Shaker style chest from Wood Magazine

Hey Ethan
welcome to Ljs , This is a fine looking chest. Well done.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Great Looking Chest!!

You have really captures the essence of the Shaker style.

nice work. that looks great!
I like that whole bedroom set that Wood had with this piece.

-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com

Very nice! I especially like the details, eg the legs/feet.

-- Jim, www.greenteawoodworking.com

Great job and welcome to LJ’s.

Nice work. I love the Shaker Style and the drawer dividers is a neat idea.

-- Mike the CreekWoodworker

very nice. i bought that issue of Wood magazine just for this chest of drawers plan. do you plan on making the top piece. any tips you would like to share about the plans? personally i think it looks great just like it is. i have some white oak in the garage ready to get started! hope it turns out that nice.

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

David, I’m in houston too. I think I will make the dresser top valet with some leftover white oak. I did make some minor changes from the plans that I think helped save time and money. First, I used white oak veneered plywood for the drawer fronts instead of solid white oak. I just edge banded them. For the drawers, I think the plans call for soft maple. I used that 5’x5’ Russian Birch instead (got mine at Clarks Hardwood Lumber Co in the Heights). I don’t have a planer or jointer so I like to use plywood when I can. Also, instead of using all white oak for the front of the dust panels, I made them entirely from poplar and just put a strip of white oak in the front, since the front is really all you see. Here is a pic:

Also, I think traditionally a chest would have a sliding dovetail at the ends of the dust panels to keep the sides from bowing out. I used one pocket screw instead. It also helped assemply alot. I just layed one side assembly down, glued the dados and dust panels and layed them in, then scewed in the pocket screws to keep that one side tight as I put the other side assembly on top. Here is a picture of the pocket screw. I put these in with that little kreg jig after making the dust panels:

I also used epoxy slides, since this is for my 2 year old boy and I did want him to be able to pull the drawers all the way out. The plans call for slippery tape and I’ve never used that before. I bought the sides and pulls online for pretty cheap. The construction is still the same, i.e. you need the spacers in the side asseblies to keep the slides flush with the leges.

The final change I made was the divider between the top and second to top dust panels. The plans call for a spacer on the plywood panels and then a divider glued to the spacer. Instead, I centered dados in the front and back of the dust panels going just deep enough to graze the plywood panel. THen I did a dry assembly and slid my divider (again all poplar with a white oak strip in the front) into place and screwed it to the meat side of the dado and nailed it along the plywood panel. Here are some pictures of that dado:

Finally, my wife insisted on dividers for the drawers so I put in some 1/8 ” inch deep and 1/4” wide dados centered on the front and back of the drawer boxes before I put them together and used leftover scrap birch 1/4” plywood for the dividers.

Also, I used rabbit/dado construction for the drawer boxes with the drawer fronts screwed in.

And we have another satisfied customer.

And Ikea gave me a safety strap to screw it to a stud so he can’t pull it down.

Hi Ethan:

Putting an oak strip on the front of the poplar dust panals is an excellent idea. Nowdays with the quality of plywood, you really made good use. I really like the pockethole idea too. In fact I like all of your modifications.
Just goes to show you don’t need to own all the latest greatest machines to make a really nice piece of furniture. Good job!

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."