# Blanket Chest



## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Charles Neil Answers!*

I recalled how Charles Neil has stated that he "always" places finish on both sides of a board. That statement was very profound so I felt compelled to ask him if I should finish the inside of my blanket chest. Can't hurt to ask, right?

I wrote him late last night. He is two time zones ahead of me. He took time to answer little ol' me. I had his written advice waiting for me to read early this morning. Here it is, all of it:

-
"I finish inside and out on everything, different finishes can emit a smell , in the case of drawers and chest, it's a matter of simply letting the finish cure, with the drawers left open as well as the chest.

"Shellac is a good sealer for the inside, as well as a water base finish which will have the least smell. I also after 4 or 5 days, usually light scuff sand the inside and apply a thin coat of a good wax, this seems to eliminate any smell and give a nice feel. I usually use come 600 to do the scuff and either use some Briwax or Renaissance , both of these seem to dry to a good harder film than other waxes, I have never had an issue with either .

"The whole key is to just simply let the finish cure ..AKA Gas off, usually about 10 days .

Charles" 
-

I couldn't get better professional advice than that. I will follow his instructions, to the letter. And at the end: "Let it "gas off, usually about 10 days"...


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## CharlesNeil (Oct 21, 2007)

HappyHowie said:


> *Charles Neil Answers!*
> 
> I recalled how Charles Neil has stated that he "always" places finish on both sides of a board. That statement was very profound so I felt compelled to ask him if I should finish the inside of my blanket chest. Can't hurt to ask, right?
> 
> ...


Glad I could help


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## JulianLech (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Charles Neil Answers!*
> 
> I recalled how Charles Neil has stated that he "always" places finish on both sides of a board. That statement was very profound so I felt compelled to ask him if I should finish the inside of my blanket chest. Can't hurt to ask, right?
> 
> ...


Good info.


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## SCengineer (Apr 26, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Charles Neil Answers!*
> 
> I recalled how Charles Neil has stated that he "always" places finish on both sides of a board. That statement was very profound so I felt compelled to ask him if I should finish the inside of my blanket chest. Can't hurt to ask, right?
> 
> ...


Great info from Charles.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Wormy Maple Shaker Style Blanket Chest*

I enjoyed an article I read in Popular Woodworking about a period build of a mid- nineteenth century Shaker Blanket Chest. My granddaughter had requested a blanket chest. I had some wormy maple in my lumber rack in the shop so I started this build.

I milled the rough sawn lumber flat and four square on my jointer, thickness planer and finally on my table saw. I selected the boards for the longer front and back panels as well as the shorter sides. In addition, I selected the wide boards to make the base or plinth to set the chest on. All of these panels were being made from 4/4 lumber. I had some nice 5/4 lumber selected to make the panels for the chest's lid. I would have to glue some milled 3/4 inch boards to construct the 1 1/4 trim pieces for the lid's front and sides trim.










I took extra care to glue the boards making the panels as flat as I could in order to minimize the planing to get these panels flat afterwards.



















I cut the panels to final dimensions prior to laying out and cutting the dovetails to join the case.










I was also going to cut dovetails to join the corners of the base or plinth.

I used my Leigh D4R jig to cut the dovetails. I design my dovetail layouts on paper prior to laying out the design on my jig. This way I can be precise in the measurements. You can see that I use a rule on top of my jig to layout the positions of the jig.



















After laying out the jig I begin cutting tails in the side panels.










The chest's side boards were my tail boards. The front and back panels were just over 38 inches long. Any longer and I would have had to mount my Leigh jig on something higher than my workbench top.










I used scrap pieces milled to the thickness of my chest's panels to dial in my jigs settings for through dovetails. Once I got that set correctly, I began cutting my dovetails for the case. After I cut my first pins I tested the fit with a side tail board. When that was verified okay, I continued cutting pins in the front and back panels. Then I performed a dry fit of the case.










I had to do some hand chisel work with one or two of the pin sockets that were too tight. Once those were fixed so I could get a good dry fit of the case, I glued and clamped the case.










I used longer setting glue for this glue-up. I left them in the clamps overnight and most of the next day before removing the clamps. Afterwards I planed and sanded the proud dovetail joints. I will hand plane and sand the rest of the panel surfaces on the case prior to applying finish coats.










