After gathering some vintage woodworking tools from antiques stores and flea markets, I decided to put them to use on a project using only hand tools. I chose to build a classic boarded chest to learn dimensioning and joining by hand. I first cut the boards to size, planed them square, and laid out the joinery. Instead of the traditional “ogee” double-s curve shape for the legs, I went with a modern interpretation — replacing the sharp interior corner with a large circular “keyhole” cutout to relieve stress and prevent the wood from splitting up the leg. After chopping all the dados and rabbets, I assembled the chest with glue and nails. I chamfered the edges of the lid with a hand plane, and fit it to the chest using brass hinges. I finished the wood with linseed oil and paste wax. Placed by the back door, it makes a great bench to sit and put on your shoes.