How to Build a Hope Chest

Do you have a daughter whom you cherish? Do you want her to have a beautiful chest to take with her when she gets married? Here is a plan for building a hope chest that will be an heirloom for generations.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Hammer (ball-peen)
• Square
• Philips screwdriver
• Hand screw
• C-type springs
• Block plane
• Hammer and 1/32" nail set
• Jointer
• Plate joiner (#20 biscuits)
• Saws (band, table, radial)
• Electric drill, using the screwdriver bit
• Drill bits
• Router with 3/4" straight and 1/4" rounding-over cutters
• Sanders (pad, random orbit, belt) with papers using 80, 120, 150, 200 grits, and 220 and 240 grit for the pad sanders)
• Clamps
• Safety glasses
• Respirator
• Rags (lint-free)
• Minwax wood finish brushes
• Tack cloth
• Permanent marker (black)
• Paint thinner
• Wood glue
• Masking tape
• Airtight metal container full of water (for rag disposal)
• Wood finish
• Polyurethane

Instructions

1. Understand that there are as many designs as there are hope chests. If you use your search engine, you will see a wealth of templates of various designs for hope chests. Or, you may have the design yourself in mind--either from a chest you have seen or from your own imagination. If you are using a search engine, print out the schematics that are specific to that chest--if you are going from your own imagination or from an existing chest, you will want to measure the existing chest or sketch out measurements for the chest you envision.

2. Cut the wood to make the pieces that are specific to the instructions you have printed out, or to match the measurements you have in mind. Tack the side pieces to the edges of the back piece, making sure to keep the inside surfaces of the wood on the same side, and then put the front piece between the side pieces. Attach any hinges to the top of the rear piece, and then attach the lid of the hope chest.

3. If you are attaching separate legs, do so at this time. If your legs were part of the side pieces, move on to Step 4.

4. Now is the time to finish your sanding--get any existing roughness off of the wood on all of the exterior surfaces.

5. Add the pre-stain wood treatment and allow it to dry. Drying times vary by brand, but 24 hours is a safe bet.

6. Now add the stain of your choosing, or paint in the color you selected. This may take several coats, depending on the wood you have chosen. Give each coat 24 hours to dry.

7. Once you are satisfied with the look of the paint, coat the whole chest with polyurethane to preserve the look. Two coats will be the best bet here. Be ready for an overjoyed daughter.