I next turned to building the base or plinth on which the case will be fastened. I am designing this base to use cleats fastened with glue and screws to the inside top edge of the base. I will use 1 3/4 inch screws through pre-drilled holes in the cleats to fasten the case to base.

The dovetails in the base got its own layout.










I guess the cutouts of these dovetails went quicker because of the extra time and practice on the case's dovetails.

The next stages on this project was to glue two 3/4 inch thick boards together that will be used to make the lid's trim pieces. For the lid's trim I decided to buy a new multi-profile router bit. I










I also decided to route slots in the thick and wide trim parts and the three edges of the lid so I could glue splines in the slots in order to make the joining of these parts very strong. I bought a new router bit so I could cut those slots on my router table

The next steps will be to cut the cleats and fasten them to the inside top edge of the base.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Dovetail Base or Plinth*

With the dovetails cut both the tail and pin boards, I did a dry fit. These boards went together with ease. The photo below shows how well these joints fitted together.










Before I can glue these base parts together I must design the curves for the front and back and then the sides. I did that design on a piece of 1/4 inch thick MDF.










I cut out those templates on my bandsaw. Then I sanded the edges smooth. Once I was satisfied with the templates I positioned them on the wormy maple parts and pencil marked the curves on those parts. Once again I cut the curves on the bandsaw by staying away from the pencil line. I then used double-side carpet tape to hold the template on the wormy maple part. The with a flush pattern router bit in my router and the router in my router table I carefully routed the curves smooth.



















After sanding these parts, I clamped and glued the base or plinth together.










I was curious to see how the chest's case would fit within the base as well as how the lid with the trim pieces would look all together so I staged it for a photograph. That's it below.










NEXT STEPS

My next steps will be to glue two boards together in order to make the thick lid trim parts. Also I determined I had enough scrap wormy maple boards leftover to make the case's bottom. Here I am deviating from the original Shaker plan that used one wide board for the case's bottom. Instead, to take care of wood expansion with the change of seasons, I will design my chest bottom with ship-lapped boards.


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Dovetail Base or Plinth*
> 
> With the dovetails cut both the tail and pin boards, I did a dry fit. These boards went together with ease. The photo below shows how well these joints fitted together.
> 
> ...


That is going to look soooo nice.


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## bearkatwood (Aug 19, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Dovetail Base or Plinth*
> 
> With the dovetails cut both the tail and pin boards, I did a dry fit. These boards went together with ease. The photo below shows how well these joints fitted together.
> 
> ...


Nice work. I look forward to seeing it with finish.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Base Cleats and Case Ship-Lap Bottom*

After gluing the chest's base, I selected poplar scraps to make cleats. The cleats will be used to fasten the chest's case to the base and the cleats to the base. The photo below shows the strips of poplar for these cleats. I pre-drilled holes that would fasten the cleat to the base and then holes from underneath that would hold the chest to the base.










I used yellow glue with screws to fasten these cleats flush to the top of the base. I also used scrap pieces of the wormy maple to reinforce the feet corners in the base.










I initially was going to use poplar to make the bottom panel for the chest. However, I discovered that I had enough wormy maple to make ship-lap bottom boards. I went with the wormy maple. I figure a screw on each end of each board will allow the wood to move with the seasons. I pre-drilled and countersunk those holes.










The photographs below give close up views of the ship-lap bottom and the base.



















I will use one of the shims to space the ship-lap bottom boards before I screw them to the bottom of the case.


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Base Cleats and Case Ship-Lap Bottom*
> 
> After gluing the chest's base, I selected poplar scraps to make cleats. The cleats will be used to fasten the chest's case to the base and the cleats to the base. The photo below shows the strips of poplar for these cleats. I pre-drilled holes that would fasten the cleat to the base and then holes from underneath that would hold the chest to the base.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the step by step, help me really get the feel for this project.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Lid Dry Fit*

Today I cut miters on the lid's trim. Afterwards I was able fit the splines into the slots I cut in the trim parts and the lid. Then I wanted to check if every dimension was good by seeing the lid on top of the chest.

Oh yes, I also fastened the ship-lapped bottom boards with #6 1 inch long Fh wood screws. I will need to take a flush trim router bit around the outer case walls. Some of the bottom boards are a bit proud of the case. This flush bit will shave those proud spots flush to the wall's surface.


