Dovetail joinery is a long time favorite type of joinery among wood artisans when constructing furniture, especially blanket chests. This joinery style has proven, over the centuries, its ability to withstand use and still be as good as the day it was made. People take pride in their ownership of blanket chests wood crafted with dovetail joinery, not only for its lasting durability, but also for the beauty of design in fine detailing. These wood chests have become family heirlooms. Blanket chests still remain to be a great favorite as a handcrafted gift given from the heart.
To create your own blanket chest with dovetail joinery, you must first ask yourself some very simple questions. Do you want a blanket chest that is completely handcrafted or do you want to take less time and use power tools? What type of hardwood will you choose? Have you chosen a design that fulfills your exact dimensional needs? Do you need to add a footed style to your design? Are you thinking of adding engraving, either as a design element, or to state the name of the person who is receiving this gift and the special event? Are you adding a lock and key? Are going to use specialized hinges?
Early American wood artisans, of course, did not have power tools to aide them in constructing blanket chests. They used a wood chisel and hammer to cut out their dovetail joints. These wood artisans chose not to use nails in creating blanket chests since that hardware has a tendency to create splits in the wood and will work themselves loose over time. Families needed blanket chests to be very strong and durable since they were very large and held household items and family treasures. Some blanket chests were constructed with a drawer along the bottom in which to place a wedding dress. This method of handcrafting is still used by many wood workers since it gives them great satisfaction to create a family heirloom with their own two hands.
Hand chiseled dovetail joinery does take skill, so many wood workers choose using routers that are connected inside of a special routing table along with a dovetailing jig to guide their work. This is easier than hand chiseled joints, but it does also need skill and attention to detail to create a beautifully made blanket chest. The dovetailing jigs do come with explicit instructions that do need to followed to the letter. The 'tails' should be cut before the 'pins' since it is easier to correct the length of the 'pins'. You may have to use a wood chisel to finish cleaning out any remaining debris. Always do a 'dry' fit the sides before adding glue to joinery angles to ensure a perfect fit. The joints should be snug, but not too snug to require you to use a mallet to take them apart. After you glue and assemble the joints make sure that you wipe off all the excessive glue since it is so difficult to remove later and it will interfere with a great looking staining job. Remember to use a wood mallet to join your sides along with another piece of wood so that your are not directly hitting your joints with the mallet.
Cherry, oak, maple, Eastern pine and walnut have been the woods of choice for centuries. Early America wood artisans, who were actually known as cabinet makers by trade, used oak and walnut mainly to construct blanket chests. These two types of hardwood carry stain very well. Blanket chests at this point in time usually had engraved designs and painted designs that needed a dark background to display them properly. German immigrants created blanket chests that were fully covered in painted designs and are heirloom pieces that are highly sought after today.
So,think about the stain color you would like before choosing the wood, since some hardwoods are already fairly dark. Choose a blanket chest plan that has the exact dimensions you need. Think about adding a footed base since it will give your blanket chest a more finished look. Add engraving or painted designs to give it a more personal touch. Lastly, safety is important so remember to choose high quality safety hinges.
At this point you are thinking that you do not have access to a work shop and expensive power tools where you can spend hours in the creation of a family heirloom blanket chest. Luckily, there are blanket chest vendors who offer finely made wood chests with optional choices. One such company that offers handcrafted blanket chests of the highest quality and who will make special orders is Blanket Chest Heirlooms.com.
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