Pirates, treasure, jewels, Spanish galleons, romance, adventure on the high seas - all these are vividly suggested by the ancient chests of dull brown oak, clasped with bands of iron, that are now so highly prized as decorations for living room, library, and bedroom.

Fig. 29. - Top, front, and two end views of an ornamental treasure chest. The fittings may be thin plywood, wall hoard, linoleum, gesso, sheet lead, copper, or real wrought iron.

Almost everyone would like to have one of these timeworn, battered old strong boxes, but they arc practically unobtainable except in expensive reproductions. To make one, however, is a simple task compared to the constructing of almost any other piece of furniture. The chest itself can be nailed together, and the effect of hand-forged metalwork may be obtained in a number of ways ranging from the use of thick cardboard, wall board, wood, or gesso to real wrought iron.

The chest4 shown in Fig. 29 may be made of any kind of wood and stained as desired. Red oak, however, is recommended; it bears out the romance of the oaken chest and the wood is not too hard for the home worker to handle.

The decorations may be of lead, copper, linoleum or even well-shellacked heavy pasteboard if glued in place before any shellac is applied. It is quite possible, indeed, to obtain the desired effect of an iron-bound chest by the use of gesso (whiting and liquid glue with a little varnish and boiled oil) or plastic paint. In any case, the presence of the antique nailheads is an important factor in carrying out the illusion.

4 Larger drawings of this and another chest are contained in BLUEPRINT No. 78. listed in the Appendix. The reference letters in Fig. 29 correspond to reference letters used on the blueprint and in the accompanying- bill of materials.