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Lid Dry Fit*
> 
> Today I cut miters on the lid's trim. Afterwards I was able fit the splines into the slots I cut in the trim parts and the lid. Then I wanted to check if every dimension was good by seeing the lid on top of the chest.
> 
> Oh yes, I also fastened the ship-lapped bottom boards with #6 1 inch long Fh wood screws. I will need to take a flush trim router bit around the outer case walls. Some of the bottom boards are a bit proud of the case. This flush bit will shave those proud spots flush to the wall's surface.


Nice!! looking good.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Lid Dry Fit*
> 
> Today I cut miters on the lid's trim. Afterwards I was able fit the splines into the slots I cut in the trim parts and the lid. Then I wanted to check if every dimension was good by seeing the lid on top of the chest.
> 
> Oh yes, I also fastened the ship-lapped bottom boards with #6 1 inch long Fh wood screws. I will need to take a flush trim router bit around the outer case walls. Some of the bottom boards are a bit proud of the case. This flush bit will shave those proud spots flush to the wall's surface.


That chest is so nicely done.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Lid Glue and Proud Ship-lap Bottom Boards Flush Trimmed*

I used my Bosch Colt router to flush trimmed the bottom ship-lapped boards so they would be flush to the chest's outer walls. Nothing exciting here. It did the job.










This photo confirms that the parts are flush with the wall so my trim pieces will fit nicely on the base and up against the wall of the chest, without any gaps.










Next I turned my attention to the chest's lid; especially cutting and fitting the mitered corners. Frankly, I just sneaked up with the fit at my table saw using my shop made miter sled. To test the fit I would use my parallel clamps. Once I was satisfied with the fit I selected a long setup glue in order to give me the time to work the fit precisely to where I wanted it. Of course, I had made sure the splines would fit nicely into the 1/4 inch slots I had cut into the lid and the matching trim.










This close up photo shows how the splines also fit into the mitered ends.










I rehearsed the clamping procedure. I used two thick scrap boards and two additional ones laying across them so I could get my clamps underneath the lid parts. I spread the glue almost exclusively on the spline's long grain flat surfaces although I did spread some glue in the slots with a weak attempt to spread the glue on the walls of the slot. I was sure the liberal use of glue on the splines would do the job of joining the trim parts to the lid quite nicely, if I gave it enough clamping pressure.










I used a lot of clamps to make sure the trim was pulled tightly to the lid both along the front trim and also the sides.










With what squeeze out I got, I cleaned it up on both sides with a wet paper towel.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Lid and Plinth Work Today*

I hand planed and sanded the lid that came out of the clamps this morning. I also sanded the base or plinth and the chest's case.

I fastened the base to the case. I firgured the best way to make sure it went on square and even was to set the base on the floor and then place and position the case on the base. Once I was satisfied with its location, I held it at that position on the base with four parallel clamps, two to each side. Then I placed the chest on my workbench where I could finish pre-drilling the holes for the screws. To fasten the base to the case I decided on #6 - 1 3/4 inch long Fh square head wood acrews.










I had pre-drilled and countersunk 16 screw locations. Since I had already fastened cleats to the inside of the base I needed to use a very long drill bit to pre-drill for some screw locations into the bottom of the case.

The lid could be fastened to the case now with the Rockler safety hinges I purchased for this project. I will mark their location and I will mortise the back edge for them, but I will wait to fasten the hinges.

Instead, my next steps will be to begin wiping on sanding sealer and then Shellac finish.










The image below gives a closer views of the chest's dovetails


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## Matt59 (Mar 31, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Lid and Plinth Work Today*
> 
> I hand planed and sanded the lid that came out of the clamps this morning. I also sanded the base or plinth and the chest's case.
> 
> ...


That is one good-looking blanket chest. I'm excited to see it after the finish. Your blog looks helpful and informative; I'm bookmarking it so I can refer to it for the chest I'm starting to build.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Lid and Plinth Work Today*
> 
> I hand planed and sanded the lid that came out of the clamps this morning. I also sanded the base or plinth and the chest's case.
> 
> ...


That is looking just great! I use a lot of shellac and always skip the sanding sealer.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Just Touch Up Work Today*

I decided not to apply any finish today. Instead I did some touch up work.

