My hand tool blanket chest

[Jerome B]

I got some help and dragged big Bertha down stairs from the shop and out side to take some decent pictures of her.:thumbs_up

This is a copy of a chest that is over in the Museum of Early Southern Dec. Arts (MESDA) collection in Old Salem. I had seen it several times before I decided to copy it, but it never seemed so large. But boy is it. I guess I have a good sense of proportion.

I'm kinda excited I have been accepted in to their summer institute. For the Month of July I get to study the back country southern material culture/decorative arts.

Hmmm. I see some chests and tables being turned upside down in the near future. Did I do that?

Jerome

 

[PeteM]

Very nice :icon_thum

Love the grain on the top.
What's the finish? Shellac and Wax?

A month at MESAD sounds good.
Be sure to give us a report when you get back!!

pete

 

[Ozzie-x]

Very nice Jerome! Care to give us some details on how you made it?

 

[WoodWrangler]

That is beautiful ... love the color and grain. Awesome work!

 

[Canuck]

Fantastic work there, Jerome!!!:wsmile:

I too would like to hear about some of the construction details.

Nice piece!

Wayne

 

[Jerome B]

Most of it was a series of coats of coats of garnet colored shellac followed by a couple of coats of ultra blond shellac. All of which was applied with a 1" paint brush and a 1lb cut. It sounds insane, but it's Da bomb!! It's fast, goes on easy, very little rub out needed at the end, and I don't move the underlying color very much. It is a trick I learned from Don Williams.

I didn't succeed so well on the panels. They came out of a second piece of wood. I tried sealing them then staining them with walnut crystals. I got out all of the sap wood, but they are still a little greyer and less red than the rest of the carcase. Perhaps I should have tinted my shellac a little.

I am a little nervous about this finish thing.

I finished it off with a dark wax.

I hope that I didn't share too much.

Jerome

 

[Jerome B]

Happy birthday, by the way.

I can say that the corner posts came out of a piece of walnut that 4x10x10 and had very little sapwood. Can you say lots and lots of sawing. The corner posts are I think 1.5x3.5.
I had fun gluing up the top. the boards just wouldn't stay in place. It is the first time that I had such a hard time. And I didn't have any more boards suitable for the chest. Well, lets just say. The original piece has character, and so does mine. (a little dip at the end)

The batten on the top were installed with sliding dovetails. The original had nails. I can't drive a nail to save my life. I found that it is easier to make sliding dovetails that taper on both sides than to have them taper on only one side. When I took the chest outside to take pictures I was shocked to see that one of the battens has moved a bit. I am not sure of what to make of this.

Oh well I Have to go pack and work on this couch for a little bit,

I am heading home (Duck) for a few days I don't know how much I will be on the computer.

 

[jwallwork]

Very nice. i like the look of the grain.

 

[froglips]

Beautiful work. Sounds like a real adventure in joinery!

When Sliding Dovetails are easier than nailing, you are saying a mouthful about your love of nails

Is there a drawer at the bottom?

Jim

 

[nelsone]

Excellent work Jerome! How did you make the raised panels? Do you have a panel raising plane?

 

[Jerome B]

Excellent work Jerome! How did you make the raised panels? Do you have a panel raising plane?

I have three and a badger plane. Looking for my fourth one now

slippery slope very slippery slope.

 

[Jerome B]

Beautiful work. Sounds like a real adventure in joinery!

When Sliding Dovetails are easier than nailing, you are saying a mouthful about your love of nails

Is there a drawer at the bottom?

Jim

yup. It ain't real big, but it is there. i guess you could store your well ironed undies in there.

Sorry i missed the meet up on Wed, The schedule got away from me.

 

[Jerome B]

 

[woodArtz]

That's a beauty Jerome! Great job man!! :icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum:icon_thum

 

[Mike Davis]

Is this the same chest? Looks like it.

Do you have any more construction pictures?

That is a great looking piece of furniture. I wish i could do that level of work someday.

 

[jamie]

That is gorgeous!

I would like to see more construction pics if you have them, too.

 

[dpsnyder]

that is beautiful work! I love the rich color. I have a bunch of walnut trying to tell me to make something out of it :gar-Bi I'll bend your ear sometime on the finish - it looks great!

Dan

 

[SSuther]

Ditto on the compliments. I do love walnut. Congrats on the MESDA gig. I'll be there'll be plenty of good info and stories to come out of that. Please share them with us when you can.

 

[BillPappas]

Wow, very nice chest!

Congrats on a job really well done.

Bill

 

[Jerome B]

Thanks Mike. Yep it's the same ol chest. Just cleaned up a bit. I think I do hav e afew more construction pic. I will check when I get back home. I like the spoon. The chest can look nice , but I can Eat my ice cream with your spoon.:eusa_danc

Is this the same chest? Looks like it.



Do you have any more construction pictures?

That is a great looking piece of furniture. I wish i could do that level of work someday.