Blanket Chest by Hand
Hand tools and white pine make it a treat to build this country classic
Synopsis: Country designs, like that of this blanket chest, fit into a wide variety of settings and are perfect projects to develop your hand-tool skills. This dovetailed chest is chock-full of challenging joinery but is not overwhelming. Andrew Hunter did everything by hand, including milling the lumber. But 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.
Trends in furniture come and go, but Early American country furniture endures. Country pieces, with their simplicity and practicality, can find a home in any setting, from an 18th-century farmhouse to a New York City loft. The clean, unpretentious designs, born of necessity, have an honesty that gives them lasting…
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Get the Plan
CAD-drawn plans and a cutlist for this project are available in the Fine Woodworking store.
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