This weekend, my sister mentioned that the store in question (Jo Ann Fabrics) honors competitor coupons like Michael's. And that she had a 40% of coupon she wasn't going to use.
So I got this chest which retails for $90 for $57 with tax. It measures 32"w x 16"h x 15"d. It appears to be eastern red cedar made by the amish according to a leaflet that came in the chest.
It comes unfinished. So you need to put something on the outside. I laquered mine. I also removed the wooden block handles and the cheap cabinet hardware. I added some steel rings and strap hinges, and will put on a hasp when it comes in.
Do not add a finish to the inside. You need to keep that nice cedar smell to keep the moths away.
The 4" rings are from a iron works company. They are only $1/ea. as they're hollow square tubular steel. The staples (the metal strips that hold the rings on the side) are actually some old car parts I had in a box. The strap hinges are off of Ebay.
-Cian
A note about american cedar is that it's not the same thing as european cedar. In fact, what we call red cedar is actually juniper, but like the real cedars from the mediteranean they resist rot and is averted by cloth eating insects.
Actual mediterranean and spanish cedar has a more uniform grain. And does not have the contrast in color of the heart and sap wood. If you leave american red cedar outside in the sun for a time, the pinkish red wood fades a bit. And the contrasting sap and heart woods will look like the box in these pictures, which is actually what looks to me nearly identical to yew.
