Blanket Chest Project #1: Starting up

Ok…that time of year again….Christmas Gift Exchange…..Grandson’s “Better Half” is mine this year…thinking about building a chest of some sort….blanket….Hope….something along those lines…

had already went out and bought some Ash lumber..

About 25 bft ($20) already planed to 3/4’ thickness…and averaging about 6” wide…11 boards total

So..thinking I could do something like Norm Abram had made….season 1, episode 4…I hauled two planks to the shop…and set out a few tools..

And try to rough cut a few items….but..

have to work around stuff like this..

One on the right is firewood…the one on the left…we can work around….Wasn’t up for the hand saw routine…so, the tablesaw was used…cut a few blanks at ~ 23” long…then look along the edges, use the straightest one against the rip fence..

to about 2-5/8” wide.. managed to get 8 blanks..

There’s that knot, again….Now, 4” up from one end, a foot detail starts, curves around, and down, with a 1” square end….as for that troublesome knot?

used this board as a pattern, and cut the other 7 boards the same way….trying to remove any more such bad spots..

next…corner joint to connect two such items into a solid corner….involves a Tongue & Groove joint….I thought I could use the Stanley 45…..the #5, 1/4” tongue cutter was too dull…at least for Ash..( Pine? maybe?) so, back to the tablesaw to mill that joint..

In the process…I wound up ripping the bad tongue off…so, the other three blanks were also milled to the same width…might have gotten the groove a bit too wide…

Next…I need some “normal ” grooves made, to house some raised panels….question being HOW to hold these things still enough…

One end into the leg vise…the other? Well, I do have a tool well on my bench…that I can hook a clamp into, and clamp the far end of the board to the side of the bench….As long as the fence on the Stanley 45 clears the clamp…

Also, there are 4 “rails”. 3/4” x 2-5/8” x 11-1/2”....that also need a groove to house the top/ bottom of a raised panel….these will be on the ends of the chest…Grooves are about 1/4” x 1/4”. Will come back later, and mill haunched tenons on these rails…and chop a mortise to match…but, for now?

I think this will do, for one day’s work? Was a bit busy..

Sawdust pile from the tablesaw was almost as big…..I’m plumb worn out….

Stay tuned..

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use