WTAUNTON’S 18 th-Century Six-Board Chest A project plan for building a sturdy chest For more FREE ©2009 The Taunton Press project plans from Build an Oak Bookcase S m i pS eu lt, dr yW o kr b e n c h From Getting Started in Woodworking, Season 2 Simple,From Sturdy Getting Started inWorkbench Woodworking, Season 2 o u c a n t h a n k M i k e P e k o v i c hBY , AS Fine Woodworking Fine Woodworking’s art direc A CHRISTI Ytor, for designing this simple but From Getting Startedstylish bookcase. in Woodworking, He took a straightfor Season 2 A ward form--an oak bookcase with dado N A BYA CHRISTI-AS and rabbet joints--and added nice pro- A N A BYportions ASA and CHRISTI elegant curves. A N A - We agreed that screws would reinforce his workbench is easy and the joints nicely, and that gave us a de- inexpensive to build, yet is sturdy and sign option on the sides. Choose oak T LUMBER, HAR versatileplugs, and align the grain carefully, andDWARE D ANSUPP enough for any woodworker. 4 LIESLIS T his workbench is easy and inexpensiveThe basethe plugs isLU disappear.MBER, HAR MakeDWARE 8-ft.-longthem from AN Da2x4s, SUPP kiln-driedLIES LIST construction lumber (4x contrasting wood, like walnut,2 and the Tto build, yet is sturdy and versatile4s and 2x4s), joined4 8-ft.-long 2x4s,8-ft.-long kiln-dried 4x4s, kiln-dried rows of plugs add a nice design feature simply with long bolts and s 1 4x8 sheet of MDF Enjoy our entire site enough for any woodworker. The base ishort dowels.to the broad The2 sides,8-ft.-long hinting 4x4s, at ki theln-dried con top is two layers of MDF (m 2 Hardwood pieces for vise jaws, 7 construction lumber (4x4s and 2x4s), edium-densityjoinedstruction in a1 subtle4x8 sheetway. of MDF fiberboard), cut from a single between 1 in. and 1 1/2 in. long by 3 in. wide. Front jaw can simply with long bolts and short dowels. TheBy design2 theHardwood bookcase pieces for contains vise jaws, 7a1/2 in.in. long thick by 3and in. w theide. Frontrear jawjaw ca isn be be sheet, with 1 CLICK HERE NOWenough left over to make a hn u m b e r o f betweenf u n d a 1 m in. eFiller nand t a 1 lblock1/2 l in.- es thick sfor o n andmounting s f the o r r ear vise,jaw is 3/4 in. thick. 3/4 in. thick. 3/4-in.-thick plywood, 4 in. wide top is two layers of MDF (medium-densityandywould-be shelf. furniture-makers, 1 and like the 1 Filler block forbottle mounting of yellow vise, 3/4 -in.-thickglue plywood, 4 in. wide by 6 in. longby 6 in. long The only tools needed to makeother projects in this video series, the fiberboard), cut from a single sheet, with 1 this bench1 bottle of yellow7-in. glue Groz Rapid-Action Woodw are a drill/driver, a circular whole thing can be built with just a few orking Vise (www.woodcraft.com) enough left over to make a handy shelf.saw, and a hand 4 6-ft. lengths of held router or a router table portable power -tools:1 7-in. a circular Groz Rapid-Ac saw, a tion Woodworkin⁄ -in.-dia.g Vise threaded (www.woodcr rod aft.com) The only tools needed to make this benchdrill, and a router 16 . 4 6-ft. lengths ⁄of-in. ⁄ -in.-dia. washers threaded rod There is room at one end for a are a drill/driver, a circular saw, and a handThe- shelves attach to the sides16 with⁄ -in. nuts simple small dadoes, cast- and16 the⁄ -in.back washers and back- iron woodworking vise, whic 2 held router or a router table. hsplash is an essentialdrop into16 rabbets.⁄ -in. nuts Screws2-in.-long rein1/4 -20 bolts, nuts, washers for atta tool in any woodworking sh 2 1 ching front jaw of vise There is room at one end for a smallop.force cast-The the vise dado is joints 2 and2-in.-long also attach 1/4-201/2 the-in.-long, bolts, nuts,1/4 -20 washers flathead for attachin screwsg frontfor attacjaw of vise fitted with non-marring woo lower stretcher, and wood plugs cover hing rear jaw 1 Box of 1/41-in.-long drywall screws for lami FREE for 14 days! iron woodworking vise, which is an essential 2 11/2-in.-long, 1/4-20 flathead screws for attaching rear jaw denthe screw jaws, holes.and the Smaller wood screws- jaws and benchtop receive 4 ⁄ -in.