While not fully recovered from yesterday’s trauma, I am doing much better. Aside from the occasional flashback, life is pretty much back to normal.
I came across this small chest at a local antiques. By small I mean 15″ wide by 9″ high by 8″ deep. The dealer claims it’s old and I have no reason to doubt it. It has wrought nails, snipe hinges, hand tool marks. They are asking for a lot of money ’cause it’s old.
(Clicking on images enlarges them except where noted.)
Meet my new best friend. Friend in that I can’t afford to buy it.
A side view shows the wrought nails and the treatment on the “foot” of the chest. Not a bootjack or an ogee. It is rounded by chisel.
Chisel rounded profile on the end board.
Back view shows more wrought nails and the snipe hinges.
This chest has got back.
The bottom view show more of the profile rounding on the end boards and reveals a nail where the wood split out.
Bottom view. Click to see a closeup of the nail and missing wood. Also note the tool marks.
This view show that the batten is rabbeted into the lid. Wrought nails driven from below at an angle are used to attach the battens. The front and back are rabbeted across the sides and bottom setting them into the box.
Lots of wrought nails. And rabbets.
This is an inside view showing a snipe hinge and the rabbet on the back panel.
A snipe hinge and rabbet.
Click HERE to see the the entire set of images of this set.
I’ve got some less than perfect walnut from my stack out back. I might have to make me a chest. Only smaller.
The Furniture Record 
Thank you, Mark, for such a useful set of shots on the construction of this chest. I love building boxes/chests and really enjoy actually seeing the nitty gritty instead of having to guess. Your obsession is my enjoyment.
Storm