wainscot chest

One of the projects I am working towards finishing is this wainscot chest. The other day I did the final pinning, which can only be done after the till parts are cut and test-fitted. One of the biggest headaches in making such a chest. There’s lots of ways to fit the till. I thought I’d show you some alternatives from my files.  

First, to catch anyone up who is new – the till is the small compartment fitted on the interior of a chest or box. It is sort of squeezed between the front and back of the chest, and captured there when the whole thing is assembled.

Here is one from Braintree, Massachusetts – these guys cut the till lid to conform around the rectangular stiles. The lid pivots on an extended round-whittled tenon, or pintle. This fits into a bored hole in the interior faces of the front and rear stiles. For this till lid to work, you must nick away the top inside corner of the stile as well.

till lid, Braintree chest

Here is the same shop, with a till in a small carved box. This till had two small drawers under it at one point…note that when the till lid is open, it can support the box lid. All oak, refinished, even inside!

Braintree box interior

Next is one from Thomas Dennis’ shop in Ipswich, Massachusetts, 1660-1700 (same dates as the Braintree stuff we just looked at) . Here the till itself is gone, a common thing. but its evidence is clear – the notches for the side & bottom, and the hole for the lid’s pintle.

till trenches and hole

Note that on that one the top corner is again nicked away. To make a till with a square-ended lid, you must hack away chunks of the stile. Shops in Plymouth Colony did that regularly. This till lid is riven Atlantic white cedar, complete with runs of crease moldings.

plymouth colony chest till lid

Same till, showing the molded till front, and the overall large size. Most tills are smaller than this. This till bottom fits into notches in the stiles AND in the side muntin.

till side and bottom

 Here is the evidence for a simple till in a chest from Dedham, Massachusetts, same general time frame. No till lid, just notches for the side & bottom. Simplifies things a lot

Dedham chest till notches

Here I am scribing the till bottom to nest against the chest’s side. I made the till bottom extra-wide, slid it into the notches, and scribed with a compass. Then removed it, cut to shape, and fit the till side.

scribing till bottom

The till lid being test-fitted; the chest’s rear frame is not pinned on yet, so I can open up the frame a bit, slip the till parts in, and then test the whole thing. If the till parts are too long, they can keep the chest from coming together. On this chest I have carved the upper side rail, so the chest’s front is on our right in this photo. The till lid has been cut to conform to the front stile’s irregular rectangular shape.

till lid

 

finished till

There, done. After the weekend, the floor is next.