Anniversary blanket chest – design suggestions requested

[Mike Allen1010]

Lord willing, my bride and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary next year.

I recently built a Pine chest with a Coopered, curved lid as a Christmas gift for my nephew– here are couple pictures:
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I kinda like the design and am planning to build two smaller versions with some African mahogany I found in the cut off bin in my local lumber yard. I thought I might decorate one of the chests for our anniversary.This is my first time repeating a project have built before. One of the lessons I learned from my first experiences is building the coopered top to predefined dimensions is a bit iffy, so best to build those first. Here are some pictures of the two chest lids.
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My previous experience with African mahogany is the reversing, rowed grain is tough to plane without tear out. For final finish planing I used an HT Gordon plane with a 60° bed angle and was able to get a fairly tear out free surface. I haven't used this plane much because I find it difficult to push through harder domestic woods, but this mahogany is fairly soft and it was a pleasure to use.
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Here's a picture of some of the chest parts.

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The panels are re-sawn, book matched. Unlike the pine chest, I'm planning some decoration for the chest panels so they'll be one continuous, flat surface without the decorative rabbits I used in the pine chest. For the anniversary chest, I'm thinking about some simple Holly line and berry inlay for the top and maybe some applied carvings of intertwined wedding bands with our wedding/anniversary dates etc. for the chest front. I'm wondering if it's a bad idea to combine inlay with carvings on the same piece? I suck at design, and very much appreciate any and all suggestions.

I'm not very good at either inlay or carving and in an exploratory conversation the LOML said she wasn't too hot on the idea of carved wedding/anniversary dates etc., although to be fair I didn't give her any idea of what it might look like. Truth be told, I might just go for it anyway. If she hates it, I have the second, smaller chest that I can always make without any decoration to fall back on. Although I was thinking a nautical theme for the second smaller chest; inlayed compass rose on the top with maybe some carved shells on the front panel. Odds are she might not like that one either, but I'm pretty sure our boys will.

Thanks in advance for the feedback and suggestions.

All the best, Mike

[Matt Knights]

Hi Mike,

Looks good so far! The wood is commonly called sapele and as you state has interlocked reversing grain, I found that a standard bevel down plane is best with a close set cap iron and a fine set.

As far as design goes I would not mix carving and inlay as it could easily look OTT. I would go with inlay I think, the contrast of holly on the sapele would look tasteful. I understand the lid is coopered style but could you inlay the date on the underside, that way its not really obvious but you've still added that special touch?

Matt

[Brian Holcombe]

Mike, coming along nicely. I suggest keep both without ornamentation, and just as Matt suggests, carve one on the inside.

The chest has a lot of visual interest, with the cooper end top, through dovetails and slatted sides.

[Mike Allen1010]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the advice, The Boss said the same thing!

I have to remember "less is more", -probably a good philosophy for most woodworking design questions. My consideration of both inlay and carving comes from my primary focus on the "building process", and paying less attention to what the final result will look like. I'm trying to get better at this – would be nice stand up with a finished piece that somebody wants.

The Front/back/side panels won't be slatted like the pine blanket chest, rather flat – a simple uniform surface. This might give me a little more of a plain background that would better accommodate ornamentation like either carving or inlay.

Now off to the carving Forum to ask advice about how to do an applied carving (which I've never done before) – I'm Definitely in deep water here!


Thanks again,

Best, Mike

[Stanley Covington]

I suggest inlay on the interior of the lid, and a heart with your name and the Boss's name intertwined, and the date carved into the front top rail of the front.

Stan