bandsaw and fair the curves at the spindle sander or with a dowel wrapped with sandpaper.
6. After the glue on the miters cures, remove the clamps and knock the cut-offs off with a hammer. It usually only takes one sharp rap. 
7. Trace the ogee shape onto the square ends of the feet assemblies and saw the ogee at the bandsaw.
8. Draw the scrolled shape of the feet "wings" onto an MDF template sied to fit on the inside of the feet blanks. Trace the pattern on the inside of the feet and saw it out at the bandsaw.
9. Use a block plane to complete rounding over the tops of the feet and sand away all saw marks at the spindle sander or by hand.
10. Cut out 1 1/4" square pieces of 3/4" stock and glue them up into four stacks of four each. Turn the grain of each block in the stack 90 degrees to each other. When dry, clean up any excess glue and glue the stacks into the inside corners of the bracket feet for reinforcement.

Alternate Method:

Subscribe to Fine Woodworking Magazine Online and search for ogee bracket feet. There will be several how-to's there.


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## chippin-in (Jun 30, 2012)

That looks fabulous. Great work.

One of these days im going to complete the one im building. It has feet very similar to yours. Those feet are not hard to make and they look coool.

Robert


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## Mizer (Jun 30, 2012)

CodyC said:


> Mizer said:
> 
> 
> > Very nice! That is defiantly going to be a heirloom to the young lady!
> ...


Thanks Cody. Yeah I would not want any thing off gassing in there either.


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## NYWoodturner (Jun 30, 2012)

Awesome Job Cody ! Nice design - nice finish - nice job ! 
Scott


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## myingling (Jun 30, 2012)

WOW Nice work


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