from
oodsmith
W
MAGAZINE
Blanket Chest
Have you ever noticed how dovetails are
always hidden away on the corners of a
drawer? It s never seemed quite right to me
that one of the strongest, and most aes-
thetically pleasing joints used in wood-
working is constantly kept from view.
This hasn t always been the case. In the
18th and 19th centuries, country furniture
often used dovetail joinery because of its
strength and durability. Rather than spend-
ing a lot of time and effort hiding the join-
ery, craftsmen used the exposed dovetails
as both an integral part of their design, and
as a display of their skill.
This is one reason why country furni-
ture, with its simple, functional design has
always fascinated me. So it was only nat-
ural to use this  country style when I
decided to incorporate exposed dovetail
joinery in a typically old-fashioned project
- a blanket chest.
Unlike many of the modern hope chests,
with their overabundance of frills, this chest
is modeled after some of the original coun-
try versions. The drawers are a good exam-
of the front and back rails (C), the end stiles
ple. Unlike the false fronts that are tacked er carcase are identical, and use typical
(A); and on both edges of the center stiles
on the modern versions, all three drawers web frame construction that includes 1/4
(B), see Fig. 3.
on this chest are functional. Masonite panels, and cedar closet lining
APRON AND DIVIDER GROOVES. The next
In keeping with the traditional theme, I (available at local lumberyards) attached
step is to cut grooves for mounting the
decided to build the chest out of cherry ... over the panels.
aprons and drawer dividers between the
a wood that was very abundant, and often The first step is to cut the stiles (A and
frames, see Fig. 3. For mounting the
used during this period. Although moths B) and rails (C) for the upper and lower
aprons, cut a 1/4" x 1/4" groove on one face of
aren t the problem today they were at one frames 1" to 2" longer than their finished
the back rails (C) and end stiles (A), 3/4"
time, I added cedar to the bottom of the lengths, and to a final width of 21/4", see
from the inside edge, see Fig. 3. For the
main box so that every time I open the lid, Fig. 1.
drawer dividers, cut a 1/4" x 1/4" groove on
the aromatic scent fills the room. PANEL GROOVES. Next, grooves are cut
one face of the center stiles, centered on
for attaching the Masonite panels on inside
THE FRAMES
their width.
edge of each frame member. Using a piece
The blanket chest consists of three sec- of the cedar as a guide, the groove is posi- MITERING THE FRAME. Once the grooves
are cut, the frame members are mitered
tions: the main box, the drawer carcase tioned so that the cedar will be flush with
to final length. The front and back rails (C)
that houses the drawers, and the kickboard the frame members after it s attached to the
assembly. I started by building the two Masonite panels, see Fig. 2. Then a 1/4"- are mitered 431/2" long from point to point,
and the end stiles (A) are mitered to 181/4"
frames that form the drawer carcase. wide groove (matching the thickness of the
lengths, see Fig. 1.
Both of the frames that form the draw- Masonite) is cut 1/2" deep on the inside edges
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2
!/4 MASONITE
PANEL CROSS SECTION
C
LOCATION OF GROOVE
GROOVES CUT
DETERMINED BY
ON BOTH SIDES
THICKNESS OF CEDAR
U
13#/4
14#/4
OF CENTER
CEDAR
STILES !/4 x !/2 DEEP
GROOVE
18!/4
14#/4 14#/4
B 13#/4
ON ALL
A
FRAME
MEMBERS
10#/8 16#/4
U
V
!/4 MASONITE
!/2
WIDTH OF FRAME
43!/2 FRAME MEMBER
MEMBERS 2!/4
Plans N O W
page 1 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.
CUT TENONS. To join the center stiles (B)
FIGURE 3
TOP FRAME CROSS SECTION !/4 MASONITE
between the front and back rails, stub
tenons are cut on both ends to fit the
grooves in the rails. The final shoulder-to-
A A
shoulder length of the center stiles should
equal the heel-to-heel length of the end-
!/2
ALL GROOVES
stiles (133/4").
