We all need more room. In our garages, our kitchens and our closets. One of the hardest spaces to keep uncluttered is our closets. With so many clothes and accessories, we can always use extra space. With a cedar chest, you can preserve your winter or summer clothes with the peace of mind knowing they will be safe from mold, mildew and insects.
The cedar hope chest in this article is designed to fit at the foot of your bed or against a wall. The dimensions for the cedar chest are 30 ½ “overall height. The cedar chest is 47 ½ “long by 20” deep.
While cedar is what is called for in this project, you can use oak, birch or about any other hard wood that you desire. If you plan on painting the hope chest, using a cheaper wood like pressboard or plywood is recommended.
Begin by selecting 12 nice looking 1×8’s from your local home improvement center or nearest lumber yard. I know it’s going to be hard, but try to find lumber with both sides that look good. Not only will the outside of the chest be admired, the inside will be scrutinized as well.
You will also need to buy to flush hinges. They need to be stout since the weight of the cedar hope chest lid will be very heavy.
You can add a clasp or a flush mounted lock for decoration or functionality.
Begin cutting a few of the 1×8’s with a circular saw. Cut the bottom assembly first. Cut two pieces of 1×8 at 47 ½ “long and another two pieces at 20”. Bevel each corner 45 degrees with a miter saw. Use a scroll saw and router to create a decorative edge along the front panel. Sand these pieces and set them aside, labeling them “bottom assembly”.
Next, cut the chest assembly. Cut ten of the 1×8’s at 46 ¾ “long each with a 45 degree bevel on each end. Sand and set these pieces aside and label them “chest assembly”. Take four of them out and label them “lid assembly”.
You already cut four lid pieces, now its time to cut the rest. Take two of the 46 ¾ “long pieces of 1×8 and rip them in half with a table saw. Cut one of the rips into two pieces 19 ¼ “long. Bevel each corner of the four ripped pieces with a 45 degree angle. Sand these pieces and place them with the other top pieces.
Cut the bottom pieces of cedar hope chest. You need three pieces. Two at 45 ¼”. The other should be the same length but it needs to be ripped down to 2 ¾ “. This is for the center of the bottom of the cedar hope chest. Label these pieces “bottom”.
Now finish cutting the final pieces. Rip a piece of 1×8 down to ¾ x ¾ ” , then cut it into four pieces 22 ½ ” long. These will go on the inside of cedar hope chest to support the corners.
Cut four small blocks of 1×8 at three inches each. These will be glued to the bottom of the cedar chest to help support the inside of the chest.
Start with the pieces labeled “bottom assembly”. Glue the four small blocks at 3 ¾ “up from the bottom on each left hand corner of the four bottom pieces. After the glue dries, nail the four beveled bottom pieces together using a finish nail gun.
Now assemble the pieces labeled “bottom”. Put some wood glue on the edges first, then glue them one the four blocks of wood glued to the “bottom assembly. Use a few wood clamps and allow the whole assembly to dry 24 hours. Make sure that the project is square using a framing square and cross corner measurements before you let it dry!
While the glue is drying start assembling the pieces labeled ” chest assembly”. Nail each section together with a finish nail. Once all three box sections are assembled, stack them on top of each other. Put some wood glue on the four long ¾ x ¾ ” strips and place them into each corner of your box. Use a brad nailer to attach the wood strips to the three boxes creating one solid box. Set it aside for 24 hours and allow the glue to dry overnight.
Now that the two parts of the cedar hope chest are complete, it time to work on the lid. Nail the four pieces of 3 ¾ “rips together using two finish nails in each corner. Lay the other three lid pieces on the top of the box you just created. Put some wood glue between the three pieces and clamp them tight with two wood clamps. Nail the ripped box to the three lid pieces with a few finish nails and allow it to dry overnight.
Now that the three sections are dry you can attach all three together to form your new cedar hope chest. Place the “chest assembly” onto the “bottom” and “bottom assembly” and glue it in place. Use a few finish nails to hold it together tight.
Set the lid on top of the cedar hope chest. Secure it in place with a few strips of masking tape. Now attach the hinges to the lid and the chest. Attach any locks or handles and all you need is to sand and varnish your brand new cedar hope chest!
