How To Make A Blanket Chest
With the right plans, materials, and equipment, you can construct a
Wooden Hope Blanket Chest for Blankets, as shown here.
Materials:
- 3/4" x 4' x 8' Oak (or other hardwood) Plywood: One Piece for the four Sides and Top Panel
- 1/2" x 2' x 4' Oak Plywood Panel: One piece for the Bottom Panel
- 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 8' Solid Oak Material: One piece for the four, Corner Posts
- 3/4" x 3" x 12' Solid Oak Material: One piece for the Four Legs and Finishing Edges
- Kreg Screws; 1/4 lb.
- 1 1/2" Wood Screws; 1/4 lb.
- Four Hinges Hinges
- One Spring-loaded Lid Support
- Sandpaper
- Wood Filler and Glue
- Satin Finish Polyurethane Poly
Step 1: Cut the Box Pieces - Determine the desired size of the chest
- Select the 3/4" Plywood Panel; Rip one piece to 18"; crosscut the Front, Back and two Side pieces
per the layout diagram above
- Select the Front, Back, and two Sides; make a 1/2" x 1/2" dado cut on the interior side/bottom of
these panels to receive the Bottom Panel
- Select the 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 8' Solid Oak Material; cut four pieces @ 18 1/8" for the Corner
Posts; At the bottom of the four Posts, using a miter saw, cut a notch 1/2" x 1/2" deep on the
"interior corner edge", to receive the Bottom Panel, as shown above
- Select 1/2" x 2' x 4' Oak Plywood Panel; cut it to: 37 1/4" x 20 1/2"; round the four corners,
for the Bottom Panel
Step 2: Assemble the Box Pieces - Select the Front, Back, Sides, and the Bottom Panels
- Use the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig System
;
drill the holes along the interior edges of the Front, Back and two Side Panels, as shown above
- Select the two Side Panels; attach the Sides to the Posts (two Posts per side) with Kreg screws
(Note: allign the bottom edges; leave a 1/8" Post extention at the top edge); use a 3/16" piece of
material as a spacer
- Select Front, Back, and two Side Assemblies; using the Kreg screws, attach the Front and Back
Panels to the Corner Posts; allign the bottom edges
- Select the 1/2" Bottom Panel; with glue and 1 1/4" screws, attach the Bottom Panel
Step 3: Make and Attach the Legs - Select the 3/4" x 3" x 12' Solid Oak Material
- Using a "Spacing Block" clamped to the Miter Saw, crosscut eight pieces to 5 1/2"; a 45 degree
angle on one edge, as shown above
- Select the eight blocks, measure down one inch on the flat/square edge; cut a 45 degree angle,
as shown above
- Select the two of the eight pieces, using a Corner Jig, glue, and 1 1/2" screws/brads, connect
the two pieces to form the legs; build all four legs, as shown above
- Using the Kreg System, attach all four legs, as shown above
Step 4: Make and Attach the Top Edge Trim - Select the 3/4" x 3" x 12' Solid Oak
Material
- Set the Table Saw to rip 1/8" thick x 3/4" wide pieces to cover the top edges: two pieces @ 35";
two pieces @ 18"
- Select the four strips; using glue and a minimum number of brads, attach the trim to the top
edges, as shown above
Step 5: Make and Attach the Top Cover - Select the remainder of the 3/4" x 4' x 8'
Oak Plywood
- Cut a piece to 36 3/4" x 20" for the Top Cover
- Select the remainder of the 3/4" x 3" x 12' Solid Oak Material; rip to 3/4" and crosscut four
pieces: Two @ 38 1/4" and two @ 21 3/8"; these pieces will frame the Top Cover Panel
- Using glue and brads, attach the framing pieces to the plywood
- Select the Four Hinges
and attach them to complete the chest
Step 6: Finish the Blanket Chest - Select the Finishing Materials
- Use Wood Filler for all holes
- Complete all sanding
- Apply a minimum of three coats of poly
Copyright 2013 - Wayne Murray
If you are a member of a non-profit organization and have any requests or suggestions regarding
projects for your group, you can send Rod an email at: rodneyg@cheqnet.net