!/4 WIDE, !/4 DEEP GROOVES
!/4 WIDE,
!#/16
CENTERED ON CENTER STILES
PANELS. Once the tenons are cut, the end !/4 DEEP
#/4
panels (U) are cut 103/8" x 143/4", and dry
assembled with the frame to find the
B
dimensions for the center panel (V). Then
measure the center opening, and cut a 1/4"
BOTTOM FRAME CROSS SECTION
Masonite panel to fit the groove-to-groove
dimensions, see Fig. 4.
ASSEMBLY. After the panels are cut to FIGURE 4 BACK RAIL
size, dry clamp both frames together to
make sure that everything fits and the
assembly is square. Once everything checks
out, glue both frames together ... with the
panels glued in place.
11%/8 15#/4 11%/8 18!/4
MOLDING
When the frames are dry, 3/8" is trimmed off
all four sides of the upper frame, see Fig.
NO GROOVE ON FRONT RAIL
5. By cutting an equal amount off all four
sides, the grooves for the apron and draw-
43!/2
er dividers in the upper frame remain per-
fectly aligned with the grooves in the lower
frame. (In this case, the upper frame will
FIGURE 5
be a total of 3/4" smaller in both dimensions
TRIM #/8 OFF ALL
FOUR SIDES OF
than the lower frame.)
17!/2
UPPER FRAME ONLY
42#/4
RABBET THE LOWER FRAME. Next, a rab-
bet is cut on the bottom edge of the lower
frames so the kickboard can be joined to it.
END STILES AND RAILS
ARE 1&
/8 WIDE
Note: When cutting this rabbet, be sure
ON UPPER FRAME
it s on the face without the 1/4" x 1/4" groove, UPPER FRAME
!/4 MASONITE
see Lower Frame detail in Fig. 6. PANEL
ROUT THE EDGE. The top outside edges on
both frames are routed using a 1/2" corner
round bit, leaving a 1/8" shoulder. Note: On
the upper frame, this molding is cut on the
face without the 1/4" x 1/4" groove, see Fig.
43!/2
18!/4 NO GROOVE ON FRONT
6. On the lower frame, this cut is made on
RAIL ON BOTH FRAMES
the face with the groove.
After the corner round was cut on both
STILES AND RAILS
frames, I softened the bottom edges of the ARE 2!/4 WIDE
ON LOWER FRAME LOWER FRAME
upper frame, see Fig. 6. This edge can be
removed with a sander, or with a 1/4" round-
ing over bit set for a very shallow cut.
FIGURE 6
UPPER FRAME LOWER FRAME
CEDAR LINING. Next, the cedar closet lin-
!/2 CORNER
!/8 SHOULDER
!/8 SHOULDER
ing is attached over the panels. First, trim
!/2 CORNER ROUND BIT
ROUND BIT
off the tongue and groove moldings on the
edges of the cedar. Then I ripped five equal
!#/16 !#/16
width pieces to fit the panel opening, leav-
KNOCK OFF
ing a small gap between each piece for
CORNER
1& #/8 WITH !/4 %/8
/8
expansion, and cut the cedar to fit snug
!/8
CORNER ROUND
2!/4
lengthwise in the panel opening. GROOVE FOR APRON
To glue the cedar to the frames, I used
yellow glue and clamped the slats in place
FIGURE 7
UPPER FRAME ONLY
using clamping boards and pipe clamps,
see Fig. 7.
PIPE CLAMP
SAND. With the cedar glued in place, light-
ly sand both the cedar and the frame. (Note:
CROSS SECTION
Be careful not to oversand the edges of the
CLAMPING BOARD
frame that mate with the box and drawer
CEDAR SLATS
carcase.) Then the frames are joined with
!/16 SPACE
CEDAR SLATS BETWEEN
aprons and dividers to form the drawer
CEDAR SLATS
UPPER FRAME RAILS
carcase.
Plans N O W
page 2 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.
FIGURE 8
THE DRAWER CARCASE
APRONS DRAWER DIVIDERS
42!/8
Aprons and drawer dividers are used to
connect the two web frames, and complete
E
5
the drawer carcase assembly, see Fig. 9. I
BACK APRON 5 5
started by cutting the aprons (D and E),
TONGUE
ROUGH LENGTH 44
CENTERED
and the drawer dividers (F) 5" wide, and to
4!/2 4!/2
ON
16!/2 15!%/16
THICKNESS rough lengths, see Fig. 8.
