American Girl Doll Trunk

[Gerry Leath]

I've been asked to make an American Girl Doll Trunk for a Christmas present. I've already googled and can't seem to find a pattern. Anybody have any ideas for me? Thanks!

Gerry

[Charles Krug]

Their website should have pictures and overall outside dimensions. The rest can be estimated "close enough" from the pictures, knowing the approximate height of the dolls.

I'm not certain how to deal with the shelves. Card stock maybe?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've made all sorts of doll sized things for my grand daughters. The doll is 18" so I use 20" inside for beds, cradles, etc. If you want to scale the chest to the "official" AGD size, it should probably be about 10" long and cost much more than it is worth. I made the girls a chest that is 24" long and they were very happy with them.

Anything you make will be superior to anything AG sells. Ed

[Gerry Leath]

Thanks for all the ideas!

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Gerry, You can see a couple of doll sized things on my web page. They may give you some ideas as to what will work. I have other photos and other items also. I'm finishing up a few hammocks in time for Christmas.

Aside from the chest that I made from birch plywood and jatoba trim, everything else is just plain old pine. Ed [e-mail]

[solarman]

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[Andy Dingley]

It's a box. Got shelves in.

I don't see "American Girl" as being much help here. They make these things by the truckload, you're doing a one-off. Techniques like die-stamping just aren't going to help you.

If it were me, I'd kidnap a doll for sizing (winter sports holiday in Lapland) and then make one from corrugated cardboard. Get the sizes right first.

Then I'd adjust the fence on the bandsaw nice and square, and set to with either 4mm MDF or thin birch plywood. Glued butt joints are perfectly adequate for a closed box of this size, especially if you put glue blocks in the main corners of the chest. The old trick of making a sealed box, then bandsawing off the lid is also a good one.

Buy suitable fittings early on - doll's house makers have lots of useful stuff (there's also a Usenet group for doll's houses). Watch out for problems when adding a catch later, as you don't have enough thickness to use woodscrews. Plan ahead and give thick edges which you can use with small nuts and bolts. It's also worth designing it so that any interior doors or drawers are clamped shut when the main lid is closed, so you only need one catch for the whole piece.

Scanning fabrics or interior design magazines and printing up your own lining paper is another useful trick.

As with any toy, check you can pick it up by the hinges and whirl it round your head without damage.

PS - It's mid November. You already have No Time Left !

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods