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Child's Blanket Chest Free Project Plan

 

Six-board blanket chests were one of the first things the Pilgrims brought to this country from Europe. It was, in effect, their luggage. These wonderful
chests came in all shapes and sizes. Most simple ones were painted. Today, if and when we can find an original, it usually has two or three coats of paint on it. Note the wonderful "snipe" hinges. A very similar "snipe" can be made from four large cotter pins.


Instructions

Step 1
(The drawings are below) Cut all pieces to overall size. If you want a real "old" look, hand-plane the front and back surfaces slightly to get a wavy effect.

Step 2
Glue and clamp wood for the 13-inch-wide front and back boards, parts number 2.

Step 3
Lay out and cut the ends, parts number 1, following the given dimensions. Don't forget to make a notch for the front and back boards.

Step 4
Glue and nail the two ends, parts number 1, to the front/back, parts number 2, and bottom, part number 3. Check that everything is square. Don't try to hide the nails; most original six-board chests were somewhat crude and the nails did show.

Step 5
Nail, but do not glue, the batten board, part number 5, to the lid, part number 4. (This allows for expansion of the lid.) Place them about 1/16 inch away from the sides of the chest.

Step 6
Using a drill, drill holes at about 45 degrees as shown in the drawing at view A-A. Assemble two cotter pins, and place them into the holes; one into the lid and the other into the back board. Temporarily drive them in a little deeper than you think you need, and then with a pair of needle-nose pliers, loop the tips of the cotter pins around and down into the wood. Hammer them down into the wood. This will make a slightly loose fit, but it will look very original. (If you don't like snipe hinges, a regular pair of brass butt hinges can be used.)

Step 7
Sand all over. Since you want this to be "old," round edges where you feel wear would have occurred.

Step 8
Paint or stain to suit. As I like an old-looking blanket chest, I distressed mine and painted it two different colors, on top of each other. Sand down through the top coat here and there to show the first color. If you really want it to look old use a crackle coat, and a top-coat of a black wash.

No.	Name	Size	Required
1	End Board	3/4 x 11 - 17 1/4 LG.	2
2	Front/Back Board	3/4 x 13 - 22 Long	2
3	Bottom Board	3/4 x 9 1/2 - 20 1/2	1
4	Lid	3/4 x 11 1/2 - 23 5/8	1
5	Batten Board	3/4 x 1 - 11 1/4 Lg.	2
6	Snipe Hinge	Cotter Pin 1 3/4	2 PR.
7	Sq. Cut Nail	8 d	42

 
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