Chests

[Captain Bob]

I am preparing for my next pirate-related project. Using only hand tools, I'd like to build a seaman's chest and, for lack of a better term, a "treasure chest" (wooden strong box).

I have a few questions, but would like to solicit as much information as possible. My kit thus far is more theatrical than historical, but I would like to at least pass the ten-foot-rule with these two boxes.

1. About how big was a seaman's chest?
   
2. About how big should I make a "treasure chest".
   
3. I'm simply not equipped to work in wought iron. Any suggestions on how to simulate iron bands on the treasure chest?
   
4. Can anyone provide links to photos of the genuine article?
   

Thanks in advance.

Yr Obt Svt, Captain Bob

[Fox]

1740. Probably a bit on the big side to be a sea chest, but they weren't uniform sizes.

1700. These are probably a more realistic size for sea chests.

Sea chest recovered from the wreck of the Kronan, 1676

Some chests from the Vasa, 1628.

View of the lock on an interesting shaped chest.

Chest supposedly belonging to Thomas Tew, but its provenance is doubtful.

[JoshuaRed]

LOL I always wondered HOW the heck they "proved" that, Foxe. I sure hope it's Tew's though, for Pat Croce's sake...he's the guy that paid a small fortune for it.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Cap'n Bob...

Try your nearest metal fabrication shop. Most of them scrap tons of shear "drops" and many will be willing to let you sort trough the scrap bin. I suggest no thicker than 12-14 guage for your project, as this can easily be bent over a bench vise or wok bench edge. Taking a ball peen hammer of medium to large size and hammering "pings" on the surface will imitate the forged look quite nicely. Most hardware stores carry strap steel, but it is highly expensive. Drills and hand filing, as well as hacksaw and elbow grease... and voila!

Once you get the banding cut and shaped, put the pieces in the oven at 450 for about 4 hours prior to the final installation. This will both age and temper the steel.

Good luck!.... Capt. Bo

[dasNdanger]

[*]I'm simply not equipped to work in wought iron. Any suggestions on how to simulate iron bands on the treasure chest?

Okie dokie - I'm no expert, but I do have artistic tendencies...

If you note, not all the chests have iron bands. So, technically, you could get around it. However, what about leather straps? we have an old steamer trunk, and it has some leather strapping on it. Leather or rope handles...though finding large, iron handles may not be a problem (in most home improvement stores or hardware stores, the drawer pulls/handles are getting really large, some are made in iron). Also, you could contact a blacksmith or something - sure the guys here can point you in the right direction. I have an old chest of drawers that I need drawer pulls for, and canNOT find in the right size (center hole width) - so I'm thinking of contacting a smithy to see if they can make me what I need.

However, if you really want an 'iron band' look...perhaps you could use stainless steel Band-it, painted black. (we get it through marine supply stores) http://www.band-it-idex.com/products_bandit.asp

I haven't worked with it, but me pa says it's bendable. Not sure about width, etc - you'd have to take a look around. However, it might provide too smooth a look, not sure...but it's a start...

das

[Gentleman of Fortune]

As you can tell by the pictures that Foxe's posted, bands aren't needed for a sea chest.

I think people confuse two different things though.

A sea chest is what sailor would put his belongings in (i.e. clothes and personal items) which is what Foxe's has posted.

The other chest we are thinking about is the "pirate chest" that we think of when we talk about burried treasure. I think that kind of chest might be a more secure variety with banding and what not. I seem to recall them being called a "coffer".

Seems like the simple sailors sea chest would be the easiest to build.

GoF

[dasNdanger]

Also, big ol' iron hinged hasps should be easy to find (hardware, blacksmiths, etc), and can give the illusion of extensive iron work though only the hasp is iron. Iron corner thingys (protectors) can also add to the effect. Lot's of possibilities here... http://www.antiquehardware.com/subcategory/63/ and here http://www.acornmfg.com/browse.php?cId=6&scId=19

OOO!! I think I wanna make me own chest now.... :)

das

[Patrick Hand]

Cool.... the Sea chest recovered from the wreck of the Kronan, 1676, has dovetailed edges...... the one right above the "interesting lock" is pegged.....

