This chest was based upon the chest in American Woodworker issue 149 but with some Greene & Greene inspired modifications. The chest is made from solid cherry with oak straps. After pricing ebony I decided to use oak plugs and accents and “ebonize” them using india ink. Since the india ink is water based I raised the grain on the plugs and accent pieces then sanded down prior to applying the ink.

This is a gift for a friend snd I wanted it to have the rich look of older cherry so I raised the grain, sanded to 220, and washed it with a weak solution of lye and water. I had never tried this and was amazed at how quickly the color came out. I finished it with 5 coats of General Finishes Arm R Seal semi-gloss using 0000 steel wool between coats. The final coat was gone over using 0000 and paste wax.

This chest is far from perfect but I am very happy with how it turned it out. The jointery really challenged me and I am sure a bandsaw would have made this much easier than my jigsaw.

Some things I learned from this project –
SHARP chisels are a godsend
Pipe bending works very well for the straps but make sure the straps are less than 1/4” (Mine are about 1/8”)
If using a lye wash apply prior to assembly, its almost impossible to get it into every nook and crany once its assembled.
Dont cut the mortises for the hinges until after the straps are in place. I did that first and the straps were located about half on half off the hinge. Doesnt cause a problem with their affectiveness but doesnt look quite right.

As always I welcome comments and critiques. I have learned a lot from the people on this site and some of the best advice comes from critiquing a piece.

I was inspired by another Lumberjock (thanks Casper!) who had built one of these. He was kind enough to answer my questions and I think it turned out great. I made it from cedar and the joinery is mortise and tenon (my first). I really liked the way it looked as just natural cedar but in the end decided to paint it to match the house. I finished this project last spring and as you can see the plant in it isn’t doing so well….apparently i do not have a green thumb!

I built this chest for a friend of mine who is very into pirates. It is made from pine stained with general finishes walnut gel stain and a wipe on satin polyeurethane. The slat clamps were originally stainless steel but were painted with a hammered black spray paint to match the rest of the hardware. Overall measurements are 24” x 17” x 19”.

I did a lot of new things for me including coopering a top, bent laminations, and staining pine. Coopering the top didnt pose any real difficulties but figuring out how to make the two slats that bend along the edges of it proved a real challenge. First I tried steam bending but the type of wood I chose to use was not good for bending and had too much spring back. I tried kerf cutting but that looked terrible. I eventually settled on usng veneer and laminating it up to the right thickness using the top as the form. That worked out quite well but next time I will choose a better wood for bending and give steam bending with a hot pipe a try.

I also learned that I really need to use a conditioner before staining pine. I hate the blotchiness that occured but when my friend and his wife saw it they loved the look. They thought it made it look weathered and worn which is just what they wanted. I didnt argue since that meant I didnt have to sand it back it down!

All things considered I am happy it turned out as well as it did. I know I learned from the mistakes I made and can do better on the next one.

I made this frame to house a painted feather I had purchased as a christmas gift for my wife. I am still learning a lot and this is my first project that was designated for display.

The main portion of the frame is made with rosewood and the edge accents are lacewood. I finished it with three coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Satin wiped on with a cloth and lightly sanded with 320 grit between coats.

The miters are not perfect but I am very happy with how it turned out. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures and once I have it mounted on the wall I will try to take some better ones.