I noticed some small gaps that I filled with wood filler. I opened the Rockler Lid-stay Torsion Hinge package. It has been a year since I built my last blanket chest. I used these hinges on that chest. I remember now why I had to cut mortises for that chest. I milled that case's lumber to 7/8 inch thick panels. This chest's panels were milled to 5/8 inches. The hinges are made for 3/4 inches.

I decided to shim out the area where I will mount these hinges. With some scrap wormy maple I setup my table saw to cut thin strips. With my digital calipers I determined that my shim should be just shy of 1/8 inches. I hand planed the edges of this scrap piece. I did this so I would remove the burn and saw marks when it was ripped previously. With my saw setup for ripping thin strips, I made the first cut. I measured that with my calipers. Then I made a small adjustment to the rip fence and then cut a second strip. I could have glue this entire strip along the back of the chest case, but I decided instead to crosscut it into two four inch strips. This means I will have 1/2 inch showing on both ends of the three inch wide hinge.

From here I determined the location of the hinge. I did that by sight really. I measured the width of the case. That was 38 1/2 inches. I marked the center point with my pencil. Then with a metal rule I measured over seven, and then eight and lastly nine inches from center. I decided I liked nine inches. It was pleasing to my eye. I glued and clamps these four inch wide, just shy of 1/8 inch thick strips by setting their inside edge at the nine in from center mark. I used yellow glue and clamped it well.

Here is another question for you Lumber Jocks: should I or should I not finish the inside of this blanket chest? I know there is general advice that no inside of a drawer should be finished. I would assume the same advice goes for these blanket chests were clothing or blankets will be stored.

I glued and clamped the shims for the hinges I will install later.









The chest lid is near ready for finish. I will install the hinge and place this lid on top of the chest later after I apply finish coats.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Sanding Sealer Coat Applied*

I placed my first finish coat; Zinsser's dewaxed sanding sealer. I wiped that on all surfaces; aka per Charles Neil's recommendation; meaning all surfaces like including the inside the case and on the case bottom. I put my used rags into a lidded container of water outdoors. I do not need a fire over keeping a used rag…

I will brush on amber Shellac next. It should warm up this chest some. I think.

The Chest's Case and Plinth









The Chest's Lid









This will be my first experience applying Shellac with a brush. I have been watching many videos on how to brush Shellac. There are a few that are outstanding explanations. I watch some videos that were nearly an hour long. I won't give you those links. However, watching an hour video did not bother me. I was in it to learn. I want to learn from those with many more years of experience than I.

What videos did I like. Well, of course, Charles Neil's video is very good. Why? He tells you not only how, but why. For instance, he will say: "Why would you want this instead of this? Or, visa versa, that versus this?" And, then he will say: "What does that mean?" Then he will explain it…

I will give links to the videos I liked or learned the most from. Well, you do not need a long list. These two are a great start…

Charles Neil on Shellac 9:58 min, Answers what is it. Why use it. Apply to both sides.

Around the Shop with 360 Woodworking - Finishing with Shellac 
Chuck Bender and Glen Huey. 17:31 min This video is great! They cover this subject very well. How to mix. How they differ in application. How to brush it. Chuck likes badger hair brushes. How he holds his brush. Glen went to spraying. "It doesn't take a $1,000 machine to do it." How to decode the date on the lid. Shelf life is 3 years.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Brian Miller on Finish Brush Techniques*

I missed adding one more link that I found to be very useful since I am about ready to brush Shellac on this blanket chest. It is by Brian Miller a professional finisher at Wm Ng Woodworks. I really enjoy the tips, jigs and instruction that come from Wm Ng, an engineer and woodworking instructor.

Brian Miller gives a great presentation on selecting and using brush for finishing. This video not only shows what brushes to select, but how to use them as well as how to clean them. I highly recommend this video. I liked it, a lot since I am a novice to finishing.

Choosing and using Brushes for Finishing, Brian Miller at WmNgWoodworks. 20:51 min


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Brian Miller on Finish Brush Techniques*

I missed adding one more link that I found to be very useful since I am about ready to brush Shellac for my first time using this product. This video is presented by Brian Miller a professional finisher at Wm Ng Woodworks. I really enjoy the tips, jigs and instruction that come from Wm Ng, an engineer and woodworking instructor.

Brian Miller gives a great presentation on selecting and using brushes for finishing. This video not only shows what brushes to select, but how to use them as well as how to clean them. I highly recommend this video. I liked it, a lot.