OF STOCK
TONGUES. The next step is to form
D F
5 5
tongues on the aprons and dividers that fit
END APRONS (2) DRAWER DIVIDERS (2)
!/4 x !/4
the 1/4"-wide grooves in the frames. On the
TONGUES
17!/4 16!/4
drawer dividers (F), rabbets are cut on
ROUGH DIMENSIONS
both edges to form tongues centered on
the thickness of the divider, see Fig. 8. The
FIGURE 9
shoulder-to-shoulder width between the
DRAWER CARCASE ASSEMBLY
rabbets should be 41/2".
MITERED-SPLINE CORNER JOINT
On the aprons (D and E), rabbets are cut
42!/8 LONG POINT TO LONG POINT
so the tongues are flush with the inside
MITERED-SPLINE
BUTT JOINT
face of the apron. Be sure that the shoul-
CORNER JOINT
E
der-to-shoulder width is exactly the same
BACK APRON
as on the drawer dividers (41/2").
MITERS. The back corners of the aprons
F 4!/2
are joined with a mitered spline joint to
DRAWER
DIVIDER
help keep everything lined up during
D
LOWER END
assembly. Miter the back corners of the
WEB FRAME APRON
side aprons so the tongue is on the heel
side of the miter, see Fig. 9. Then the front
16!/2
edge on both end aprons is trimmed so the
FRONT EDGES MUST BE IN LINE
overall length is 161/2". Also, trim back the
SPLINE #/8
tongue on the aprons to fit the grooves in
the frames, see Fig. 10.
E
Next, I inserted both end aprons (D) in
LOWER FRAME
D
the upper frame, and mitered the back
!/2
apron (E) to fit between them.
CORNER DETAIL TOP VIEW
MITERED SPLINE. While the saw is still
set at 45°, cut a 1/4"-deep kerf on the face of
FIGURE 10 FIGURE 11
D 1
the miters for the /8"-thick Masonite
LENGTH OF DRAWER DIVIDER IS
!/8 x #/4
16!/2 , LESS THICKNESS
splines, see Detail in Fig. 9.
DRAWER GUIDE
OF BACK APRON
TRIM DIVIDERS. Then the drawer dividers
APRON END
(F) are trimmed to the length of the end
aprons, less the thickness of the back apron
NOTCH TONGUE
F
(so the front edges of the dividers and
TO FIT IN GROOVE
A aprons are flush).
END
DRAWER GUIDES. To complete the draw-
MASONITE
STILE
DRAWER GUIDE
PANEL
#/4 WIDE, !/8 THICK er carcase, I cut 1/8" x 3/4" drawer guides,
C
and glued them to the end aprons and draw-
FRONT RAIL
GLUE !/16 ABOVE SHOULDER
er dividers as shown in Figs. 10 & 11.
Although all the parts for the drawer car-
FIGURE 12 KICKBOARD FRONT/BACK case are finished at this point, it s not
assembled until after the kickboard assem-
G
3!/2
6&8 12#/4 bly and the main box are built.
/
KICKBOARD ASSEMBLY
43&
/8
KICKBOARD SIDE
The kickboard assembly consists of a mold-
!/8
H
3!/2 MASONITE
ed frame that s joined with miter and
SPLINE
!/4
splines, see Fig. 12.
!/2
The kickboard sides are cut 31/2" wide
3 5!/4
18%/8 TOP VIEW CORNER DETAIL and long enough to fit the rabbet on the
bottom edge of the lower frame, see Fig. 12.
Then the patterns shown in Fig. 13 are
FIGURE 13 KICKBOARD TEMPLATES
12#/4 5!/4 traced on the kickboard sides, cut out using
a band saw, and the kickboard assembly is
1
FRONT/BACK TEMPLATE SIDE TEMPLATE
1!/2
glued together.
GENTLE  S CURVE
3!/2
MAIN BOX
!/2 GRID !/2 GRID
With both the drawer carcase and kick-
board assembly finished, it s finally time
6&8 3
/
to cut some dovetails.
Plans N O W
page 3 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.
GLUING UP The first step is to glue up
.
