Toychest suggestions for friends 1st born son?

i would go with cherry or maple for the wood. those are very nice woods. maple is hard, and cherry is up there. really any good hardwood would do. i think cherry would do very nice though because it will age along with him! it could be cool if you did almost like a blanket chest configuration. with some feet on it. and an arched top. those are just some ideas.

Cherry or oak would make a nice box. As Denis said, the blanket chest style would be nice because it would serve life long purposes. I would check Rockler for the hardware. They have closer devices that will prevent the lid from quickly closing and pinching little fingers (or heads)

Search this site for projects and chests and you will find a many examples. There are companies that specialize in selling plans for toy boxes. “Plans Now” and Meisel are two that come to mind. Meisel’s plans are usually a little less complicated.

I would suggest the HSH-50 safety hinge, I found them for $1.80 at Benny’s Woodworks. It prevents the lid from coming down on its own.

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com