my iron bound chest prop

**Spooks-Magee** · 09-01-2011,03:12 PM

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This is based on a 17th century iron lock box. Kind of the shipping container of the day. It was used to transport gold and stuff. Anyway, for my skeletal pirate I am working on he will have this under his feet. I wanted it to look like it has been around rusting and moldering as long as he has. This cell phone picture kind of messes up the colors and contrast, I think it looks better in person.

Although not a tutorial, here is how I made it.

Cardboard file or bankers box from staples or office depot. I masking taped the lid on and the edges to make them smooth.

I bought some foam core from the dollar store, a dollar a sheet, I used about two sheets if that much to cut out the frames. I made sure the did NOT meet on the edges so the frames would look like the iron bands on the chest. I taped these on covering all the edges so they lay flat. Since the lid sticks out on the edges I cut the frames to fit below it and a frame on top of it.

For the rivets I had a hard time finding something cheap and plentiful. I ended up buying about $10 worth of these little plastic gems, I probably could have done something cheaper but I looked and looked and got tired of looking. I measured out the distances and hot glued them on.

I spray painted the entire thing flat black as a base color, but I also do this to see the object as it is with no distractions. The gems looked terribly as gems but awesome once they were painted black.

The chain is that plastic chain you get from the hardware store. Mine was shiny black so I hit it with the flat black paint.

Then I gave the thing a quick coat of dark brown, leaving the cracks black, I threw sand on it as I painted and let that dry on. Then I did the dry brush of a lighter color to make the rust stand out.

I think that's it. I swear it looks better in person