| Project by kewald | posted 112 days ago | 590 views | 4 times favorited | 17 comments |  |
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This cedar chest started out as a hope chest. In the meantime, my grandaughter got married, so hope turned to cedar!
The frame and tray sides are Walnut and the panels are Hickory. Tray and chest bottoms are plywood. Interior of the chest is lined with unfinished aromatic cedar. The bottom liner is tacked in place with short 23ga. pins. The bottom holds the base of the side liner in place while the top is held by a rabbet in the tray ledgers.
Joinery of the carcase frame is hand cut mortise and tenon. The leg stiles are beveled and splined with a decorative strip on the outside of the corner. The tray joinery is hand cut dovetails. The chest hand rails are formed by using an 8 sided birds mouth router bit. The top half of each hand rail is made from a single board so the grain flows across the profile. Didn’t have any boards wide enough to do the entire rail from one piece but they turned out well anyway.
Note the curved front edge of the chest top panel. That required some experimenting to come up with a fence/hold down system on the router table. The panel raising routerbit used was a Freud that has integral back cutters. Worked really well as long as I took several light passes. Hickory splinters very badly – worse than Red Oak.
The family crest on the underside of the lid is carved in leather. The leather is glued to a piece of 1/8 harboard and that assembly is attached to the panel with a rare earth magnet.
Finished with multiple coats of Deft brush on satin lacquer, wiped on. Followed by rubbing out with 0000 steel wool and Briwax beeswax, then a few coats of Briwax bee/caranuba wax.
The hinges are from Rockler and are torsion hinges that hold the lid at any angle.
As always, your comments and critique are welcome.
-- Always do the Right Thing the Right Way the First Time - if you can figure out what that is! Ken, Spring Branch, TX
17 comments so far
Innovator
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3125 posts in 306 days
posted 112 days ago
What a beautiful chest, I am sure she will love it.
-- Whether You Think You Can or You Think You Can't, YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
Built2Last
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102 posts in 370 days
posted 112 days ago
Looks like a masterpiece!!
definitly a family heirloom that should be around for many generations
well done
-- BUILT TO LAST WOODWORKS, West Blocton, Alabama
Paul
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118 posts in 482 days
posted 112 days ago
This is great, I will favorite it for a project for my Granddaughter. Thanks for sharing.
-- Paul, La Center, Washington
majeagle1
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426 posts in 389 days
posted 112 days ago
Wow. this is truly a beautiful piece of work!!!!
I love the design, details and the wood combination.
I am sure your daughter will just adore this and treasure it for the rest of her life!!!
Gives me inspiration…......... I need to do this for my own daughter….......
Thanks for sharing
-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/
c1ro3m
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12 posts in 128 days
posted 112 days ago
Very nice
Loucarb
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944 posts in 338 days
posted 112 days ago
That is quite a chest. Great craftsmanship and beautiful design.
a1Jim
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16684 posts in 470 days
posted 112 days ago
Wow kewald
This is one amazing chest wonderful ,great build and oustanding woods
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
bigbuddha
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33 posts in 113 days
posted 112 days ago
That is a beautiful piece!! The curves on the sides and lid are such a delicate touch it adds a great balance to the overall chest!!
Ben Kahmann
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232 posts in 165 days
posted 112 days ago
Thats a beauty of chest. Looks great!
-- Ben Kahmann Dayton, OH
FRB
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7 posts in 119 days
posted 112 days ago
Such a nice chest, the design, the craftsmanship and the creation of a piece that will become an heirloom in your granddaughters life.
P:S like the handles on your twin screw vice.
kewald
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122 posts in 474 days
posted 111 days ago
Thanks for all your kind comments.
FRB, the twin screw vice is a Veritas, so the handles came with it.
-- Always do the Right Thing the Right Way the First Time - if you can figure out what that is! Ken, Spring Branch, TX
mcoyfrog
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809 posts in 487 days
posted 111 days ago
Excellent job
-- Wood and Glass they kick (well you know) Have a great day - Dug
ND2ELK
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6155 posts in 667 days
posted 111 days ago
Beautiful chest and great job! I am sure your granddaughter was pleased. Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
Qmoney
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130 posts in 145 days
posted 111 days ago
Outstanding job it is beautifull. I am almost done with a hope chest i was making for my wife, and i was planing to put it on Lumber jocks but when i seen yours i am afraid to show mine. Again great job.
-- Monty Q, Columbia, South Carolina.
jockmike2
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7299 posts in 1139 days
posted 110 days ago
Makes the hope chest I made my daughter look pretty trashy. LOL Very Beautifully made. Love the wood combinations, I made mine of purple heart and cherry, w/ the same lining. I really like the end rolls you made. Great all round build.
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
hardwoodflooring
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72 posts in 90 days
posted 75 days ago
Great chest. I a few years away before I tackle something like that. great job.
-- hardwood, South Carolina, http://www.palmettohardwood.com
dbhost
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600 posts in 125 days
posted 72 days ago
Great looking chest!
-- Trying to follow the example of the master.