This medium sized chest is intended for a child to store his favorite toys, keepsakes, and souvenirs as the years go by. Hence I call it a Treasure Chest. It is 23L by 17W by 16H and is principally constructed of solid Red Alder (the bottom panel is Cherry veneer plywood). It has walnut trim and a monogram plate with English Holly stringing. I began with a plan for a woodworkers tool chest and modified it’s dimensions and style to suit my purpose. It uses large (3/4) finger / box joints cut on the tablesaw and has a frame and panel lid. The finish is Danish Oil with many coats of Wipe-On Poly and then wax.

I was especially pleased with how well the soft close lid stay worked with the overlap rim style lid. There is not any noticeable sound as the lid descends freely and slowly from near vertical to full soft closure. The lid weighed about 5 lbs and had a pivoting torque of 43 inch lbs, placing it mid band on the manufacturers specification for a single lid stay. I think other chest builders can expect good results using the recommendations of this Japanese branded lid stay company.

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