I’ve been wanting to build a blanket chest to match a Shaker pencil post bed that I had made for myself for quite some time.  While taking a trip to the lumberyard with a fellow editor, I spied the perfect cherry boards. The dealer had two 14 foot long boards and one was 14 inches wide. I couldn’t pass them up for that one board was perfect for the front of the blanket chest.

I designed this blanket chest with ideas from several books. The starting point was from John Kassay’s book The Book of Shaker Furniture.  I incorporated the details that I preferred from a couple others and from the numerous articles that Fine Woodworking has published. With a plan in order I went right to building as soon as the holidays were past me.  In about 3 months of working weekends and hours after my real job I had all the dovetails cut fitted and glued in every piece. Through dovetails in the case. Mitered dovetails for the molded base and Half-blind and through dovetails for the drawer. Quite a few hand cut dovetails.  Lots of fun.  

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