Blanket Chest By Hand

A simple country design that works with almost any décor. Classic pieces, like this blanket chest, blend nicely into vintage and contemporary settings and, thus, are very popular with woodworkers of all abilities. The simple lines emphasize the beauty of the wood and the extra storage is welcome in any room.

Made completely by hand, from milling the lumber to making the hinges! If you love using hand tools or want to improve your hand-tool skills, Blanket Chest by Hand is a great choice. This dovetailed chest is chock-full of challenging joinery but is not overwhelming. Andrew Hunter did everything by hand, including milling the lumber.

Or choose a timesaving alternate method. You could use a jointer and planer and begin the handwork later, starting with the grooves for the sides, adding the arches to the side pieces, cutting the dovetails and the rabbets, and doing the final smoothing before assembly. If you like, you can even create handmade hinges to attach the lid or select appropriate ready-made hinges.

SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

FINISHED SIZE:
17 in. wide by 29 3/4 in. long by 15 13/16 in. tall

DIGITAL PLAN INCLUDES:

REQUIREMENTS
Google SketchUp (free download available here)

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