Too bad that I can't see if there was a "block" for the handles to go through...

Making a sea chest is a possible future project......but the detail in the photos ansewers some of my questions..........

[HarborMaster]

A Treasure Chest or Coffer would be considerably smaller., mine ( homemade non-period correct ) is 10" deep by 15" in length., by 12" tall . You have to remember if a treasure chest is an item you want to make it would be alot smaller than a sea chest for stowing items. Gold is heavy and a big wooden chest would not be able to hold itself together nor would you be able to pick it up. Treasure chests (Coffers) are small., something you could put on a table and be able to count its contents. Steel would really add to its strong-box appearance.

Also I must agree the steel is pretty easy to work with .,I am no iron worker and mine looks pretty good..,and has alot of steel on it.

With simple tools a bit of for thought and a little time. A 50 dollar die grinder will do alot., so will a file .., a cheap hand held jig-saw..,small tools.

When I make one I use card board templates on the chest once I get those perfect I have my patterns. Also by using card board you can lay it flat and mark all of your holes and then put them in your metal prior to bending the metal. This will give your nail holes a more perfect lay-out after the bends are finished and the pieces come together.

[Swifty Morgan]

HM That is not period correct....

HMS Victorys Signal Cannon that is 1805 NOT PERIOD!

That is Wild Imports interpretation of an HMS Victory Signal Cannon would not be period. That is 1805

The Chest is a Fantasy Chest you built based on Robert Louis Stevenson 1889 NOT PERIOD!

Ohhhhh and the Mardi Gras Beeds NOT PERIOD! The Mardi gras beads how ever are 2006 Gasparellla Pirate Fest period correct.

Be Careful HM Ye Be warned.....

The Ketland trade pistol is also 1802 - 1805 NOT PERIOD!

Maybe though GAoP is not the only period for Sea Bandits

Of Course 1805 was a period tho not GAoP. Come to think of it they had pirates in 1805. We still have Pirates today with automatic weapons.

GOOD JOB!!!! Can I have one of those Gasparella Doubloons.

[HarborMaster]

Sure you can have one., reach into that thar chest with yer hand....................................,and I'll be kickin the lid shut an stepping on the lid whislt I unload me pistol ya scurrvy good fer nuthin bilge rat !

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Good points HM....

I hadn't even thought about how heavy a big ol' chest would be loaded with stuff (especially gold/silver).

That being said, the coffers can be pretty big, but a non-maritime one was probably not meant to be moved (whereas a sea coffer would have to be portable).

There is an Abbey ruin in Castle Acre (UK) that still has a huge coffer in one of the rooms. The coffer must have been assembled on site as its too big to get through the door!

GoF

[HarborMaster]

I would love to go to the UK and see some of these things.,especially the TOWER !!! and its armory! And that Coffer., It would be hard to imagine what was once in it?

On the chest topic however I did mine in oak., but I would think alot of differant hardwoods would be fine and were probably used due to the weight of thier load? But for a sea chest I am not sure what a person would use to make a sea chest? I need to make 4 . One for each motel room., we will be using 1 at the foot of each bed as opposed to a chest of drawers. Guests can use that for their clothing.

I would think a hard wood .,would probably be out., due to the weight of the wood. A seaman had to lift the chest and its contents. Would a cypress or a type of cedar be more common?. Pine? This is something I am curious about too.

[JoshuaRed]

I'm with ya HM...I would LOVE to tour the Tower. And the National Maritime Museum. And I'd love to spend a season in the National Archives.

[kass]

Oh come on, guys, you're making me covet! I want to go to the Tower and the National Archives and Leeds...

But I only have six days, and I only get two of those in London. I'll be lucky if I see half the things on my short list for the V&A!

