Chests of Drawers

Chests of drawers are one of the most popular woodworking projects. Although they may seem complex and daunting, they are actually not difficult to build, especially with the advice of veteran woodworker and author Bill Hylton.

This book includes step-by-step photos, clear building instructions, cut lists, and measured drawings for each project. There is also a bonus chapter on how to solve the challenges in building large case pieces, as well as advice on creating original designs or adapting the designs in this book. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced woodworker, the projects will provide plenty of challenges to increase your skills. Youll also find numerous tips and jigs you can use on all your projects.

In Chests of Drawers you will find projects for a:

• Pennsylvania Dutch Chest
• Contemporary Chest
• Bow-Front Chest
• Double Dresser
• Triple Dresser
• Queen Anne Chest-On-Frame
• Tall Chest

Chests of Drawers is part of the Taunton Furniture Projects series. The other books are:

Bookcases
Desks
Tables
Beds
Dining Tables

INTRODUCTION

CHEST-BUILDING BASICS

DRAWER-BUILDING BASICS

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH CHEST

CONTEMPORARY CHEST

BOW-FRONT CHEST

DOUBLE DRESSER

TRIPLE DRESSER

QUEEN ANNE CHEST ON FRAME

TALL CHEST

SOURCES

METRIC CONVERSION CHART

A chest of drawers is a curious, paradoxical piece for the furniture maker. It is a major project, filled with challenge and opportunity. It provides the opportunity to show off your eye for design, your furniture engineering know-how, and your workmanship. Till it is done, you invest heavily, in terms of both time and materials. Perhaps even emotionally. The latter is especially true for the furniture maker who is making the chest of drawers for a loved one, maybe even for himself or herself.

A part of the paradox is the nature of the piece. There's usually a heavy aesthetic component to it. It has to look good. The right proportions are essential. You want to use the best materials, the most beautiful woods. You want it to reflect only your best -- tight joinery, smooth surfaces, crisp edges.

And yet it's all about function, about storage. It's about socks and knickers, shirts and sweaters. Jeans. Belts. Handkerchiefs. Jewelry. Treasured knickknacks.

You want it to be beautiful, a showpiece; and yet, when it is all done, you are going to put it in your bedroom, the second most private room in the house (after the bathroom). And the typical visitor isn't going to see it.

Another aspect of the paradox is the interplay of the simple and the complex. When you strip it down to its elements, a chest of drawers is a big box that's filled with smaller boxes. Even a relative novice at woodworking has dealt with boxes. Simple project: sides, front, back, bottom. You are going to make a bunch of them, but each is simply sides, front, back, bottom.

But it does get complicated, because you don't really want to just pile up the small boxes inside the big one. You want to arrange the little boxes. You want to graduate them. Big boxes for your big duds (bulky sweaters, bib overalls) and smaller ones for your more delicate ones (ties). You want to be able to get into any one of those boxes without disturbing all the others.

All these things make the chest of drawers such a great project for any woodworker. There's the concrete functional analysis at the outset, the abstract creative design work, the problem-solving evaluation and planning, the thrilling hunt for and gathering of suitable materials. And the hours and hours of shop time.

My hope is that this book will help moderate the complications and get you into the shop a little sooner, a little better prepared. It's got two general chapters surveying case and drawer construction, explaining how these components are engineered and built. Options are presented and assessed for those who want guidance for creating and building an original design.

Following those chapters are seven excellent chest of drawer projects. You can fan through the pages and see what they look like. The same quick trip through the pages can give you an idea of how each is constructed -- just look at the drawings and the how-to photographs.

The text of each chapter provides a rational sequence for building the piece, usually reflecting the approach used by the craftsman who designed and built the original.

The menu is diverse, including both traditional and contemporary styles and constructions. The first chests you come to are fairly small, but the tall chest that concludes the book is a huge one. None, frankly, is really simple, simple in the way a bookcase or a coffee table project can be. But they're as simple as a case piece with two to five drawers can be. Just work the plan. It will turn out to be a lot less complicated than you think.