Thomas Griffin

Naval Officer's Sea Chest

This sea chest is a traditional design made with 48 hand-cut dovetails, historic milk paint, marlinspike beckets, and hand-painted script. It was constructed using six pine boards with hand cut joinery at slight angles (6-7 degrees). The locking mechanism is a half mortise lock with a historic skeleton key. The beckets and hand-painted script was outsourced. Reference material used in this project was found from the article "Building A Classic Sea Chest" by Gary K. Larkins in WoodBoat Magazine 186.  

It was an honor to make this sea chest for a good friend, and it was showcased during his retirement ceremony. This naval sea chest is an homage to the past and the strong tradition of naval service that continues to this day.