Plans for a Wooden Blanket Chest with a Finger-Jointed Case

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This wooden blanket chest is a useful intermediate woodworking project: a solid case, a hinged lid, and finger joints that add strength without relying on screws at the corners. The design below makes a chest about 36 inches wide, 18 inches deep, and 20 inches high. It holds several folded blankets while still being small enough to move through a doorway.

The case uses 3/4-inch lumber or plywood, with 1/4-inch plywood for the bottom. Finger joints are cut on a table saw with a dado blade or on a router table with a straight bit. Accurate layout matters more than expensive equipment. If you do not already have a safe, reliable finger-joint setup, buying a finger-joint jig is usually cheaper than repairing a badly mismatched case.

Project overview

The front and back boards are 36 by 18 inches. The two ends are 16 1/2 by 18 inches, allowing them to fit between the front and back. The finished outside dimensions are approximately 36 by 18 by 20 inches once the bottom and lid are added. Adjust the width if you have a specific storage space, but keep the case square so the lid will fit correctly.

Materials and tools

Choose straight, dry boards with moisture content near 6 to 10 percent. Wide solid boards can move across their width, so a laminated lid is safer than a single wide board. Plywood is the most stable choice and the least expensive option for a painted chest. Solid pine is cheaper than hardwood and works well, but it dents easily and may show resin around knots.

You will need a table saw, router table or dado-capable saw, clamps, a square, tape measure, drill, sanding equipment, and a finish. A 24-inch woodworking clamp is long enough for this chest. Add a lid hinge, a chain or lid stay, and a latch that cannot pinch fingers.

Cutting the finger joints

Finger joints are easiest when the stock is exactly the same thickness. Mill all four case boards before cutting the joint. Mark the outside face and the top edge of every board. This prevents the common mistake of cutting one end with the wrong reference face.

For 3/4-inch stock, use 3/8-inch-wide fingers. Set the jig so the first cut leaves a 3/8-inch-wide pin at the edge. Make a test joint from scraps before cutting the actual parts. The fingers should slide together with light hand pressure. If the joint needs a mallet, it is too tight; if you can shake it apart, it is too loose.

Cut the front and back with matching layouts, then cut the ends using the same jig setting. Keep every part oriented the same way. Dry-assemble the case on a flat surface and check both diagonals. If the diagonals differ by more than 1/8 inch, correct the joint layout or clamp pressure before applying glue.

Assembling the case

Spread a thin coat of waterproof wood glue on the finger faces. Do not flood the joint; excess glue makes cleanup difficult and can prevent the bottom from seating. Assemble the four sides, then measure the diagonals again. Use clamps across the width and small clamps across the corners. Protect the finished faces with waxed paper or scrap blocks.

After the glue cures, trim or sand any proud fingers flush. Cut a 1/4-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-deep rabbet around the inside bottom edge, about 1/2 inch up from the lower edge. A router with a bearing-guided rabbeting bit makes this straightforward. Alternatively, install the plywood bottom on four internal cleats. The cleat method is less refined but easier for a first build and makes replacement simple.

For the cleat version, glue and screw the cleats inside the case, 1/4 inch above the bottom edge. Predrill every screw hole; otherwise the cleats can split. Set the plywood bottom on the cleats and fasten it with screws in slotted holes on the front and back edges. Slots allow the solid-wood case to move slightly as humidity changes.

Building and fitting the lid

Make the lid 1/2 inch wider and 1/2 inch longer than the case. That gives roughly 1/4 inch of overhang on all sides. If using solid wood, glue up narrower boards with alternating growth-ring direction and keep the panel flat while it cures. If using plywood, apply solid-wood edging or a matching veneer strip to hide the plies.

Ease the lid edges with a small round-over bit or sanding block. Install the hinges 3 to 4 inches in from each end. A full-length piano hinge spreads the load and is forgiving of minor alignment errors; two butt hinges look more traditional but require more careful mortising. Use a chest lid support hinge or chain to stop the lid at about 95 degrees. Never rely on the hinges alone to stop a heavy lid.

Sanding and finishing

Sand exposed surfaces through 120, 150, and 180 grit. Do not polish the joint faces; glue bonds poorly to burnished wood. Break sharp corners with 180 grit, especially around the lid and handhold areas.

For a painted chest, fill small defects, apply primer, and use two coats of durable enamel. For visible wood, wipe-on polyurethane is easy to repair, while hardwax oil gives a more natural feel but less protection against standing water. Test the finish on an offcut. Pine can blotch under stain, so use a conditioner or choose paint instead.

Skill level and seasonal timing

Build and finish in a dry spring or fall shop if possible. Let newly purchased lumber acclimate for at least a week, stacked with spacers. In a damp summer shop, leave a small, even lid gap rather than forcing a tight fit. In winter, indoor heating can shrink solid wood and open joints. A chest made from plywood avoids most of this movement and is the sensible choice for an unheated garage or seasonal workshop.