Choosing and using Brushes for Finishing, Brian Miller at WmNgWoodworks. 20:51 min


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Brian Miller on Finish Brush Techniques*
> 
> I missed adding one more link that I found to be very useful since I am about ready to brush Shellac for my first time using this product. This video is presented by Brian Miller a professional finisher at Wm Ng Woodworks. I really enjoy the tips, jigs and instruction that come from Wm Ng, an engineer and woodworking instructor.
> 
> ...


I am no professional finisher but I wipe/rub on all my shellac and get along much better than when I brushed shellac. Black Cherry has a good blog on his technique which I use now.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Brian Miller on Finish Brush Techniques*
> 
> I missed adding one more link that I found to be very useful since I am about ready to brush Shellac for my first time using this product. This video is presented by Brian Miller a professional finisher at Wm Ng Woodworks. I really enjoy the tips, jigs and instruction that come from Wm Ng, an engineer and woodworking instructor.
> 
> ...


I appreciate the Black Cherry referral on rubbing Shellac.

This was my first experience brushing Shellac. As you can imagine, I had some issues. I believe I can work through those as I apply additional Shellac. I am determined to learn how to use this important finish product. Now I know why Glen Huey sprays his. Chuck Bender brushes, I know. However, he is a different human. Maybe he is an alien or a time traveler with all the period pieces he does.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*First Time Brushing Amber Shellac*

Experience can never displace book learning, can it?

I tried to prepare myself by watching others brush on Shellac on YouTube, etc. The professionals make it look easy, but their eye and hand coordination and feel really cannot be taught on a video. It has to be experienced, I'm sure.

For my first time brushing Shellac, I assume I got a passing grade. Perfection, though, does not come right out the gate, on the first try does it?

I also suspect that the yellow tint I got was enhanced by my application of Zinsser's sanding sealer, the dewaxed Shellac. Also now I understand why some have stated they prefer 1 1/2 pound cut when they brush. I wonder if I had a second brush to go to would that also have helped me to keep the application thin? There were a lot of surfaces to cover. As time passed it seemed it was becoming more difficult to lay a thin wet layer of Shellac with this loaded brush. Was my brush becoming tacky itself? Could this be true? Or, am I just imagining it?

Amber Shellac on Wormy Maple treated first with Zinsser's Sanding Sealer
The Lid









The Case and Plinth









Note: After reviewing these posted photographs they do not seem to show as much yellow as I recall they had attained.

I did not have too much trouble with the edges. I was watching for runs. I did have some, but I kept a rag handy to wipe them off. I understand now why the pros do not touch the edges after just loading up the brush. Its too full of Shellac and it will run down the edge when it is this full..

I can be happy with this tint. I suspect it may get darker with additional coats.

Of course, I can change the tint with dye. I picked up some TransTint reddish brown yesterday at Woodcraft when I went there to buy my Shellac brush. I have a scrap or test piece of wormy maple that I brushed with this amber Shellac. I did this so I could determine how the tint will change with additional coats as well as to test if I added a few drops of reddish brown dye to the Shellac.

I watched a video of a guy that demonstrated his French polishing technique. He applied Shellac to a blondish color hardwood. His French polish application resulted in a very nice yellow tinted, high gloss finish.

I wonder if I tried a rubbing technique next if it would help smooth out the few spots that I touched with my brush when it was too tacky to do so. I will take a look at Black Cherry's rubbing technique as suggested in a previous comment. I wonder if using it would help me fix some of this first coat issues.

Here is a link to his video.
How to French Polish 37:14 min


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## Bobsboxes (Feb 8, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *First Time Brushing Amber Shellac*
> 
> Experience can never displace book learning, can it?
> 
> ...


I have been following your post on this chest. I also have a large stack of ambrosia maple, that will be chests. The leaning curve is steep, for me on finishing large pieces. Keep posting, and finishing.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *First Time Brushing Amber Shellac*
> 
> Experience can never displace book learning, can it?
> 
> ...


The amber shellac will give it a yellow tone. Clear shellac imparts almost no color to maple or poplar. It really just depends on what look you are after. 
Nice project build.








These poplar drawers were sprayed with clear shellac, and really didn't change color at all.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *First Time Brushing Amber Shellac*
> 
> Experience can never displace book learning, can it?
> 
> ...


