I want to build a treasure chest! Any ideas?

[68MUDSTUD]

Hey everyone, I'm a new guy, but lurk quite often. Anyways, I love metal detecting and I need a cool box to put my best finds in. What better than a handmade treasure chest? What kind of wood should I use? I want the old and rustic look, but also pleasing to the eye. I was thinking of strapping it with either iron or copper. I have a forge, and im kinda thinking about pounding a snake or two out of a railroad spike. I dunno. Show me some of your guys' treasures, for design ideas!

 

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[releventchair]

Some thing like a hudson bay trade cassette. Or a type of chest with hip roof skilled trades use(d) for tools. If you can get a small wood barrel it can be cut in half (lengthwise),reinforced, hinged or just use half for a lid on a wood box.
Pine for light loads,oak for heavy. Have fun.

 

[phishisgroovin]

Go out in the country, find a barn that has fallen. There you will find the COOL looking wood.
Aged, weathered and rustic.
All you have to do is spray it down with Urethane Verathane from Home depot (use spray not wipe on).

You will be happy with the results.

 

[wainzoid]

Ive made two from t&g oak flooring, then used 1/8 x 1" flat steel for straps. I nailed them(straps) with brass brads. I also used brass corners and hasp.
Mine are full of pennies and not in a place that I can take a pic. If I could move them out I would, they weigh about 250-300 each.

 

[TerryC]

Whatever wood/design you choose, make sure to line part of it with metal inside so you can find it with an MD if you bury it! Welcome to the net. The BEST on the internet! TTC

 

[Bum Luck]

Oak is a nice strong wood, and you can find it in a variety of weathered conditions.

I've often had this thought, but I can't get Ivan to tell me what the chest looked like that he found!

This is gonna be a cool post.

 

[TerryC]

Use cedar wood. Very bug resistant. TTC

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey everyone, I'm a new guy, but lurk quite often. Anyways, I love metal detecting and I need a cool box to put my best finds in. What better than a handmade treasure chest? What kind of wood should I use? I want the old and rustic look, but also pleasing to the eye. I was thinking of strapping it with either iron or copper. I have a forge, and im kinda thinking about pounding a snake or two out of a railroad spike. I dunno. Show me some of your guys' treasures, for design ideas!

Mudstump, I'd suggest getting some treasure first! (j/k)

I use 5 gallon buckets.
If it's something good, I use a bucket with a lid.

I hafta tease, a little.
You should be able to find some kinda decent old chest, somewhere. I know my neighbor got two in his shed out back. They bigger than a pirates chests! LOL! They're more like an old trunk.
Good luck and show us some pics when you do get it.

 

[mical66]

im with terry,, cedar is a beautiful wood, smells good and repels insects , resists rot , it ages to a silver grey in the sun or you can stain it , very easy to work with since it is a soft wood.
but i guess it depends on what you want your chest to look like,, the round top like the pirate treasure chest or like a travelers chest all square or rectangular .

 

[Bum Luck]

Anybody got any pictures of an authentic one?

 

[hvacker]

I would suspect an original chest would be made of oak with iron strapping. Cedar is too soft and weak. So is pine. Oak was used for sailing ships, was abundant, very tough and strong. Copper is too soft for strapping. Iron is strong, cheap and ez to shape. I would think a chest like this would be thought of as utility and functional so being pretty might not have been important. Probably being rugged was primary.
On the net there are sites where people restore old chests and you might find some nice designs.
Sounds like fun.