| Project by Bill Akins | posted 425 days ago | 704 views | 3 times favorited | 8 comments |  |
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The chest is finally finished and the wife loves it. I was given some free rough cut cedar last spring which my wife and I decided on a cedar chest. You can see the lumber here on my cross project http://lumberjocks.com/projects/8792 that I was playing around with. I made the raised panels on my table saw that you can see here: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/9379 I was pleased how they turned out.
All of the rails and stiles and legs are mortised and tenon with grooves for the panels. I left the inside unfinished and 4 coats of poly on the outside. Brass hinges, support rods and corner protectors. I had bought the protectors for the top but after I went around the top with the router I said Ooops! but my wife wanted them anyway so I put them on the corners of the chest instead of the top.
There is a picture of the chest in the bedroom, one of the chest and me in the shop and one of the back with the lid up.
It took me all summer, with a good month break in the middle, but I really enjoyed the project. My only regret was that the lumber was rough and I do not have a planer or jointer. Everything was made smooth with a belt sander. I couldn’t tell you how many belts I went through.
My next project, hopefully, will be a proper woodworkers bench.
-- Bill from Lithia Springs, GA I love the smell of sawdust in the morning.
8 comments so far
GMman
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1177 posts in 576 days
posted 425 days ago
Bill using this method do you have lots of sanding
-- <<<<<< I will not stop until I get it right. >>>>>>--
John Gray
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1722 posts in 764 days
posted 425 days ago
Beautiful!!!! Thanks for the post I favorited it.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
CharlieM1958
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7466 posts in 1097 days
posted 425 days ago
Great job…..it’s beautiful!
I can sympathize with you as I also have to rely on my belt sander.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
jtdyal
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46 posts in 528 days
posted 425 days ago
I like the way the grain make an “I” in the top. Were the knots hard to work with? I would love to see how you hinged it. Can you send me a pic?
-- ~jtd
alanealane
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174 posts in 769 days
posted 425 days ago
Whoa!! You must have had some 12” wide boards in this project!! That’s hard to come by for Aromatic Cedar. I know this because the pieces I have that are that wide had to be bought (and brought) from a private mill Tennesee, and I live in MI.
Whoever gave you that wood was REALLY GENEROUS!! See if you can get some more from this person, maybe by offering to build them something with the wood??? Congrats on a job well done.
And if you want a planer, check eBay for a used DeWalt DW733 planer. Last time I looked, the prices were hovering around $200 + 50 to 75 shipping. I bought mine used for $250 and have had no trouble from it, even though the first owner really beat it up!! Or I’d recommend investing in a nice jointer plane. For as much money as will get you a DeWalt planer on eBay, you could go here and get a PREMIUM jointer plane. I personally use the Anant jointer plane with my DW733 planer to dimension my rough lumber. I like the hand plane (and the low price), but wish it was a little higher in quality.
Anyway, enough of my blabbing… ;-D
Make it a priority to get your hands on some sort of nice jointer plane or power planer (or both). It’s a shop essential!!
-- Lane Custom Guitars and Basses
ScaryDAve
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14 posts in 431 days
posted 424 days ago
That is just flippin beautiful! I have had a few people ask me to make ceder chests but I have not attempted it yet. When I was toolin up I did get a 12” Chinese planer but so far I haven’t set it up or used it yet so I have no idea how well it works. I only have a few more steps to finish my 50” circular saw mill and then I figure I am gonna want to give that planer a try. Right now I am cuttin boards by eye with a chainsaw. Try that some time lol That’ll wear out a few belts on yer sander heheheh.
-- If at first you don't succeed, slam it on the ground, kick it across the shop, blast it with a shotgun, tell the kids to cut it up for firewood, turn up the music an try try again.
griff
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897 posts in 640 days
posted 424 days ago
Bill, Now thats a beautiful chest, Raised panels are not normally used on a cedar chest but they add beauty and class to it. Very Good build
-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none
bryano
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546 posts in 812 days
posted 395 days ago
Nice! Ive been collecting some old cedar chests for the wood to build a good one for myself, your pics gave me a few ideas
Bryan O
-- bryano