FIGURE 14
BOX DIMENSIONS
enough stock to produce two solid-wood
panels for the front and back (I) with rough
NOTE: MEASUREMENTS INCLUDE AN
EXTRA !/16 IN LENGTH FOR
dimensions of 12" x 42", and two panels for
CUTTING DOVETAIL JOINT
the ends (J) with rough dimensions of 12"
x 17". (See page 13 for the step-by-step
procedure I used.)
After the panels are glued together, flat-
ten them using a hand plane or belt sander.
Then trim the panels for the front and back
to final dimensions of 111/2" x 415/16", and
11!/2 I
the end panels to 111/2" x 161/16".
FRONT/BACK
Note: So the dovetail corners can be
J
sanded flush after assembly, the measure-
END
ments given are 1/16" longer than the final
dimensions of the box.
41%/16
DOVETAILS. I used the layout shown in
Fig. 14, and cut the dovetails using a router
jig. Of course, if the spirit moves you, the
16!/16
dovetails can also be cut by hand. After
the dovetails are cut, the box is glued
DOVETAIL DETAIL
together, and the dovetail corners are sand-
ed flush.
ASSEMBLY
Once the main box is glued together, the
%/8
%/8
#/8 1 #/8 2 #/8 2
drawer carcase is attached to the bottom #/8 2 #/8 1 #/8
11!/2
edge of the box.
UPPER FRAME. The first step is to attach
the upper frame of the drawer carcase to
FIGURE 15
CROSS SECTION
the box. To do this, center the molded edge
1st ATTACH BOX TO UPPER FRAME
of the upper frame around the bottom edge 2nd ATTACH DRAWER CARCASE
UPPER
3rd ATTACH KICKBOARD ASSEMBLY
!/4 FRAME
of the box, see Fig. 15. Then clamp the
16
frame to the box, and drill pilot holes for #8
41!/4
BOX
x 11/4" woodscrews 11/8" from the outside
edge of the frame members. Finally, I
BOX
unclamped the frame, applied glue to the
%/16
F
bottom edge, and screwed the upper frame
#8-
DRAWER DIVIDER
1!/2
to the box.
21
11!/2
APRONS. To assemble the rest of the
1!/8
D
drawer carcase, glue the aprons (with the END
D
END APRON UPPER FRAME
APRON
splines in the mitered corners), the draw-
er dividers and the lower frame in place.
4!/2
Note: Be sure to keep the front edges of the #/16
drawer dividers and end aprons in line.
#/16
16!/2
KICKBOARD. After the drawer carcase
43&
/8
assembly has dried, the kickboard is glued
to the rabbet on the bottom edge of the
LOWER FRAME
18%/8
lower drawer carcase frame, see Fig. 15.
H
3!/2
LOWER FRAME
H
LIP MOLDING
KICKBOARD KICKBOARD
With the bottom section completed, I
flipped the cabinet right side up and start-
ed on the lip molding for the top edge of the
box.
To make the lip molding, rip enough stock FIGURE 16 MITER CORNER
FIGURE 17
!/4
13/4" wide for all four sides of the box. Then TOP LIP MOLDING ROUND OVER
TOP LIP MOLDING
cut a 1/8"-deep groove 5/8" from the outside
1#/4
L K
edge of the molding, see Fig. 16. (Note:
Adjust the width of this groove to fit the
%/16
top edge of the cabinet.)
!#/16
Next, rout a 1/2" cove on the bottom out-
side edge of the lip molding, and remove the
!/2
COVE J
sharp corners on the inside edges using a
BIT
1
/4" rounding over bit set at a very shallow INSIDE CORNER
%/8
depth. Finally, miter the lip molding to fit
GLUE AND CLAMP TO TOP EDGE
!/8 DEEP
I
the rim of the box, and glue it in place, see OF BOX ON ALL SIDES
ROUT TO WIDTH OF BOX SIDE
Fig. 17.
Plans N O W
page 4 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.
FIGURE 18
THE LID
43!/4
Even though the first thing most people
notice on a blanket chest is its lid, most
CROSS SECTION
contemporary chests are sold with either
cushions covering the lid, or a little railing
LID
around the perimeter.
