Campaign Chest

[Grgramps]

This month's issue of Woodsmith has plans for a campaign chest that caught my eye. See: Woodsmith Magazine - Sources - Campaign Chest

I got started after getting over the shock of the prices of the hardware. This is my first experience of paying more for the brass than for the wood. I started with mahogany and when I went in search of some more I found that Sapele was offered as a substitute. Looks good to me so I went for it.

It's so much easier for me to work from plans than flying be the seat of my pants. I did notice however that there is an error in the hardware described for the lifting handles and then found that Lee Valley is out of stock. Whitechapel has a beautiful replacement that looks like the picture. Talk about sticker shock, take a look: Heavy Duty Lifting Handle Polished Brass: Whitechapel Ltd.
Thats for just one of the two handles.

After several days I have made some progress and have found it challenging. Never having had any experience with "Rubik's Cube" I wonder if this is comparable. The assembly is complicated by the tongue and groove back panels and the half blind dovetails. Anyway it does fit together although I have no glue or screws in the picture below. Next step after the dry fit is the glue up. And then the drawers - Fedex is to deliver hardware tomorrow. More to follow.
Roy

 

[DaveO]

You might have found it challenging, but you seem to have overcome those challenges very well. That looks like a fine piece of precision woodworking to me. I look forward to seeing the hardware installed and finish applied :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Dave

 

[John_LA]

That is gonna be one nice lookin campaign chest.
Cost of hardware can be a real killer. Just got two sets of blum highes for a TV stand I'm working on ad it was over $40.00 8-O

Can't wait to see the finished product !!

 

[dozer]

Great job looks like you have over come those challenges now to get over the stiker shock from the price of that hardware 8-O

 

[cpowell]

I thought maybe you were exaggerating on the hardware cost until I followed the links.

Well, you can take pride in the fact that the expensive hardware is going on a beautiful piece. Lookin good! :icon_thum

Chuck

 

[Travis Porter]

Nice Roy.

How do you like the Sapele? I haven't used any yet myself. Does it work like Mahogany?

I know what you mean about hardware. Dresser I recently built LOML ordered pulls that were $10 each. $70 in drawer pulls......

 

[NCPete]

That is a very good looking piece. re: the hardware costs... the kitchen we are building will have in excess of $1500 in hardware and no fancy brass!

 

[sapwood]

Roy,
Clearly you are very good at following instructions. The chest is looking great.:icon_thum
I get dizzy looking at plans :drunken_s

The sapele appears to have a nice smooth grain.

Roger

 

[Grgramps]

The box of brass was delivered today as promised by Fedex, but I did nothing except be lazy. Rain does not inspire me - I think the thing to do is sleep until the weather clears. (One of the few advantages of being old.)

I appreciate all of the kind words regarding my work. Travis, the Sapele (or Sapelli) is similar to mahogany regarding working it. There are places in the boards where it wants to chip out when power planing and when hand planing you can feel that the grain is not consistent. I suppose the best way to deal with this is to keep your tools very sharp and change direction as needed. My guess is that the finished product will still look like mahogany which seems appropriate for this chest.

I have a tendency to compare most hard woods with cherry, and few measure up. But it's also interesting to try something new.

Roy