Hi all. I just completed my first jewelry chest as a gift for SWMBO for our second wedding anniversary.
I used one of Nahmie's plans from The New Yankee Workshop, with a few notable modifications.
I hand-cut through dovetails for the working drawers instead of the machine cut half-blind dovetails that the plans called for. Because this was a small project, and I wanted to practice my Neander skills, I decided to hand plane all of the stock and try out my new set of scrapers instead of sanding ? cool, no dust! I also added a relief carving to the lid. This was my first attempt at carving, and for the most part, it turned out pretty well. The plans called for a 16-inch,
95-degree stop hinge; however, Rockler discontinued this hinge last year and good luck finding it elsewhere. I ended up getting two 7.87-inch, 95-degree stop hinges from Lee Valley. Using tips I found on the rec, I fumed them with ammonia to match the antique brass knobs. Finally, and most important, I substituted grooves and dados where Nahmie used WIRE BRADS and used a nice wiping varnish instead of Minwax Dark Walnut Stain ; ` )BTW, for 10 bucks, not bad plans and a fun project overall.
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