[Fox]

The National Maritime Museum is a big dissapointment IMHO. Some of the big stuff is great, and the art gallery is FANTASTIC, but the museumy bits are so dumbed down it's unreal. Period navigation is one of my particular interests, and I know that the NMM have one of the finest collections of instruments in the world, so I toddled along to that particular gallery, all full of excitement. There were about 5 or 6 things on display, with big pretty coloured boards to tell the idiots the most basic of information, and when I looked closely the instruments themselves were modern replicas! The rest of the museum was pretty similar. That was about 5 years ago so it might have changed, but it didn't inspire me for a return visit.

The wood used for chests would probably depend on where you were. Pine was a luxury wood until quite recently in England for example, but was much more readily available in the Americas. Descriptions of chests from period documents:

a Chest covered with a hide

1 Burmuda Ceder Chest

a pyne chest

Also loads of "Spanish" chests, old, large, small, new chests etc.

You want large coffers? The first Chatham Chest:

[Captain Bob]

1. Measure twice
   
2. Cut once.
   
3. Examine part you just cut.
   
4. Scratch head and mutter: "Wutthehell happened?"
   

As a carpenter, let's just say I need practice. Fortunately, my next door neighbor is an experienced woodworker and I was able to enlist his help. I told him what the parts should look like and what their dimensions should be. He did the ever-so-critical measuring and cutting. We assembled the wooden bits and then he handed the project over to me for completion.

I stained the box and finished it with satin-finish spar urethane. I then attached the hinges, draw latch, and handles. For "iron bands", I used ¾" wood trim, painted with Rustoleum Hammered Metal finish, and attached with glue and decorative brass furniture nails.

Tomorrow, My mom will take it to my sister so she can photograph it and email me the pics. I'll post the pics ASAP.

--Cap'n Bob

P.S.: In return for my neighbor's assistance in making this treasure box, I'm going to help him design and build a blanket chest for his wife.

[Barber-surgeon]

Indeed, Cap'n Bob! We be most anxious ta see yer photos of said chest! Question, how much does it weigh empty?

Cheers! :angry:

[Captain Bob]

Indeed, Cap'n Bob! We be most anxious ta see yer photos of said chest! Question, how much does it weigh empty?

Cheers! :angry:

Whups! I forgot to give dimensions. (It's on its way to my sister's so I can't weigh it.) disregarding the hardware and "iron straps", it's about 8" wide by 7" deep by 7½" tall, so it's nearly a cube.

Next time I make one I'd like to use antique hardware. This time around I just bought modern decorative brass hinges, a draw latch/hasp, and two brass drawer pulls for the side handles. The body of the box is made from pine 1×6's (bottom and sides) and pine 1×2's (everything else). I'm guessing it weighs about 5-10 pounds, but I'm not calibrated so I could be off by a considerable amount.

--Cap'n Bob

[Barber-surgeon]

"it's about 8" wide by 7" deep by 7½" tall, so it's nearly a cube."

Erm...inches? :angry:

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Barber -Surgeon... The quotation marks when used behind a number denotes inches here in the colonies mate.( 8"= eight inches ) Just something else to confuse our European friends! :angry:

Capt. Bo

[Captain Bob]

Here's some pics of me tresure chest (small as it is).

Well? Wadaya think?

--Cap'n Bob

[Rumba Rue]

I would have liked to have seen a more period laching front and less modern handles, and smaller studs. But all in all it's a very nice small chest.

[JoshuaRed]

Wouldn't want to use that as my airplane carry-on piece!

[Barber-surgeon]

Ah! So ye WERE meanin' inches...an' here I was thinkin' ye had built a full-scale reproduction. I greatly enjoyed the pic's! An' a fyne first job, too. A piece ye can use and have gleaned some good hands-on building knowledge from.

Definitly, I would agree with the suggestion for a wrought iron latch and handles with yer next construction.

Ye did a beautious piece of stainin' an' finishin' there, Cap'n Bob!

Cheers!