A couple years ago a friend of a family member asked if I could build something for her. I was asked to build a wooden storage chest with personalised wood burning on the front as an anniversary gift. They were looking for any style wooden chest with internal separation boxes for smaller items as well as bigger items. They didn't have any design or material specifications other than rough dimensions and for the text to be on the front. So I agreed and got stuck in...
Materials; Pinewood Glue Screws & hardware (hinges) Stain & clear varnish
The chest was constructed using simple "butt joint" joinery. I used some glue and screws to hold everything together and add strength. I chose to use this method for the carcass because of its simplicity. For the storage boxes inside I used finger joints for the construction. This is a very strong joint and should hold up to longtime abuse. I used glue and clamps for pressure until the glue dried. I removed the clamps after 24hours. I made a cleat/panel system inside the chest so that the storage boxes are able to slide back and forth above other items on the bottom of the chest. This helps to keep items organised inside and easily accessible. With the main construction now complete the only thing left was to fit the hinges and attach the lid. I used "T-gate hinges" on this project. When the underside of the lid is visible these hinges give the chest some character. (images of 'butt joint' and 't-gate hinge' below)
Once everything was sanded down using an orbital sander, the next stage was to apply the text using a pyrography wood burning pen. For the final stage of the project, I applied the first coat of stain and let it dry completely before coming back to do some sanding by hand. For this, I use a sanding block with higher grit for a smooth finish. I used different coloured stains to give the project and 'olde worlde' feel. I wanted to create a storage chest that seemed aged, like it had been around for a few years. I applied a second coat before applying the clear varnish sealer making sure to once again sand between coats.
I really enjoyed my time on this build. It was one of my first chests that I ever made. At the time I had only ever worked on building smaller items. So the change was nice!
If you've got this far then thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you liked the insight into one of my previous chest builds. Keep a look out for a future post on a new 'Blanket Chest' that I'm currenty building.
Until Next Time...
KPD
The Finished Storage Chest
