Small Tarred Chest

A small wooden chest, in a vaguely Bristolian piratical sense.

Overall size is about 16" x 10"

This chest began from a few inspirations:

• When I made the oilcloth chest, I looked at the part-completed chest with a coat of bitumen primer on it and thought it was quite an attractive piece, just in that finish.
• I recently broke up some old wardrobes, owing to woodworm infestation. This left me with some timber that was useful, but I didn't fancy leaving it sitting untreated in the woodracks for too long.
• I also had some spare hinges left, from the other chest.
• There's also the question of Jarkman's Huge Sack of Bitumen. Needing a tiny quantity of tar, he'd had to buy 20kg of it. So ever since we've been looking for any projects that might use some of it up.

Not finished in this photo - needs the hinges riveting on (pozidrive screws aren't quite authentic) and another coat of tar.

Ironwork got off to a bad start when I realised I'd left the spare parts at home. So I had to start from scratch on them too. While I was about it I also made the hinges for a Norse chest, vaguely patterned after the Mastermyr chest.

For Sale

There'll be other chests for sale later this year - probably at re-enactor / LARP events. Look at the For Sale page for details.

Construction

Simple pine box of recycled timber, with dovetailed corners. Lid is coopered pine strips, held with hornbeam pegs.

Ironwork is steel, both cold and hot worked.

Finish is bitumen. Bitumen paint in a solvent for the box, or hot molten bitumen over the lid and underneath the base, for better waterproofing.