Hi,
I want to make a matching pair of chests for my daughters. They will be a basic design with dovetailed joinery based on the Steamer Trunk project from NYW. I have so far made one which I actually sold. They will take some abuse but I want to use material nicer than pine. My knowledge of wood types is limited so any recommendations on a good wood that takes abuse and a good finish would be much appreciated.
Greg
Replies
Any hardwood will take some amount of abuse and you can always line the inside with cedar, assuming they are intended to house cloth material.
But then again, you didn't mention their intended use, so you might want to start with that, i.e. we need more to go on to help you.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob
I can only assume they will become de facto storage boxes for the assorted junk and hard toys accumulated by kids ages 1 and 3. I would like to think they would be cherished heirlooms from day one and treated accordingly, however the one I have sold on has become a household toy box and already shows its wear after one year. That wood was white pine.
Cherry is suggested on other posts in this thread and I can get that. I live in Bermuda and such woods are limited in availability and cost about the same as the space shuttle.
Thanks for the advice,
Greg
Oh, I didn't realize that you are in Bermuda. That might change thinking considerably as I'm not familiar with available wood there. Being on an island surely must present challenges as to available wood.
What woods are indigenous to Bermuda? I must confess that I'm ignorant in that regard. It would seem to me that air drying would be in favor there.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Bermuda cedar is the best known indigineous wood however it went in a cedar blight in the 1960s. Any that you can find today is very valuable and you wouldn't use it to make such a chest. Normally virginia cedar is substituted however I don't prefer the grain patterns in virgina cedar. Everything else is imported. If you want to by a sheet of 3/4" birch ply, expect to pay well over $100. My logic is, whatever the wood costs, it would cost more to have the same item made by a professional. And then there is the joy of making the project which you cannot price.
Greg
I don't know what your budget is but my two favorite woods for chests are walnut and cherry.
Provided they have been dried properly both species are stable, strong and take a beautiful finish.
I make the NYW blanket chest and use walnut for the top, rails and stiles, and cherry for the panels.
If I were making the steamer trunks for my daughters I would pop for some hard maple. But oak would be a suitable choice, too.
Greg, if you can get hold of some Imbuia I believe this to be a premium timber. Looks marvellous, behaves well under seasonal changes, takes a great polish-and smells superb-ideal for chests. Not too heavy, works like a dream, won't kill you too quickly if you breathe it, glues easily. No woodworker should be allowed to float away if he/she has not experienced this superb timber. I like it.
Then again, there is Cherry, if you can get prime grades.
Why don't you make one of each?
If you fire up http://www.hobbithouseinc.com there is a very good collection of pictures bearing good resemblance to the woods shown....But you still have to see and feel that Imbuia....
I like cherry. I made a chest of cherry in woodshop in high school. The bottom was cedar. I gave it to my uncle who paid for the wood. He has passed on and the chest is now mine. It looks better every year. If you plan to place cherry in a sunny room, it will darken a lot. That may be a consideration in your selection.
Old growth recycled pine would also be a nice choice. Something taken from an old building that is being demolished might be available where you are. Also, old ships that are being scrapped have wooden posts/beams that may be salvageable. Do you get drift logs there? That could be interesting and a good story for the pieces. Do you have a supply of pallet lumber? Goods shipped from South America come in on exotic wood pallets here in Florida. Nails holes can add character or you can butterfly/dutchman over them if you plan their location well and want a symmetrical inlay
If you can find it, sassafras. It is light but strong, works easily, and finishes well. It has a camphor smell when cut, but it fades and wouldn't be a problem. It also looks a lot like chesnut, but doesn't have the premium price (at least in New Jersey).
What about purchasing your hardwood from Ebay?? Does the cost to ship to Bermuda add so much cost as to make the deals too expensive compared to buying the hardwood locally?
Jeff
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