Urn Box Ideas Please

[Andrew Pitonyak]

A very close friend died and his parents asked me to make a box to hold his ashes. Come to think of it, I did not ask how large this box needed to be.

Any ideas or plans for a suitable box?

I think that the choice of wood will also be tricky for me, but, the basic design is probably the first thing to establish.

Initially, another friend had offered to make a box of some kind and then use some process (laser burning thingy maybe) to etch an image onto the box lid, but I am not sure whether that image would have been of my friend, or of a computer.

I am not really a carver, and I don't have a fancy laser machine, so I might just have a small brass plate engraved with his name with dates.

Ideas, thoughts, pictures, or links are appreciated

[Grant Wilkinson]

I just finished a clock/box for my wife's brother. His widow thought that it would make a good lasting reminder.

[Ole Anderson]

The current issue of Wood magazine has one.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

The current issue of Wood magazine has one.


I will check it out.... Thanks...

Also, there is this: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?55485-Cremation-Urn-plans

[Dick Strauss]

IIRC, about 1 cubic inch per pound of person...

[Roy Harding]

IIRC, about 1 cubic inch per pound of person...

Absolutely correct. I make a lot of urns and that's the rule of thumb.

[Ray Newman]

As for a box design, ask the parents what they would like.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

As for a box design, ask the parents what they would like.


I was hoping to present a few general ideas, but, that said, you make too much sense there Ray.

[Jim Barstow]

I've done several including one for a dog which was smaller. I keep them very simple with a wooden latch that can be very secure. (You don't want it to spill if dropped.)

334386

[Roy Harding]

Here's a link to some of the urns I've done (the link is not ALL urns, but most are) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oldebulle/albums/72157632025861208

My urns are usually done in northern red cedar, with the bottom being the point of entry. I also make urns with friction fit lids, and hinged lids for those who may wish to spread the ashes.

All that said - Ray Newman said it best, ask what the folks would like.

[Michelle Rich]

I have made many shaker oval boxes that have been used as urns.

[jack forsberg]

I did this last Summer http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?218942-Not-a-wide-board-at-15-quot-but-very-old-pinyon-pine

[Charles Lent]

The virtual (Internet) woodworking club that I belong to www.ncwoodworker.net discovered that Indigent Veterans are being cremated and interred in our National cemeteries in cardboard and plastic boxes, if the Veteran or their family cannot afford or provide a suitable urn. The Federal Government pays for the cremation and the internment, but provides no urn or suitable container for them, and we felt that we had to do something to correct this.

NCWoodworker now has an "Urns for Veterans" Outreach Program. We are making and providing cremation urns free for any Veteran, or their family, who requests an urn for them. We have provided a quantity of these urns to every Federal and State Veteran Cemetery in North Carolina, to make available at the time of internment, as needed, or by direct contact with any still living Veteran who would like to have one.

Early on in this project we found that the cemetery workers are not willing to transfer the cremains from the cardboard or plastic container that comes from the crematory. If this had to be done, only a funeral home would be willing to do this. So the urn and the cremains would have to go back to the funeral home for this transfer, and then be brought back to the cemetery for internment.

To avoid this complication we designed our urns to be just slightly larger inside than these standard crematory containers, so that these containers could be easily inserted into the urn without the need to open the cardboard or plastic crematory container to transfer the cremains. The cemetery workers have agreed to insert the container into the urn, re-install the urn bottom, and glue in place the correct laser engraved service emblem. Our urns are relatively simple in design, having removable bottoms, held on with 5 screws (to maintain orientation of the bottom). A 3" diameter recess in the front of the urn holds a laser engraved branch of service emblem that is glued in at the time of use, and another 3" round recess in the bottom holds a laser engraved label that is installed at the time of construction that says who made the urn and that it is given free by us with thanks to the NC Veteran for his service to our country.

Several saw mills in NC are donating the wood for these urns, one member is pre-cutting and packaging the wood pieces into kits, and many members are assembling and finishing these kits. Another member, who owns a laser engraver, is making the laser engravings and donating them to the program, and a woodworking store chain in NC is supplying space in their warehouse for us to store the completed urns until they are needed.

If you would like more information about our Veteran Urn Outreach Program, please send me a PM.

Charley

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I've done several including one for a dog which was smaller. I keep them very simple with a wooden latch that can be very secure. (You don't want it to spill if dropped.)

334386

That box is beautiful.... And I really like the wooden latch. The latch looks complicated.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

the bottom being the point of entry.

Can you clarify this? I don't understand. Do you mean that the ashes go in with the base off and then the box is screwed shut from the button?

[Roy Harding]

Can you clarify this? I don't understand. Do you mean that the ashes go in with the base off and then the box is screwed shut from the button?

Exactly. You're only going to open it once.

[David Helm]

334443This is what I have done.

[roger wiegand]

334500334501

Here's the one I made for my parents (double size, at their request). The inlays around the sides are pieces of wood from trees and buildings that were important to them. The top is closed with a small brass screw through each side where the lip on the lid overlaps the base.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I did this last Summer http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?218942-Not-a-wide-board-at-15-quot-but-very-old-pinyon-pine


That is very elaborate....