18 M !/2 ROUND OVER !#/16
WITH !/8 SHOULDER
GRAIN DIRECTION
For the lid on this chest, I decided to fol-
low the design found on most traditional
#/8 OVERHANG
#/8
ON ALL EDGES
chests - a flat, solid-wood lid that s simple
in design, and lets the beauty of the wood
ROUND OVER speak for itself.
BOX
BOTTOM EDGE
GLUING. Since the lid overhangs the lip
SLIGHTLY
molding 3/8" on all four sides, the first step
is to glue up enough stock to produce a
FIGURE 19
panel that can be trimmed down to pro-
FRONT VIEW CHEST
vide the 3/8" overhang. Then the lid (M) is
planed flat, and trimmed to its final dimen-
12!/16 18 12!/16
sions.
4!/2
MOLDING. After the lid is trimmed to final
11 16!%/16 11
size, its outside edge is molded with a 1/2"
rounding over bit, leaving a 1/8" shoulder, see
Cross Section detail in Fig. 18. Then on the
bottom outside edge, the sharp edge is
removed using a 1/4" rounding over bit set
TOP VIEW DRAWERS
at a very shallow depth of cut.
16!%/16
11 11
THE DRAWERS
One of the things that makes this chest dif-
ferent from its modern counterparts are
ALIGN OUTSIDE EDGE
three functional drawers. The drawers are
SCREW FALSE FRONT OF DRAWER FRONT
TO DRAWER WITH OUTSIDE EDGE
built in two sections; the four-sided draw-
!/16 SPACE !/16 SPACE
OF APRON
er, and the false fronts that are molded to
match the design of the chest.
S
4&
/16
T T
FALSE FRONTS DRAWERS. The first step is to cut the 1/2"
drawer stock for the fronts and backs (N
12 18 12
and O) to fit between the drawer runners,
and 1/16" narrower than the height of the
FIGURE 20
openings. Then cut the sides of the draw-
11 DRAWER DIMENSIONS
ers (P) 15" long (for a 1" clearance at the
4&
/16
N
GROOVE #/8
back of the drawer), and to the same width
FROM BOTTOM
SMALL DRAWER FRONT/BACK
as the drawer fronts.
DOVETAIL DETAIL
!/4 WIDE, #/16 DEEP
(2 PIECES)
ON ALL PIECES
JOINERY. To keep the joinery consistent,
%/16 I used through dovetails routed with a jig
(the spacing is shown in Fig. 20). (Note:
15 4&
/16
These drawers could also be joined with
O
1#/8
half blind dovetails using the standard
4&
/16
SIDES
(6 PIECES)
router fixtures reviewed in Woodsmith No.
4&
/16
22.)
After completing the corner joinery, cut
a 1/4" groove for the drawer bottom (Q and
FRONT/BACK
16!%/16
1#/8
R) 3/8" from the bottom edge, see Fig. 20.
P
BOTTOM. Finally, dry clamp the drawers
4&
/16
PINS
LARGE DRAWER FRONT/BACK
together and measure the groove-to-groove
(2 PIECES)
SIDE
%/16
openings for the drawer bottoms. Then cut
TAILS
the 1/4" Masonite bottoms to fit, and glue
the drawers together with the drawer bot-
FIGURE 21
FIGURE 22
toms in place. (Shop Note: To apply clamp-
ing pressure to the tails, I used the clamp-
1#/4
DOVETAIL
SIDE CENTERED
ing block shown in Fig. 21.)
CLAMPING
ON
BLOCK
FALSE FRONTS. Each drawer has a 13/16"-
DRAWER
FRONT
thick false front that s attached directly to
2!/2
the drawer front. To find the dimensions for
!/8 SHOULDER the large false front (S), measure from cen-
ter to center on the drawer dividers, see
Fig. 19. Then cut the large false front to
!/2
CROSS SECTION
FRONT/BACK
ROUNDING
CLAMP PRESSURE this length, and to the same height as the
OVER BIT
DIRECTION
drawers.
Plans N O W
page 5 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.
To find the lengths for the small drawer
FIGURE 23
DRILL !/2 HOLE FOR HARDWARE
fronts (T), measure the distance from the
FALSE FRONT
!/4 GROOVE, #/16 DEEP
center of the drawer dividers to the outside
edge of the side apron, and subtract 1/16"
#/16
for clearance, see Fig. 19. Then cut the two
FRONT #8 - 1 WOODSCREW
small false fronts to length, and to the same
height as the drawers.