The amber shellac looks best on pine IMHO. I use the blonde like Pinto showed for all my rubbed on shellac finishes. Don't hesitate to sand your brush marks/errors with some 220-320 grit before doing the polish/rub technique. Once you try this, I'll be very surprised if you ever pick up a brush again. I use 1:1 dilution of Zinsser shellac:denatured alcohol for polishing with the occasional drop of mineral oil.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Taken Back*

I did not like the color nor my application by brushing on this amber Shellac.

This photo shows how yellow the amber Shellac was on the wormy maple.









The lid.









I decided to wipe the Shellac off with denatured alcohol. This process took awhile. Today I re-sanded all the surfaces. It is now back to about the state the chest was in before I brushed on the Shellac.










I will take a day or so to determine my next steps.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*No Shellac This Time*

If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,

For this project I have decided not to go back with a Shellac finish. I need to practice applying Shellac, either by brush or rubbing, on a different project. A project that I myself will own and use. If I mess up on it then I can live with it better than giving it to someone else to own. I will find a different project to build, a small one to start with, to learn the lessons I need to become a better finisher with the use of Shellac.

Instead of Shellac I am going to finish this blanket chest with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. I will use a cloth to wipe this finish on. I will build up the finish with several coats until I feel satisfied with it. I had a full quart of semi-gloss in my cabinet. That is what I am wiping on this project.

This shows the look after my first coat of Arm-R-Seal on the lid.









And then the case.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *No Shellac This Time*
> 
> If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,
> 
> ...


Looks great.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *No Shellac This Time*
> 
> If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,
> 
> ...


It looks really nice even though you wimped out on the shellac


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *No Shellac This Time*
> 
> If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,
> 
> ...


Not much into the yellow look of Shellac so for me the new improved looks much better.
Just my $.02 
Love this project!!!


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *No Shellac This Time*
> 
> If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,
> 
> ...


Yeah, I did wimped out on the Shellac. I appreciate the candor. I will have a chance to learn what I need by either rubbing or brushing Shellac on a different, personal project.

My Annie prohibited me from continuing with Shellac that might introduce that much yellow again. She stood firm even though I explained that I had two other Shellac cans that both were clear: Zinsser Bulls Eye Seal Coat and Shellac Clear. Its for our granddaughter so Ann does have an invested interest in it.

I had two cans of MinWax Helmsman spar urethane clear gloss in my cabinet. Someone commented that this urethane spray will give my project an amber color; something I was trying to avoid with this project. He was correct, but it is slight. I can live with it. I doubt my Annie will notice it so I think I can sneak it by her. I did want to give this project the added finish protection that spar urethane will give it over spraying lacquer instead which was also a choice I had in my cabinet.

We don't tell our wives everything that goes on in our shop's, right? I have a good woman in my home, my life. She allows me to supply my shop with what I need and a lot of times with what I want. I am a lucky man. My Annie is the best thing that happened to me… I don't lie to her, but I don't tell her everything… Some of these things is a man's business…

The lights in my garage woodshop are daylight florescent color rated at 6500K. Therefore, I believe my camera shots give a good color representation of what is in my shop.

Look of the spar urethane I sprayed on my project in the following three photographs. These were recently taken. The time of the photos were about an hour after spraying its first thin coat… I will let it dry overnight before spraying a second coat; the last coat of finish.

The next and last thing I need to do to complete this project will be to install the Rockler lid-stay torsion safety hinges. I weighed the lid. It was about ten pounds.

Rockler's formula indicated two 60 inch pound Lid-Stay Torsion hinges plus another smaller one, but I believe these two hinges will do the job for me. Installing three hinges would break symmetry, wouldn't it…


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *No Shellac This Time*
> 
> If this project was for myself I would probably still use Shellac for its finish, clear but not amber. I would follow the suggestions I have received here to rub on the Shellac. I would not attempt to brush it again on this project. What I have learned is that applying Shellac takes a very trained and experienced hand, for a brushed on finish for sure. Watching Chuck Bender brush on Shellac makes it look too easy. There are years of experience in his badger hair brush strokes,
> 
> ...


It is a spectacular looking chest!


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Two Coats... that many or more planned for today.*

I wiped on two coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal yesterday. That certainly went easier for me than the amber Shellac did when I tried to brush it on this wormy maple.

