Cherry and Figured Maple Blanket Chest

The joinery on this project was extremely challenging but fun. Plans are in the April 1998 Fine Woodworking #129 article-”A Blanket Chest with Legs” by John Mcalevey.
Top and bottom rails of the front/back are joined with double through mortise and tenons (pegged with maple). Rails of the sides are joined to the front rails with blind mortise and tenons. Mortises were cut using a Delta hollow chisel mortiser, and tenons were cut on a bandsaw and fitted using a shoulder plane and chisels. Grooves to trap the maple panels were plowed with a plunge router, using a fixture to trap the leg and allow the router to cut the groove exactly in the middle (see Gary Rogowski’s Router Joinery video for how to make this jig-also handy for cutting mortises if you don’t have a hollow chisel machine) Layout is key in this piece.
For those of you interested in the layout, I can send a photo of the layout on a scrap to give you an idea of what it involved. Definitely a measure twice, check set up three times on the machine, then cut once (your only chance). I also recommend you plan ahead for the hinges, since I found Mcalevey’s hinge and leather strap less than an ideal solution. I ended up with solid brass butt hinges (3), and a lid support (also brass).
Since assembly involved lots of glue surfaces needing clamps at the same time, I used Franklin Titebond Extend with about a 15 minute working time-needed every minute of it. Glue-up was sort of like rubbing your head, patting your stomach, and jumping up and down on one foot-simultaneously!
Finish was Bartley’s Gel Varnish (my favorite), which was wiped on-3 coats. Cherry darkens naturally, and the figured maple gets a nice golden tone as the varnish darkens.
Two very important things to keep in mind-1) If you use Cherry and figured maple, expect to take out a mortgage on your house before buying the wood (can run into the hundreds of dollars, depending on your supplier), and 2) the joinery (as mentioned) is extremely challenging, but very rewarding if you’re up to the challenge. I like to take on projects where you feel like a trapeze artist working without a net-it tends to move you up the woodworking learning curve faster. On the downside, those of you on tight budgets (and who isn’t) will want to hand yourself if you mess up on a $50 piece of cherry because you cut the mortises in the wrong place on the leg-LOL!!!
Bottom line however, if you’re married, building a piece like this for your wife is good for at least 20 more years of happy marriage!

-- Gerry