Material suggestions, please?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Here's the scoop: Very dear friends of mine just had their first born child last week - a boy! I've decided, at my wife's suggestion, to make a toy box for the little guy. The design will be something of a pirate's treasure chest, and while I've got the details all worked out in my head, I'm wondering what kind of wood(s) to make this thing out of. Pine is easy, light, plentiful and cheap, but I want to use something durable and lasting.

Any suggestions welcome and all will be considered. Pictures, of course, will be posted upon completion!

[Lee Schierer]

Poplar is considerably stronger and more durable than pine and can easily be painted. If you're going for the natural color look then use red oak or maple, though polplar isn't bad with a natural finish either.

Lee

[Charles McKinley]

If you are giong with a curved top I would try the flexible ply wood.

[Gary Breckenridge]

I would use walnut and oil finish it. It still looks good after a bit of wear and takes on an heirloom patina. It is a different story if you want to paint the thing. Popular takes paint and wears well.

[Bob Wingard]

Hard to gp wrong with cherry .. .. .. very dense and takes a lot of abuse.

[Doug Edwards]

I would suggest Oak or Walnut (or both) as the materials of choice. Since most real chests of that period were made of English Oak or English Walnut. If you look at many pictures of stereotypical treasure chests you find a two toned look. Sides have dark rails and lighter panels. Good luck finding hardware for this. A treasure chest should have some really over the top hardware.

[Mike Cutler]

Sitka Spruce. Very light, very stable, easy to machine and shape, The color is an amber to blond but could be stained or painted any color.
It also comes in ply sheets, very expensive though.
Something out of the ordinary, but remember that Mom has to be able to move the toybox.

[Donnie Raines]

I would take a look around the babies room and see what they like in terms of design and color....painted or natural.

[Doug Cowan]

I would also suggest Poplar if you are painting it, and Walnut or Oak if you are going with a natural finish.

As the lid may be somewhat heavy, I would suggest lid supports to keep those little fingers from getting smashed. Rockler has some for about $5 each that make it so you have to pull the lid down to close it.

[Todd Burch]

The good sea chests of the time were made out of camphour wood. Rot resistant, held up well to salt water (like you'll need that protection...), the oil released by camphour naturally keeps metal from rusting... although, I think Fischer Price has moved more towards plastic in recent years...

Be sure to angle the backside of the chest so it will stow up against the hull well too.

(Hey, it was just a suggestion!!!)

Todd

[Maurice Ungaro]

Todd, most excellent suggestions! You know, I'm already starting a search for camphor wood as I type this. I'm kinda quirky for historical accuracy, but somehow, I might just make an exception for this piece.

Doug Edwards and Doug Cowan both suggested oak and walnut, and I think I might just go with that combo, with an oak frame and walnut panels (great, now...red oak, or white oak?.....the red and walnut might go well together). I'm thinking simple panels here, something meant to be used.

For the top, I've decided to use slats milled with one beaded edge and one fluted edge. This will allow me to give some curvature to the profile - anything from a simple dome to a showey reverse curve.

Of course, I might have to put a seccret compartment into the thing, and let the little guy find it eventually