MOLDING. The outside edges on the false
fronts are routed with a 1/2" rounding over
bit to match the moldings on the cabinet, !/4 MASONITE BOTTOM
see Fig. 22. Then I attached the large false
BACK
front centered on the large drawer, and the
small drawer fronts so they re flush with
P
the outside face of the end aprons, see Fig. SIDE
23.
HARDWARE
DRAWER PULLS. The drawer pulls I used
are centered on the width, 13/4" down from
the top edge of the drawer fronts, and the
screw holes are counter-bored from the
back, see Fig. 22.
LOCK. To mount the full mortise lock, I
FIGURE 24 FIGURE 25
HINGE ATTACHMENT
LOCK MORTISE DETAIL
drilled a series of 3/8" holes 1" from the front
FINAL
edge of the lip molding, see Fig. 24. Then
WIDTH
&
/16
the hole for the key is drilled, and the CHISEL
M
5
escutcheon is mounted over the key hole.
USE #/8 DRILL BIT
HINGES. When mounting the special
#8 x %/8
K
hinges (that are designed for the excessive BRASS SCREW
LIP MOLDING
overhang of the lid), mortise them into both
K
the lip molding and the lid, see Fig. 25.
BOX
Then I added an optional lid support to pre-
1
vent the lid from slamming shut.
KITS. Woodsmith Project Supplies is
HINGE
offering three hardware kits which include
hinges, a lid support, and drawer pulls. Call
POSITION HINGE
PIN JUST BEYOND
1-800-444-7002 for more information.
EDGE OF LIP
FINISH. I applied two coats of tung oil
MORTISE 2 DEEP
I
sealer, and four coats of medium luster tung
#8 x 1
CUT OFF SHANK
BOX
oil. Note: Be sure not to finish the cedar, or
BRASS
SCREW
you ll reduce its aromatic characteristic.
MATERIALS LIST CUTTING DIAGRAM
!#/16 x 7!/4 -- 96 (2 BOARDS)
Overall Dim.: 221/2"H x 185/8"W - 437/8"L
I I
13
A End Stiles (4) /16 x 21/4 - 181/4
I I
13
B Center Stiles (4) /16 x 21/4 - 143/4
!#/16 x 7!/4 -- 96
13
C Frt/Bk Rails (4) /16 x 21/4 - 431/2 M M
13 M M
D End Aprons (2) /16 x 5 - 161/2
13
E Back Apron (1) /16 x 5 - 421/8
M M 48 x 48 -- !/4 MASONITE
13
K K
F Drawer Dividers (2) /16 x 5 - 1515/16
13
G Kickboard Frt/Bk (2) /16 x 31/2 - 437/8 J J J J H
13 J J J J H U
V Q
H Kickboard Ends (2) /16 x 31/2 - 185/8
!#/16 x 5!/2 -- 96
13
I Box Frt/Bk (2) /16 X 111/2 - 411/4
G G
13
J Box Ends (2) /16 X 111/2 - 16 L L
13
K Top Lip Frt/Bk (2) /16 X 13/4 - 421/2 V U Q
C C
13 C C
L Top Lip Ends (2) /16 X 13/4 - 171/4
13
M Lid (1) /16 X 177/8 - 431/4 T S T E
1
N Sm Drawer Frt/Bk (4) /2 x 47/16 - 11
!#/16 x 5!/2 -- 72 U U R
1
O Lg Drawer Frt/Sk (2) /2 x 47/16 - 1615/16
F F D D
1
P Drawer Sides (6) /2 x 47/16 - 15
A A B B
Q Sm Drawer Bottom (2) cut to fit
A A B B
R Lg Drawer Bottom (2) cut to fit
!/2 x 5!/2 -- 96
13
S Lg False Front (1) /16 x 47/16 - 18
P P P P P P
13
T Sm False Front (2) /16 x 47/16 - 12
1
N N N N O O
U End Panel (4) /4 x 103/8 - 143/4
1
V Center Panel (2) /4 x 163/4 - 143/4
W Aromatic Red Cedar cut to fit
Plans N O W
page 6 © 1998, August Home Publishing Co.