These coats of sanding sealer look good. I am warming up my shop so I can wipe on two or more coats today. Then I will probably spray on either clear Shellac from a can or a Spar Polyurethane to protect this blanket chest's finish.

I took a close-shot of the chest's dovetails, and also its plinth. I do like the way they turned out. I was planning on reversing the tails on the plinth so they were going to be on the chest's front view, but that did not get done on this project. I will make a note of this in my woodshop journal so I may remind myself the next time I do a blanket chest.










Now the plinth view of their dovetails…


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## Hawaiilad (Feb 16, 2010)

HappyHowie said:


> *Two Coats... that many or more planned for today.*
> 
> I wiped on two coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal yesterday. That certainly went easier for me than the amber Shellac did when I tried to brush it on this wormy maple.
> 
> ...


I sure do love the look of that wood. Great build


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## Reaperwoodworks (Nov 4, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Two Coats... that many or more planned for today.*
> 
> I wiped on two coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal yesterday. That certainly went easier for me than the amber Shellac did when I tried to brush it on this wormy maple.
> 
> ...


Very nice.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Two Coats... that many or more planned for today.*
> 
> I wiped on two coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal yesterday. That certainly went easier for me than the amber Shellac did when I tried to brush it on this wormy maple.
> 
> ...


The Spar will add a lot of amber color that you were trying to avoid. Not quite as much as the amber shellac.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Last Finish Coat*

It did not take long today to spray on the second and last coat of finish. Again this was spar urethane that I was spraying on my wormy maple Shaker style blanket chest. I will let this coat dry 24 hours before I begin fastening the lid hinges.

The only thing that remain on this project besides letting the urethane dry thoroughly is to install the Rockler stay-lid torsion hinges. As I mentioned earlier in this blog, I glued two shim pieces to bring the chest's back panel out from 5/8 inches thick to 3/4 inches with a maple 1/8 inch shim. I needed this because the hinges are made to insert over a 3/4 inch wall.

These photographs were made in my shop with mostly natural light. However, my sky was overcast cloudy today. Still the photos, I think, turned out well.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Last Finish Coat*
> 
> It did not take long today to spray on the second and last coat of finish. Again this was spar urethane that I was spraying on my wormy maple Shaker style blanket chest. I will let this coat dry 24 hours before I begin fastening the lid hinges.
> 
> ...


Beautiful work. I love that wood you used. This will make a great gift


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## DonB (Jan 11, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Last Finish Coat*
> 
> It did not take long today to spray on the second and last coat of finish. Again this was spar urethane that I was spraying on my wormy maple Shaker style blanket chest. I will let this coat dry 24 hours before I begin fastening the lid hinges.
> 
> ...


Amen on the beautiful work and the wood. Your finish tops off a well done project which will be cherished I'm sure. The satin finish is one I favor more than a glossy finish. In any event, you did a marvelous job.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*

ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION

Although installing the hinges was a simple process, I wanted to be sure that it went on without any mistakes. I wanted the lid to be centered on the case with just the right overlay. Of course, the right amount of overlay with the hinges I was using was set in motion weeks ago. That is when I cut the lid panel to its final dimensions. It was that long ago that these steps today where easily processed.

The steps I took to install the hinges were these:

1) I marked the center of the lid along its back edge.

2) I marked the center of the case along its back edge.

3) I had glued a shim for the hinges on the inside back panel a couple of weeks ago. It was then that I determined the distance the center of the hinges were going to be placed from the outside ends of the case. I confirmed that this morning; this distance was 7 1/4 inches from the outside edge of the case.

These photographs confirm the center marks for the hinges. This one is for the right side. The left is marked in a similar fashion.









4) I then simply followed the hinges' installation instructions. Since I most likely will be using these torsion hinges in other projects, I bought the Rockler JIG that can easily place the fasten screws in the right place on the lid.










5) Once the hinges were fastened to the lid each with four 3/4 inch #6 screws, the lid was ready to be fasten to the case. With the pencil mark still present on the shims showing the hinges' center line, I simply dropped the lid with the hinge down on the back panel of the case. I used a rubber mallet to knock the hinge down firmly and flat on the case.










6) Now with the hinge in its position, I pre-drilled holes for the screws with self-centering drill bits. I used a drill to fasten the screw to a point. I finished fastening the screws by hand so I could get the feel feedback knowing the screw was firmly fastened.

