| Craftsman Style Blanket Chest |
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I always enjoy
hearing people’s initial reaction to a project. For this
blanket chest, the legs attracted the most attention. If you
look at the photo to the right, it’s easy to see why.
The thick, tapered legs made of solid, straight-grained oak
really set this chest apart.
Well, talking about the legs naturally brought up a few questions.
Like what’s the best way to cut the long, gradual tapers?
And what about the joinery? Doesn’t it require making
tricky, angled cuts? |
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For
starters, all it takes to make the tapers are a table saw and
a shop-made jig. Now don’t worry, this isn’t a complicated
jig that takes longer than the project to put together. In fact,
you can knock it out in about 10 minutes. The result? Identical
tapers on each leg.
As for the joinery, there aren’t any tricky, angled cuts.
That’s because each leg is tapered on the outside edge
only. Although it might not look like it at first glance, the
inside edges of each leg are actually straight.
This design simplifies the joinery considerably. To assemble
the case, I used stub tenon and groove joints — a strong,
fast method of connecting the legs, rails and plywood panels.
Of course,
there’s more to this chest than sturdy construction. Making
an arched front rail and a dovetailed drawer, along with “aging”
hardware all present some interesting challenges. Plus, they
create a classic looking chest that will definitely stand the
test of time. |
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