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| Molly |
I got the idea of a chest, from a Fine Woodworking Magazine article with a hickory and ash blanket chest. I figured that a blanket chest could be used as a toy chest while she was young, and could be converted to a blanket chest as she grew older. I decided on to make the frame out of oak, since I have a lot of it, and to make the panels out of curly maple. I wanted to make my panels look like they flowed, kind of like a triptic.
All of the panels, rails, and stiles are in the same plane, separated by about 1/8th" gap. The panels float in the middle of the stiles with a single pin in the middle to hold the panel in place, while allowing it to expand and contract across the grain.
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| Half way through planing one side of the top |
Builing the top was a challenge. I used 1 large piece of 5/4 oak and cut it to size. This piece was too wide for my planer, so I had to plane it flat by hand - easier said than done. After the first night, I had some pretty monster blisters on my hands. I made a mental note to wear gloves next time. |
| Torsion hinges motised in place |
I knew that this 5/4 oak top was going to be heavy - fine for an adult blanket chest, but dangerous for a young child who is in danger of losing her fingers. For that reason, I bought 3 torsion hinges. Torsion hinges are a newer safer hinge for toy chests. They done have levers in which a child could pinch their fingers, and they are strong enough to hold the top in place in whatever position it is left. If you want to close the lid, you have to push it all the way down. I made a jig to route out the mortises for the hinges so that the lid would sit flush on top of the cabinet when it was closed. I decided to use a danish oil finish which I made from combining equal parts mineral spirits, tung oil, and varnish.
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