Captain Jack Sawford Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Photo 1 - I created a rectangular wooden frame of pine 2x2s reinforced with metal corner brackets. Photo 2- I reinforced the top essentially making a bench so that once finished it could serve as a seat. Photo 3 - I reinforced the bottom but added a hidden hatch so that the interior of the bale could be used for storage. I couldn't justify something so big as just a seat or just as a set piece, so it is where we hide farby modern things we have to have, such as the drill for the screws assembling the tables cutter made, or the current med kit, etc. Photo 4 - The working hatch underneath with simple hinges and locks. Photo 5 - I wrapped it in two layers of cushion foam and stapled it to the frame, careful to staple in certain places so that it didn't effect the overall cushiony look or feel of the bale. The cushioning surrounds the entire thing except the bottom, covering only an inch or two of the bottom at the sides. This also serves to hide the fact the bottom isn't cushioned. Photo 6 - I used two layers of canvas to wrap the entire form. This way should the top layer rip through use or wear it wouldn't show the foam underneath. I pulled it tight, cut excess, and carefully sewed the fabric so it covered the foam tightly. I left a flap of canvas underneath to cover the wood of the hatch. It doesn't completely hide it, but no wood is exposed so if it happens to tilt or tip people are less likely to notice it's true nature. I then chose an East India Company logo that I painted with a small brush and a toothpick for details. I picked the bale number for a band I liked because why not. Photo 7 - Decided upon using an East India Trading Company bale mark. I painted it on using a small paintbrush and a toothpick to avoid smearing the paint on the rough canvas. Photo 8 - I added the ropes. I couldn't tell from paintings if the ropes were interwoven with one another, or just looped around. Interwoven seemed more secure to me so that's what I did. They end underneath the bale, where the ends are whipped, stapled, and sewn to the foam on the edge of the bottom. The ropes are also sewn together where they overlap, and sewn in places, secretly, to the fabric of the bale. Photos 9 and 10 - The cargo bale photographed in the wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stynky Tudor Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Well done, very cool, great execution! William and I were just talking/brainstorming about (how to) do something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Diamond Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Nicely done! Had you applied any fabric or wood treatment to protect the piece? I had come across this video while wandering through bushcraft videos, and was intrigued by the possibilities for protecting a wide variety of materials (canvas, rope, etc.) without substantially changing their color (as with Townsends video on oilcloth). NeverWet by Rustoleum is also in our paint locker, awaiting a trial… Oooh, shiny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Jack Sawford Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 I didn't treat the wood or the fabric as if it does rain we would bring it under one of the canvas awnings at our encampment but also because it didn't occur to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelsbagley Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 While Sawford made his bales a little more elaborately, and truly improved... The similarities matter more regarding resiliency. And having had made and used mine since 2016(ish?), outside of some good natural ging and mild staining, over regular use for those 6 or 7 years, I think it is safe to say the benefits to rewards of any potential extra steps for treating the canvas might be more effort than what it would be worth. But this would be a very worthy addition to the "Crafting Kit" section, as while many of us have made various versions of these over the years, this is one of the cooler takes on them I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Diamond Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 Agreed, this would be a very good addition to the Crafting Kit Forum. What say you, Captain Sawford? Oooh, shiny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan Jack Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 At one time 182 was an allusion to this movie … (A huge hit, with a sizable cultural impact at the time, which many have forgotten about now.) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turk_182 I’m going to need to make something like this … After I figure out how to store them … My temporary idea us slip-covers over collasible totes (I have 4 Clevermade ones, in 2 different styles) -John "Tartan Jack" Wages, of South Carolina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyBarbossa Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 So, I spoke with 18th Century Cleophas on Instagram ( and highly recommend that you follow him if you are on Instagram because he's an 18th c Fabric Seller Living Historian and researcher of 18th c fabrics, and he's based in Europe)... Anyways, he said "The fabrics were, after all, only narrowly woven and were wound on thin boards so that the woven fabric became small bales of fabric." Tempt Fate! an' toss 't all t' Hell!" "I'm completely innocent of whatever crime I've committed." The one, the only,... the infamous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madPete Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 10 hours ago, LadyBarbossa said: So, I spoke with 18th Century Cleophas on Instagram ( and highly recommend that you follow him if you are on Instagram because he's an 18th c Fabric Seller Living Historian and researcher of 18th c fabrics, and he's based in Europe)... Anyways, he said "The fabrics were, after all, only narrowly woven and were wound on thin boards so that the woven fabric became small bales of fabric." I suspected something like that, just couldnt find it. Thank you! Aye... Plunder Awaits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stynky Tudor Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 20 hours ago, LadyBarbossa said: 18th Century Cleophas on Instagram @LadyBarbossa, Excellent! Pyracy is following Cleophas & Cleophas 2.0 - thanks for the suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
 {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1074427760321280'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); </script> <noscript><img height=)
&ev=PageView&cd%5Bitem_id%5D=19688&cd%5Bitem_name%5D=Making+the+Cargo+Bale&cd%5Bitem_type%5D=topic&cd%5Bcategory_name%5D=Scavenger Crew"/>
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now