Now with the two hinges fastened, this project was completed.

I enjoyed making this Shaker style blanket chest very much. It is my gift to a very sweet granddaughter. She is carrying twin girls that will be joining us in a few weeks. What a blessing they will be in our lives like this granddaughter has been to Ann and myself.

POPULAR WOODWORKING MAGAZINE ARTICLE

I have provided a link to the Poplar Woodworking Magazine's article that I used as a guide for my build. I deviated some from the period piece that the magazine's editor built. Those were: (1) not making a till inside the case, (2) changing the back panel of the plinth to match the curve in its front, (3) I made the bottom with ship-lap panels for wood movement instead of installing one large panel bottom board, and (4) I did not worry about making each detail the same as the original Shaker blanket chest made in the mid-1800s: such as getting the exact quantity of dovetails on the case and plinth with the exact same angle for the dovetails, etc.

I apparently had a subscription to this magazine when this article was published October 2013, pp. 24-31, Issue #206. The author was Megan Fitzpatrick, the magazines editor. You can read about the article in this link I have provided here, click here to read it.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF FINISHED BLANKET CHEST

I have provided here a few photographs displaying the finished blanket chest. I made it with what I thought would be a very interesting hardwood: wormy maple. I believe it turned out great. Better than I originally thought.




























This last photo shows the overlay of the lid on the Rockler hinges.









This chest will rest here for 10 days to "gas-off" as Charles Neil wrote instructions to me. This way with coats of finish applied to all surfaces, the smell of finish will dissipate. Then Ann and I will take it to our sweet Brittany's home where we hope it will stay in the family for generations to come…


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## Reaperwoodworks (Nov 4, 2015)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


Gorgeous chest HappyHowie. I'm sure it will be loved!


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## Bobsboxes (Feb 8, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


Very nice chest, has been fun following your build. Great piece.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


Chest turned out perfectly! Those hinges have always intimidated me (but I am too cheap to buy the jig). Congrats on the twins grandgirls.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


That is some fine craftsmanship. The wood is magnificent, such character is awesome.


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## StaMic006 (Sep 11, 2017)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


Thats a very nice chest HH. Are the shims required for these hinges? I'm finishing up a toy box for my son and I'm about to install them. After planing and sanding i'm just a little over 5/8 thick on the rear panel where the hinges will go.

Thanks,
Stan


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


The hinges fit over a specified width. I can look it up, but I believe it was 3/4 inches. My milling process got my boards just a bit thinner for the hinges so I processed these shims. Good eye, or did I state I made them?

The granddaughter and now her twins girls enjoy this blanket (toy) chest everyday.

Since I bought this worming maple, I haven't been able to find the same stuff in quantities. I enjoyed working with it and have other projects I would like to use it on.

Have I ever said that I have enjoyed making blanket chests? I have made two or three and each have been slightly different. I enjoy the process enough that I could make blanket chests everyday. I have a Fine Woodworking plan of a nice Shaker blanket chest. Someday I will fit that into schedule. I believe with it complexity I could learn some good techniques.

Stan, I will be checking your projects or blog to see your progress. Enjoy…


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## StaMic006 (Sep 11, 2017)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


It's some beautiful stuff. I went in looking for some hickory and ended up with some maple for my build. The lumber yard had quite a bit of it in 4/4 and 8/4.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

HappyHowie said:


> *Torsion Lid-Stay Hinges are On: This Project is Completed*
> 
> ROCKLER LID-STAY TORSION HINGE INSTALLATION
> 
> ...


Yes, I think it is unique and beautiful. Nice work. Thanks for sharing your photos.


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## HappyHowie (Jan 27, 2013)

*Chest Delivered to New Owner*

My Ann and I made the trip south to our sweet granddaughter Brittany's home to give her this blanket chest that I made. She is 23 weeks pregnant with our two great granddaughters, our first ones.










I remember the day that this sweet girl could fit into the palms of my two cupped hands. Now she will bring into our lives another two pretty girls to love and hold.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

HappyHowie said:


> *Chest Delivered to New Owner*
> 
> My Ann and I made the trip south to our sweet granddaughter Brittany's home to give her this blanket chest that I made. She is 23 weeks pregnant with our two great granddaughters, our first ones.
> 
> ...


They look thrilled with the chest. Your granddaughter still looks tiny to me!


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