new box

[David R. Pennington]

 














Small chest completed.  Boards planed with hand planes. Dovetails hand cut. Moldings cut with antique wooden planes and pinned on with heart pine pins. Bottom panel raised with planes. All hardware hand forged. Hand forged lock with 2 keys. Key bits and loops forge welded. Basket weave handles forge welded with forged eyes clinched inside box. The lock has a spring thumb latch and can be locked with keys. The only thing I didn't make were the wood screws. Painted with milk paint and oiled. What do you think?

[gizamo]

You are to be applauded.... your workmanship is outstanding. Great attention to both architecture and fitment.  High level of detail.

Wonderful.....

Giz

[alyce-james]

Good evening David R. Sir, outstanding workmanship on this project. Each display of different work skills all work together, great job. Boy do I have the cr--, I mean the "collectable stuff" to fill that box with--. Thanks for sharing. AJ. 

[smylee grouch]

I agree with every one so far. Great work. Can you give us some dimentions?

[wattlebuster]

Cool chest

[John SMOthermon]

It looks great!

[David R. Pennington]

 Thanks for all the compliments. I enjoy these kind of projects and the lock was a great learning experience. It has two wards and a simple drop tumbler. There was a lot of trial and error but it works! Box measures 9 1/4"W x 20"L outside excluding moldings. Overall 10 inches tall with lid closed. I didn't measure anything on it. It is made from lumber from an old packing crate so I let the size of the boards dictate the dimensions. That's just how it turned out. I laid the dovetails out by eye and with dividers to what looked right.

[smart dog]

Great box Dave!!

I really like the style, color, finish, everything.  Well done.

dave

[cjarrett]

Excellent craftsmanship.

[crowbarforge]

Nicely done sir. Metal work is very fine.

[Artificer]

Thanks for all the compliments. I enjoy these kind of projects and the lock was a great learning experience. It has two wards and a simple drop tumbler. There was a lot of trial and error but it works! Box measures 9 1/4"W x 20"L outside excluding moldings. Overall 10 inches tall with lid closed. I didn't measure anything on it. It is made from lumber from an old packing crate so I let the size of the boards dictate the dimensions. That's just how it turned out. I laid the dovetails out by eye and with dividers to what looked right.

I wondered where you found pine that "clear" to make the box.  Very impressed with the lock!!  Those "Bean" style offset strap hinges are also very impressive and the box would be destroyed before they would ever fail!  Grin. 

However, please pardon me if it seems I am even more impressed with the handles.  One of the weakest points of such chests when used to store heavier items is the handles.  Screws or bolts can cause the wood to crack or split.  Pardon my poor description, but the ends of your handles that come through the wall of the box look like the ends of large Snipe Hinges?  That looks strong enough to fill the box with soft lead and the handles would not rip out of the wood or even crack the wood.  NICE JOB THERE!!!

That box is an instant heirloom.

Gus

[al56]

Where did you find the plans to make the lock?  That  is so cool. Thanks al

[steveA]

I really like that chest! Very well done Dave.
steve

[David R. Pennington]

The inspiration for the box came from the boards. I installed a piece of equipment that came crated with some of those pine boards and the pack rat that I am couldn't bear to see them in the junk. The plans for the lock don't exist other than in my head. It was a matter of studying some old locks (they fascinate me) and working it out by trial and error. I drew a rough sketch to make sure everything would work dimensionally and started hammering and filing. The first sliding bolt didn't work and I had to reposition and redesign the tumbler a couple times. It also was a learning experience on how stiff the springs should be. I had to keep making them lighter. I should have spent a little more time on fit and finish on the lock, but I was anxious to get it together and see if it would work.
Yes I am sure the handles will be adequate. The eyes are split and rolled and clinched inside and I'm sure the ends would pull off or the bottom fall out before they come loose.
Thanks for the comments. 

[sloe bear]

 I agree, that is some kind of nice box, the color and the style   a all around great piece good job.

[draken]

Dave, You are to be commended on your woodworking skills. The chest is remarkable; doubly so because you used the same tools and methods as in the era it represents.
I envy anyone capable of cutting that many dovetails by hand and have everything fit together.

[David R. Pennington]

Dovetails aren't too hard. Scribe round end of boards. Set tee bevel to angle and lay out tails. Clamp boards together and lay out both ends together. Cut tails and then use tails to lay out pins. Make all the straight cuts you can with back saw and clean out waste with coping saw. Clean everything up with good sharp chisels and paring cuts. Lay out your dado grooves for the bottom so they hit on a tail and remember to stop your dados short of the ends on tails so they don't show. 

[Keb]

Very nice.

[Mark Elliott]

I am in awe and jealous of your work.     I was going to make a blanket chest for myself and use off the shelf hardware.    Unfortunately, you have just raised the bar considerably.   

[crowbarforge]

David R said:
Dovetails aren't too hard.

Then says:
Scribe round end of boards. Set tee bevel to angle and lay out tails. Clamp boards together and lay out both ends together. Cut tails and then use tails to lay out pins. Make all the straight cuts you can with back saw and clean out waste with coping saw. Clean everything up with good sharp chisels and paring cuts. Lay out your dado grooves for the bottom so they hit on a tail and remember to stop your dados short of the ends on tails so they don't show.

I need to read the second part a few more time before the first part can ever be true...

[Kermit]

I need to read the second part a few more time before the first part can ever be true...

Re-reading may not help.

It all makes sense if you've ever done it. And they really are not that hard. It just takes a good mentor or video to follow, and then it's practice-practice-practice to get your marking out, sawing, and paring skills sharpened up. I worked with a young pup several years ago who cut one dovetail joint every day in scrap just to keep it fresh. I saw him mill, mark out, cut, assemble, and start the final fitting of 13 drawer boxes with half blind front and through dovetails rear in one 8 hour day. He was about 4-5 times faster than I am on my best day. That's why I so seldom got to do them in that shop.

[David R. Pennington]

Roy Underhill's book the Woodright's Shop, had a good chapter on cutting dovetails. The first dovetailed box I made was pretty crude. I have it somewhere on a back shelf where no one will see it with nails in it. 

[Elnathan]

Roy Underhill's book the Woodright's Shop, had a good chapter on cutting dovetails. The first dovetailed box I made was pretty crude. I have it somewhere on a back shelf where no one will see it with nails in it. 

Another good book is Tage Frid's book on joinery - it has very detailed instructions plus he shows a method of fixing errors.

[Artificer]

Roy Underhill's book the Woodright's Shop, had a good chapter on cutting dovetails. The first dovetailed box I made was pretty crude. I have it somewhere on a back shelf where no one will see it with nails in it. 

Another good book is Tage Frid's book on joinery - it has very detailed instructions plus he shows a method of fixing errors.

Elnathan,

Is this the one you mean?  http://www.amazon.com/Tage-Frid-Teaches-Woodworking-Book/dp/B000PRTQEE

Gus

[Kermit]

Getting you started...

http://www.google.com/search?q=cutting+dovetails+by+hand+video&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari