Blanket/Baby Chest

I was contacted by a client to discuss building a chest she planned to donate to the

St. Cecilia Pregnancy Support Center. The chest is going to be placed at the entrance of the church and parishioners will be asked to donate items for a new born. Once filled, the chest and it’s contents will be donated to a lucky mother.

Overall size - 36" x 20" x 28"
 Made using common pine, I hand cut all dados and rabbets for the case as well as the top slats. This plan was one of the very first projects I built over 25 years ago when I first started woodworking .

Sliding drawer, back trimmed to clear center mounted hinge

Internal drawer and the coopered top make this chest a little different than some others out there. The slats are attached with brass screws and finish washers.

The center mount hinge is child friendly, as it will stop and hold in just about any position to keep hands from being pinched. The top actually has to be pushed close.

Bull nose case trim was made using my #66 Stanley Beading plane with L/N replacement blades.

I really enjoy building this design, and given I was under no real time constraint; I was able to improve on my hand tool skills.

Client chose Old Fashioned Milk Paint, Buttermilk, for the finish.