Location: Laurel, MD

Hobbyist or Pro: Hobbyist

Finish Used: I used a spray finish (Earlex 5000) to spray General Finish. I started with two coats of Seal-A-Cell and finished with four coats of Arm-R-Seal. I sanded between each coat, starting with 200 grit and finishing with 600 before the final coat.

Wood Species: Frames are African Rosewood, Panels are Soft Maple

Project Description:
I have been wanting to make a blanket chest for our bedroom for many years. I finally felt that my skills were up to the task. The design is based largely on an article from Fine Woodworking (#129) with customizations. I added a curve on the bottom rails to break up the hard horiztonal lines. I also added a center piece on the front/back panels to break up the large piece of maple and prevent the maple from dominating the entire piece. I also added some aromatic cedar to the inside of the chest.

For the hinges, I used four (4) brass hinges and then added three (3) CPSC approved hinges to prevent the lid from slamming down.

The joinery is mortise and tenon. The panels float in between the stiles and rails. I added a cove bead to the ends of the panels to create a bit of a shadow line and to soften the piece a bit.

The project took almost 5 months elasped time and probably around 240 hours of actual work. I made a few mistakes, but also learned how to correct them by watching the videos from Marc.

It was a great project. I had fun doing it and have greatly increased my confidence in my woodworking skills. I have had several family members ask me to make one for them.

Location: Missouri

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: As requested by the customer, I sanded to 220 grit followed by 3 coats of minwax satin polyurethane. Smooth and rustic end result.

Wood Species: Red Oak

Project Description:
A former high school classmate contacted me after seeing some projects I posted online. She requested to have a coffee table made for her father out of an old front door from his childhood home. She asked to maintain as much of, if not the entire art work and scroll work on the door. She also asked to have the door cut down so that the two remaining halves could be created into two separate tables. I cut the door down to size as requested, but due to dry rot and the age of the door, it began to separate at its joints. I had to repair these first. I then created two “shadow” boxes that would wrap completely around the two doors halves in order to protect them from any further damage and to create a beautiful inlay. I finished the tops with 1/4” beveled/polished glass recessed into a 1/4” by 3/8” groove. Now came the challenging part. I debated how to complete the bottom of the biggest table which would eventually be the blanket chest/coffee table. I decided to make 6 panels from 1×4 stock boards with the biscuit jointer to join the pieces. Thanks to you, Marc, I tried my best to match pieces appropriately, but there are a few sections of panels that didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted. But I am learning. After the glue up was complete, I turned my attention to the legs that were receiving the panels. I created 3×4” dados into the legs. I then took my time to create the “tenons” on the panels in order to get a good tight but not too tight joint. Since I live in the St. Louis area, I thought what is more fitting than an arched bottom on all 4 sides of the box. So with thin strips of wood, I made an arch on a scrap piece of wood. Then I used a flush trim bit to actually create the arch on the finished lumber. The arches are quite subtle but turned out great. Lastly, for the blanket chest, I decided a cedar bottom would not only look great but it would be functional as well. No bugs here! After much staining and finishing, the lid was attached with a 42” brass piano hinge. The second, smaller table was completed with a weave pattern second shelf. This was created from 5x1x2” boards running each direction and 50 dados equally spaced in order to create the look. This part of the project was an 8 hour setup and completion. But it was worth it in the end. The table was finished the same as the blanket chest and they matched perfectly. This project was certainly challenging and difficult, but it was a great project with a great ending. The customers were extremely happy with the finished product.

As for the joinery on this project, I have already mentioned dados on some parts. There are also many biscuits throughout the project as well as pocket holes. The pocket holes were completed with plugs and stain so as to almost completely blend in with little distraction. Oh yeah, did I mention a lot of glue in strategic places? Enjoy!

“Hey Marc! I wanted to show you a few pictures of my first completed piece of what I guess you’d call “casework”. I made this blanket chest as a gift for my brother-in-law and his soon-to-be bride. It’s made out of rift sawn and quartersawn white oak. The dimensions are 42″L x 21″W x 20″D. This project was a first for me using many different techniques. It’s the first breadboard lid I’ve made, as well as the first time I’ve attempted a frame-and-panel case. I used aromatic red cedar planks, purchased from Home Depot as “closet liner”, to line the box. These were applied with 3/4″ brads.”

“I started the finishing process by applying a liberal coat of Transtint’s Dark Mission Brown, mixed in distilled water. After a light 320 grit sanding, I applied a coat of dewaxed shellac. From there, I wiped on a thick coat of General Finishes walnut gel stain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then wiped it off with a clean cloth. After another light sanding, I applied three coats of General’s Satin High Performance topcoat, rubbed with 0000 steel wool between coats. A couple of coats of paste wax later, and this is where it’s at.”

“My wife loves it and has mentioned a couple of times already that her brother will never know that they didn’t get their “original” gift. :-) I guess I’ll be making another one of these soon. Thanks for looking!”