Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Seaborne chest part 6, assembly and hardware

Yesterday I finished the bottom. I sawed off the small repair pieces I had inserted in the knot holes.
I trimmed the dovetails of the upper part with the plane and then I decided that it wouldn't hurt anyone to make a dry assembly, just to see what it would look like. I often skip that part because I am anxious to see a project come together. But for this project I had spent so much time in making the bottom and the skirt, so I didn't want to risk spoiling it.

Strangely, everything fitted together perfectly. I had expected some fiddling to be necessary in order for it to come together, but none was needed. I found myself to be ahead of my mental schedule, so I decided that I might as well glue up the skirt with the insert bottom.

Much to my surprise the glue up went downright smoothly, nice tight joints and all. I suppose it really is a good idea to make a dry assembly at first. Maybe I should consider doing that in the future.

I have speculated whether or not this small chest should have some lifts. I didn't bring any with me, so I would have to make them. One evening I played around with some paper and a scissor, and I came to a solution regarding how to make some lifts.

Today I tried to make those lifts. The whole process was pretty straightforward like I had imagined it. The problem started after the first holders were finished.
I became uncertain if it would look good with lifts at all. One of the holders was cut and filed to a fancy shape, but someway it seems that the chest is too small to have real lifts. 
I could make the lifts smaller, but I think I need to be able to get at least 3 fingers inside the handle. And that is the current width. If they are any smaller they are more or less useless. 
There are 2 more basic holders left which are not shaped yet. So I could also try to make some more plain looking lifts, but that wouldn't make them any smaller.
Due to this sudden dilemma about hardware or not, I didn't continue making the loops for the lifts. The plan for those by the way, was to make them out of some 6 mm copper tube with a welding rod inside to stiffen things up a bit.

What do you think, should a small chest have lifts, or is it reserved to larger ones? 
I made lifts for the Sea chest that I built in March, but that one is slightly bigger and somewhat heavier.
The elaborate holder was taped to the end of the chest now so I could get a picture of it. I think it looks better on the photo than it does in real life.

Anyway, I decided to stop the lift manufacturing for the time being and instead I started on making the lid.



The assembled chest

The fancy lift holder.

The lift manufacturing plant

A  basic holder and the fancy holder.

10 comments:

  1. It looks great so far!

    I think the lift holder looks good, but I can see that you might think it would be a bit much once you have a handle in there.

    Why not make a fancy rope one? You are a sailor, after all.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks.
      I suppose that I could make a fancy rope lift, but I am not sure if that would look right either. Perhaps this chest is sort of in between in size. kind of too large to not have a lift and too small to have a lift.

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  2. Replies
    1. I'll have to read a little on the subject again. If it has to look good.
      Brgds
      Jonas

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  3. http://www.marlinespike.com/beckets.html

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    Replies
    1. I'll check that one out.
      I have spent some time on this page too:
      http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/makebecket.html

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  4. Looking great Jonas! I like the lift handles, quite ingenious!

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  5. I'm casting my vote for rope. Since I am still holding out that you aren't really on a modern vessel but actually an old 'tall ship', rope seems like the logical way to go.

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  6. I am starting to feel a certain pressure from the readers :-)
    The one thing I know for sure is that I haven't got any brass screws with me that are long enough to attach the cleats. But I suppose that I could wait with those till I was safe back home again, if I decide to go the rope way that is.

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