Blanket chest progress and question ...

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gidon

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Hi

I think this project is a little too far underway to count for entry to the competition. I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said I started it at the weekend :wink:. Although in all honesty I did make a fair bit of progress at the weekend.
Anyway here are some progress shots none-the-less. Mainly because I have a question ...
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I was going to hinge the lid, but have decided it's too heavy as it is - and the lid will be taken off infrequently. So I thought I would just add a couple of battens screwed (with oversize holes to allow movement) to the underside of the top, to slip into the chest top, and prevent the top from cupping.

Aesthetically I'm not sure of the best way of doing this. Just screw the two battens down the side? Chamfer the edges? Is there a way of doing this. Ie a cleverer way? Will it look a little rough? Perhaps I'm the only person who can answer this but thought I'd ask anyway.

Cheers

Gidon
 
Hi Gidon,

Very nice chest. Why don't you use a piano hinge? I am sure one of these would work just fine.

Why can't you enter the chest into the competition? I don't think that there wouldn't be any objections.

Good luck with the chest

Regards

Mike.C

Edit Sorry i forgot to ask are they Bessey clamps? If so are they worth the money. I have thought about getting a few but the price has always put me off. The thing that i like about them is they sit square on a bench
 
Gidon,
I think Mike has got it with the piano hinge thing.
As to the battens, I made a similar chest a little while ago. I screwed 2 battens to the inside of the lid (elongated the outer holes for movement :D ) and it has been happy as larry ever since. No cupping at all.
hope this is of help,
Philly :D
 
Thanks Chaps. Agree a piano hinge would be perfect for attaching the top - but I don't want to attach the top! I want the top detachable because it so heavy already - and we need to shift it around! Philly - sounds like you went the same way.

Pete - god knows what we'll be chucking in it. But the remit from my wife was a window seat, come chest of drawers, come blanket chest! Maybe we'll put blankets in it!

Mike - I'll let the judges decide :D.
<Edit> Mike just saw your edit. Clamps worth every penny - wish I had more! The uni klamps you see pictured are far chaper than the K body. And they are still pretty tough and have far more clamping pressure than I tend to use. Axminsternow stock them if you're interested.

Cheers

Gidon
 
Gidon,
It's looking very good. The dovetails in the lower drawer look neat - did you cut them?

Re the top. I wonder if you are lipping the sides in any way, or will you see the end grain? If you don't mind lipping the front and back, you could use sliding dovetails for the battens and just one screw in the centre of each batten. That is probably rather OTT for something not seen - unless you like doing that sort ofd thing of course.
 
Gidon

If I understand you correctly, you are looking to simply locate the top loosely in position as it will be removed infrequently.

Assuming the top overhangs the sides and is not to be screwed on, then I would simply route a shallow (5mm) dado-rectangle that allows the tops of the sides to sit in it. Make it about 4-5mm wider than the side material is thick
No need to add wood then and it would look quite a bit better when removed
 
Thanks Chris. Yes I handcut the dovetails. They look better from a distance! But they've come out ok. I actually used a router to remove most of the waste from the pins - never done that before. Not really sure it saved that much time. And you have to be very careful!

Nice suggestion for the top - but I wasn't going to lip the top. I guess you could still have the sliding dovetail come in from the back and then trim the back portion of the batten. Or I could make a feature of it! I don't mind seeing end grain - at least you know it solid wood. But I did consider lipping the edges to prevent cupping. But hoping the battens will help here.

Cheers

Gidon
 
gidon":15mq4rc0 said:
I actually used a router to remove most of the waste from the pins - never done that before.
Hmm, new technique... It's a box... Progress shots... :? We might need a judgerly huddle on this one. :wink:

Lookin' good, Gidon. I liked Tony's idea, but I understand where you're coming from on weakening the thickness. So... How about you put a groove around the lid inside the edge of the sides and glue a thin-ish lipping in it. Possibly even doing the end ones cross grain so the wood movement wouldn't be a problem, and also it'd look more like it was carved from the solid, if you see what I mean. I may need to do a drawing... :?

Cheers, Alf
 
Alf":2p02rfyg said:
Hmm, new technique... It's a box... Progress shots... We might need a judgerly huddle on this one.

Thanks for your comments Alf. Even better - I actually did use a joinery technique I'd never used before too - stub tenons :). Never again. It is based on plans from somewhere - although modified - can't remember whether that was allowed or not. Don't think you said it wasn't

Sounds a good suggestion - bit have to say I don't understand! Probably being thick - it's been a long day .... So you're saying rather than screwing the battens directly onto lid - sink them in some grooves??

Cheers

Gidon
 
gidon":23z5t1n8 said:
So you're saying rather than screwing the battens directly onto lid - sink them in some grooves??
Exactly. But rather than making two of them, one at each end, make a frame. Only, 'cos it's sunk in a groove, I think you could get away with doing the ones going across the ends with their grain running in the same direction as the rest of the lid, rather than any problematic cross grain fixing. It also, if you're cunning with wood selection, could look like the rasied frame that lodges inside the chest was carved to that point from a thicker original lid.

Hmm, I'll get my pencil and sketch book... :oops:

Cheers, Alf
 
Lots of good suggestions! Mind you, I reckon you original baton idea would be fine too. I can't really add any other ideas that would be worth doing.
As for the competition - why not! Everything in the requirements is in place. ...Unless you want to make another box, then this one shouldn't be allowed :wink:
 
Well finally finished this - hopefully in time for entry into the competition. I'll let the judges decide if my entry is valid ...

http://www.tregarras.com/photos/v/woodw ... nket_chest

Just used simple battens with the lid - it's looks fine and seems to work well. I applied a wax finish - never used this for a whole piece of furniture. So nice and easy to apply with little mess - handy for my restricted work area. Won't be as hard wearing I guess but should be fine for it's purpose.

Cheers

Gidon
 
gidon":2ncv8gyu said:
Won't be as hard wearing I guess but should be fine for it's purpose.

This will be an antique one day and any slight surface blemishes will add to its character.

A very nice box.

Andy
 

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