-dia., 2 nating benchtop tool in any woodworking shop. The visearedog used isholes, to attach sized the 1plywoodBox of back.11/4-in.-long drywal1/2-in.-longlL screws U M forlag B lamina Escrews Rting Aandbenchtop N washers, D H A R D W A R E 16 for attaching vise to fit a variety of handy be Curves add life to rectangular4 ⁄ -in.-dia., pieces S-clip-type21/2-in.-long lag tabletop screws and fasteners washers, for attaching vise fitted with non-marring wooden jaws,nch and accessories. the PART of furniture, and Pekovich worked16 in ⁄ -in.-dia. dowels, roughly 3 in. jaws and benchtop receive dog holes, sized 16 S-clip-type tabletop fasteners LIST three types, each irregular and organic longQTY 16 ⁄ -in.-dia. dowels, roughly SI3 in. long 450+ videos, 33-year archive, to fit a variety of handy bench accessories.(as opposed to radius curves that can DES seem mechanical). At the top are gen SIZE 11/2 in. 24 in. tle curves that speed up as they move SHELV MATERIA forward, each taken from a section of ES L a French11/2 in. curve. At the bottom are two - 62 in. 24 in. long curves formed with a flexible wood BACK62 in. S batten, one extending end to end on the PLASH lower stretcher, and the other a short ARCHED 1 ⁄ in.graceful arch2 at⁄ in.the bottom of the sides, STRETCHER ending at a straight step at each end to 4 in. 4 in. suggest legs. Side 2 ⁄ in. 10 in. 3 ⁄ in.3 ⁄ in. BACK 1 stretchers⁄ in. --Asa Christiana, editor, Fine Woodworking L o n g s t r e t c h e r s 1 ⁄ in. 1 ⁄ 10 in. SCREWS in. blogs, and more Side Long stretchers SHEFOR stretchers LVES SCREWS VIDE OS FO 33 ⁄ in.33⁄ in. BACKR 1 ⁄ in.1 ⁄ in. 1 ⁄ in. 9 ⁄ in. 9 in. 17 in. 1 ⁄ in. 9 ⁄ in. 9 in. 9 ⁄ in.9 ⁄ in. 41 in. 31/2 in.17 in. 41 in. 48 in. VID EOS V i s i t u s o n l i n e a t 48 in. FineWoodworking.com/ 31/2 in. Startt o w a t c h a t w o - p a r t v i d e o d e t a i l i n g h o w t o b u i l d t h i s w o r k b e n c h f r o m s t a r t t o f i n i s h . TRY IT NOW VIDEOS Visit us online at FineWoodworking.com/Start to watch a two-part video detailing how to build this workbench from start to finish. 18th-Century Six-Board Chest Copying an original is an excellent way to hone your hand-tool skills BY MIKE DUNBAR his copy of a ca. 1800 blanket lung protection. When a storm knocked White pine chest made the old way. Using chest—also known as a six-board out the power one afternoon, I was able to sharp hand tools, the author made a blanket chest—is an ideal project for hon- keep working. It was delightful—just me, chest in a few afternoons. The till—a box within T the box—is used to hold small items. ing your woodworking skills. While the the wood, the tools and the sunlight. chest can be made by machine, its various At first glance the chest appears to be lit- parts are made equally well (and about as tle more than a nailed box. As you make has been in continuous use for nearly 200 fast) by hand, It was fun to spend a few af- the project, you'll begin to respect simple years and is still solid and very much intact. ternoons making something by hand. It re- joinery that requires mostly rabbets and Its survival is not unique. The chest seems inforced for me how delightful the shop dadoes. You'll begin to realize how much to violate an important woodworking prin- can be when the only noise is the whisk of today's woodworking has developed con- ciple, in that the grain of the ends and sides sharp tools. I rediscovered how pleasant struction into a design element. The origi- is arranged in opposite directions. One woodworking is without hearing, eye and nal chest from which this one was copied would expect this to cause the front or back boards to split. However, that did not happen to the original example or to the PERFECT PANELS untold numbers of other chests like it. Un- like glue, the nailing allows enough move- Two edges at once. Boards that will be edge-glued into panels are folded into a vise so that facing sides are clamped against opposite jaws.