April 2005
Pair of Norse chests
Following my first chest, I decided to make another. I had a thick board of sweet chestnut that was hanging around; a good rot-resistant outdoor timber, but not enough of it to make anything bigger. Sweet chestnut came to England with the Romans, but didn't make it further than Kent or the south coast. So it's not a commonly known Norse timber, although it has shown up at a 10th century find in Dublin.
Chestnut chest open
the lid is a solid board, hollowed with a gouge and scorp.
Pair of chests, from above
Joinery and hinges are as for the first chest. Open tenons pegged with treenails. Forged steel, held in place with clenched nails.
Pair of chests
This chest is 24" long, compared to 18" for the first. Norse originals were even longer.
Pair of chests, from the front
For strength, the sides and most noticeably the ends are tapered inwards towards the top.
Like the first chest, my main reason for even beginning was to use up a single large board that was cluttering the workshop. This one was of sweet chestnut, a timber known for its good weather resistance.
Chestnut slab, before beginning to resaw it to boards
First I needed to resaw this - 5 feet long and a foot wide of 2" board.
After ripping from each edge on the cabinet saw
Using the circular saw from each edge took me 2/3rd of the way through, but for the rest I was on my own. Ripping on the Wadkin is so much easier since I upgraded to a 3hp motor.
Ready for hand-ripping
Then it's down to a slog with my anahiki - a big Japanese rip saw - to rip through the centre.
Finished boards
Finished! Not the easiest job ever, but surprisingly light going. Sweet chestnut is a pretty easy timber for sawing. For authenticity I then hand-planed the surface of the two boards.
There'll be other chests for sale later this year - probably at re-enactor / LARP events. Look at the For Sale page for details.
