Secret Project

About a year ago I responded to a thread a member had started for ideas for a child's toy box project. I don't know how far he got, but at the same time our first grand child was on the way and I began thinking about building a toy box as a gift for his or her 2nd or 3rd birthday or Christmas. Based on an idea for a treasure chest (girl) or pirate chest (boy) I began collecting images and carve files for things that could be applied to such a project. Then last October my daughter presented us with a baby boy. Unfortunately I did mention the toy box idea to my wife, who mentioned it to my daughter, who mentioned it to....you know. Now, about a year later I have the materials collected, the Designer files created and am looking forward to a leisurely paced project to culminate in a pirate chest/toy box for my grandson's 2nd or 3rd birthday. THEN it happened. I was informed that his 1st birthday party coming up in mid November is a pirate themed extravaganza....and the toy chest is the center piece of the event. Oh shoot! (or something along those lines). Now the project is on a schedule and has a completion date! Not anticipated. So here we go...project progress photos attached. That is why any of my future projects will be SECRET...and not revealed until completed.

Sorry, seems no matter what I do the photos appear upside down on the post.

I'll continue to post photos of progress to show my pain...uh...I mean my joy in getting this toy box completed ON TIME.

Lol! Look forward to watching your progress!!

Hi Ron,

Great story and a great project! We know all your secrets!

Off-topic: Your photos appear upside down here on the forum...by any chance are you using an iphone to take your photos? If so, you can make sure your photos will appear "right-side up" when taken in landscape mode - just hold the phone with the Home button on the right and the volume buttons on the bottom. Now your photos will appear right side up when posting on forums, when emailing to someone, viewing on a PC, etc. (Same holds true for iphone video when recording in landscape mode...make sure the Home button is on the right side so the videos will play right side up when played back on all other devices)

Looks like a very thought out project to me. Looking forward to seeing your progress over the next couple of months.

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Originally Posted by mtylerfl

Hi Ron,

Great story and a great project! We know all your secrets!

Off-topic: Your photos appear upside down here on the forum...by any chance are you using an iphone to take your photos? If so, you can make sure your photos will appear "right-side up" when taken in landscape mode - just hold the phone with the Home button on the right and the volume buttons on the bottom. Now your photos will appear right side up when posting on forums, when emailing to someone, viewing on a PC, etc. (Same holds true for iphone video when recording in landscape mode...make sure the Home button is on the right side so the videos will play right side up when played back on all other devices)

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That's a great tip Michael. I use an Android phone and have the same problem. I usually convert the pics to a .png and flip them in Photoshop. The thought never occurred to me to flip the phone over when I take the picture. (Duh).

Its looking like a fun project that will become a family heirloom. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

Thanks for the iphone tip...I should have figured that out before...but on a tight time schedule you know...from now on I'll take photos with the home button on the bottom or right...unless I'm standing on my head....or in the southern hemisphere....

All 18 boards are carved. As usual some issues came up but were resolved and the carving went on. Next is to trim all the boards to size and start on the joinery. My plan is to assemble the "box" in three parts, bottom bands and bottom, center section on the four sides and a top band. The bottom and top section members will be biscuit joined and glued. The center "sides" will be dove tailed together and glued. Then the three sections will be biscuit joined and glued vertically together. Then there's the segmented, sloped sided top....another adventure I'm still figuring out....

So am I on schedule? Lets see 8/19 to 10/20....8 weeks and change....maybe....

Took the picture with my iphone, home button to the right...

Well a week later and the chest is assembled. I have to add the interior spring supports, the front "key" handle and the hinge. Still lots of sanding and finishing to go, but since I'm on a schedule....back to work....

At lest now the photos are right side up :-)

Clearly a masterpiece! Great work!

Ron, that is a fantastic piece! Beautiful, interesting, captivating and I can tell lots of love went into that! Very, very nice.

Fantastic job. Looks great.

The carving is very good, but the woodworking is great!
Clint

Wow! Fantastic. Mitered and dovetailed also.

It is a really cool project that someone is going to love.

A round of applause from all of us. Great project and beautifully executed all around.

You done great like the layout great job

Awesome !!!
I wish I had the time to do such cool projects.

Very nicely done. Workshop behind it also looks nicely layed out! :)

The project pirate/toy chest is done...and ahead of schedule! Thanks to my wife for the sanding and finishing help...the stain is "Early American". The large skulls. octopi (plural), shark, snake and ship sails are white washed and high lighted with cherry stain and black wash air brushing. The front name is gold leafed and black wash air brushed. The bands are painted dark grey. Everything is sprayed with water based polyurethane, sanded and sprayed again...seven coats altogether...for the seven seas I guess...

Now all I have to do is wait (and relax) until the birthday party.

I'll post .mpc's and drawings if anyone is interested...

Great job all the way around. Thank you for sharing the pictures... It is a hit for sure

I think you need to take your wife out to dinner for doing such a great job as "helper." The chest is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and a family heirloom.

Looks like not keeping it secret paid off. You would have had to wait much longer tho see the fabulous results. I find that if I don't have a deadline to meet my projects never get done.

That is a very cool project. One of the best I've seen so far.

Love the tool chest it really looks great. However, is that taken in your house.. I see a microwave, refrig, and a very clean floor... where are is all the sawdust?

Don't let my wife see your highly organized shop, no telling what she'll say when she compares it to my one car garage with all my equipment plied everywhere. I wanted to carved today, but it would require moving the tablesaw, bandsaw and 2 tables outside just to find my cw.

Again, great work... someone's going to be a very happy child
JOhn

How can someone get the mpc's??

OK...so for those of you who are craz...uh...adventurous enough, here's the (the first 8) mpc's for the Pirate Chest. I'll do a second post with the rest of the mpc's and the pdf drawing. FYI there are 12 files (14 carves), 42 cut motor hours (at Normal) and 68 cut motor hours (at Best) for this project. I spent roughly 150 man hours over five weeks on the project...

Happy carving!!!

Rest of the mpc's and the pdf drawing with notes are attached. These are all 1.187 files. No fancy 2.0 or 3.0 here....

Have fun...and of course change the names to protect the innocent....

Now to get those Treasure Chest patterns together (mermaids, jewels, star fish, any suggestions??? etc....) just in case a female grand child appears...

Thank you much man that lot of work

First Birthday Pirate Gets His Chest.

You've set the bar high. What's he going to expect for his second birthday?

Great photos of a very happy event. Yes, you'd better get your thinking cap on for that second birthday present.

Simply an amazing piece of work. What a wonderful concept outdone only by the workmanship and love that went into it. Impressive and inspiring. Well done! :)

I love the photos of your happy Little Pirate and his pet rat. What a great present and yes you had better start working now on Birthday present number two. Maybe a whole Pirate Ship . . .

Wow...big enough, he could sleep inside for a year or so...
Excellent job! (Hope it has a safety hinge on it!)

Magnificant!!!!!!! I have built toy boxes and hope chests for kids and grandkids……..nothing like that.

Brent

That is really a fantastic project and you did some wonderful craftsmanship on it. Thanks for sharing the plans and mpcs, I've got to make one for my grandsons.

That is awesome work Ron! Thanks for sharing with the group the details, files and story!! I'm sure it was / is going to be a hit!!!!

Fantastic craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing.

Jim