Large Dog Casket

[Eddie Howard]

I was asked to build a simple knotty pine box for a 90lb+ dog. Here it is at 48 X 37 X 20.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z135/SweetExpressionsWoodworks/LargeDogCasket2.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z135/SweetExpressionsWoodworks/DogCasketLining.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z135/SweetExpressionsWoodworks/DogCasketLining2.jpg

[Larry Fox]

Sad purpose for a very nice box - nice work.

[David Tiell]

Nicely done, although as said above, for a sad purpose. A fitting tribute to man's best friend. How did you go about fastening the padding and material on the inside? I have two older dogs that I have recently measured to build caskets for. It will be an extremely sad day when the time comes to use them, as they are family to me.

[Rennie Heuer]

I, too, would be interested in learning more about your construction methods. How is the top fastened? The corners look like miters in the picture - true? How did you reinforce them?

Overall nice work. As others have noted - sad, but fitting tribute. My friend is getting up in years also. Don't quite know how I'm going to handle his passing.

[Eddie Howard]

Thanks for the compliments -- The box is knotty pine with a dadoed bottom of 3/4" knotty pine. I reinforced the bottom with 4 - 1 3/4' strips (dog was 90+lbs). I also used screws from the outside about 4" apart along with glue to hold the bottom tight to the sides.

As you can see in the pic there are cleats around the top where an inner top fits inside the box on the cleats and then when the top was finished it was attached to the top giving it about 1 1/4 total thickness.

I pre-drilled 6 holes for 2" screws -- 2 on each long side and 1 on each short side, on an angle to go into the cleats, to be used to seal the lid after the animal was put in it. I gave them plugs to fill the holes if they wanted to.

The lining on the side was a first time effort. I sprayed contact cement on the bottom to keep the padding from shifting around and put the padding in. Then cut the fabric and stapled it to each side and bottom as close to the sides as I could get.

The side pieces were 3/16" ply sized to fit the space between the bottom of the cleat and the bottom of the casket. I used contact cement to hold the batting on, again to keep it from drooping, I used some 2" wide double sided tape and put on the cloth. I had carefully cut the side pieces so that when they went in place they had a friction fit with the cleat and the sides. I use a few dabs of hot glue for insurance.

The trim is mitered and put on with glue and biscuits. I make my biscuit slots a little long so I have room to move the trim to fit.

Hope the above is clear -- if not -- I'll be happy to try to explain myself.

Have a great day!!

Eddie

[Charles Jackson III]

Sad use, but very nice job.