Underneath the Mango Tree...

[Thorongil]

Hello fellow tree-botherers,
It's been a long time since I was last on and I come to you with a new problem.

A friend has asked me to make him a seaman's chest for the base of his bed after becoming obsessed with Patrick O'Brian's 'Aubrey-Maturin' series of books.

He'd like it made out of Mango wood to get that 'driftwood' effect but I cannot for the life of me find a supplier in the UK. I have searched the forum for 'mango wood supplier' and found a topic that linked to a list of timber suppliers that might offer it but had no luck with those. The thread was dated 2004 so I was wondering that now it is a more widely known timber maybe some of you guys may have had cause to use it.

Failing that, and it seems like a tall order, do you guys have any suggestions for an alternative that would give the desired effect?

All the best.

 

[wizer]

Do you have pics of a specific design? Something like this?

I've never even heard of mango wood. But it looks like it could be pretty much anything? Fumed Oak? Mahogany (or Iroko)? Stained Pine?

 

[laird]

Have you thought of actually using driftwood ?

 

[lurker]

Have you thought of actually using driftwood ?

I don't think you get very much good stuff washed up on Farnham beach, Laird.

 

[miles_hot]

I've heard that drift wood is murder on the tools

Miles

 

[big soft moose]

most sea mens chests ( a slight misnomener as only the officers had them - the seamen had kit bags) were made from oak (if manufactured in the uk) or teak (if made by the HEIC)

id suggest you use oak and sand blast it for a distressed finish.

mango wood is largely used in that imported idian/asian furniture you get from places like fair trade - afaik it isnt imported to the uk as wood in quantity - if your freind is set on mango wood (tho you could sway him by pointimng out the cpt aubrey would have had oak ) then you could maybe buy some used mango wood furniture via ebay and recycle the timber

 

[Thorongil]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

I have knocked up a Sketchup design based on his thoughts. I say a 'sailor's chest' but it's looking more like a blanket chest with 'sailor's chest' features than the one in your picture Wizer. So far it's pretty much a frame and panel affair with those rope handles.

[edit] whoops, forgot to add the handles and obviously the finished item would look more distressed than in the model

I still have to finalise details with him and have been trying to convince him to use oak as I can get that readily enough from my supplier, I think the historical accuracy should swing the vote and I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier.

How would I go about sand-blasting it in my pokey workshop though? I assume stealing some sand from the neighbour's children's sand pit and throwing it at the timber wouldn't work.

With regards to the Mango wood, it's a shame it's so difficult to find a supplier as it's got some rather interesting figuring etc

 

[big soft moose]

if you've got an air compressor you can get little sand blasting attachments for them - or alternately you could get a sand blasting 'shop to do it for you - be an easy job for them and wouldnt cost you many beer vouchers.

incidentally on the historical acuracy from the reason that officers and midshipmans chests would have been made of oak (Or teak in the john company yards) is because thats what the ships were made from and thus thats what ships carpenters had a steady supply of offcuts from - and making officers chests was a profitable sideline for ships carpenters and shipwrights

also most officers chests would have been edge jointed boards bound with iron / steel strapping (think of a prototypical treasure chest) in order to withstand bveing hoisted on and outboard of ships and lowered down companionways etc.

not to mention that chests would have been roughly thrown arround when a ship was cleared for action , as the officers quarters would have been just screened off portions of the gundeck.

and finally they would have been considerably smaller than your design as with the exception of a wealthy captain or admiral the average officer wouldnt have had much in the way of belongings apart from a couple of sets of uniform (one dress uniform and one sea going) his pistols and sword, and may be a few books or journal.

this is a real one - or a reproduction thereof , albeit in pine rather than the more usual oak

 

[Chris Knight]

I doubt any seaman's chest was frame and panel..

Distressing (as done by some antique restorers lacking certain moral principles) is typically carried out with a large bunch of keys being swiped at the piece being distressed, followed by the application of some blacking to simulate dirt and wear.

The trick to doing this is to study just how items are really worn in practice (think of what a maid would do cleaning the thing for example). Very often you will find totally spurious wear indications on an "antique" that couldn't possibly have arisen in the normal course of events.

 

[laird]

I've heard that drift wood is murder on the tools

Miles

It can be, loaded with salt and frequently sand as it comes off the shore. However rinsing it (well) in freshater takes most of the problemout. I've currently got my eye on a piece of old pier, pitch pine, about 3 tons, on a point some 300 yds away from the house. It's been there about 7 months now, but there just hasn't been enough rain in that time to clean the surface layers. Sore on the chainsaw.

 

[TrimTheKing]

I think I have just the thing you are looking for (the chest that is, not the Mango stock) in my family room, 2 secs.....

...here you go. This is what I would expect a seaman's chest to look like, and this is made of Mango (so I was told when I bought it).

Nice handles on the sides and nice lock on front, which has a small pin in to lock it, which currently lives inside since baby decided it tastes nice...:shock:

Came from a little private members shop in a little Derbyshire village called Tissington. Christ knows how I got to be invited to be a member

 

[wizer]

A Private Members Shop!! You ferkun rich toff. :lol:

If you want to learn about distressing or just want to be distressed, watch The\Le Salvager.

BTW the chest I posted is a miniature in a collection titled Aubrey-Maturin

 

[lurker]

This is what I use for "distressing"

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/85360/Abr ... -Twist-Cup

 

[TrimTheKing]

A Private Members Shop!! You ferkun rich toff. :lol:

Haha, sounds much grander than it actually is. Basically a massively eccentric older lady who used to run some large department store somewhere near Rugby (I think) for 30 years retired (wadded) and started up her own shop.

She pretty much fills it with whatever she fancies selling, and only invites in people she likes. We were introduced to her by a friend of a friend and she took a bit of a shine to this big old slaphead and now we're invited guests/members.

It's hilarious, it's tucked away in the village, and not advertised, but occasionally the odd tourist will see people going in and out and wander up and ring the doorbell. I have actually witnessed her let in me and my group, then stop the people behind us and say 'I don't know you, this is for members only, goodbye', and close the door on them!

Bonkers! But a nice old bat

 

[wizer]

Actually it's sounds fascinating and I can see it being a successful idea and fun to run as well. Not sure how well it would do in Bexleyheath tho :lol:

 

[OPJ]

I've never even heard of mango wood.

You've heard of mangos, haven't you? Did you think they grew in the ground or something?! :wink:

 

[TrimTheKing]

Actually it's sounds fascinating and I can see it being a successful idea and fun to run as well.

That's exactly the reason she says she does it, fun. She doesn't need the money, she just gets to run her own shop, the way she wants, and only sell to people she likes. And she's one of the happiest people I've ever met so it must be working