A couple of simple burial boxes

[Bruce Page]

Both of LOML’s parents passed away late last year in Oklahoma City. Betty and her sisters asked me to make something appropriate for the funeral services scheduled later this month at Santa Fe National Cemetery when the family, mostly from Pensacola Florida, and elderly, could attend.

Anyway, the wood is store-bought Lacewood and some cherry from my late father-in-law’s farm in Arkansas.
The finish is 3 coats of shellac each sanded to 320, followed by 4 coats of wipe on varnish, followed with 2 coats of wax. The cherry was darkened with 2 coats of Bartley’s Pennsylvania Cherry wipe-on varnish.

Thanks for looking

[Billy Chambless]

Bruce,

Those boxes are beautiful in thier simplicity -- a fine memorial to your in-laws.

I'm just started building the same thing for my own mother, who passed away last week, so I know what a labor of love a job like that is... and what a healing process it can be.

[Jim Becker]

The boxes are lovely, Bruce...and a wonderful way to accommodate the need with some fine craftsmanship.

[Steve Clardy]

Very nice Bruce ;)

[Bruce Page]

Thanks guys.

Billy, I'm sorry to hear about your mother.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Very nice Bruce. Simple but elegant at the same time.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bruce.....elegantly simple with great joinery. Nicely done Sir!



Billy,

I'm sorry to hear of your mother's death. My sincere condolences.

[Mike Heidrick]

Very sorry for the loses in this post.

I have a question though - it is about the hinged lid. Are these urns typically hinged? Maybe this is not an Urn. Just wanting to know what the proper design is for this?

[Bruce Page]

Mike, I don’t know what the protocol really is. These boxes will be viewed during the services then buried. I used two 8lb rare earth magnets to hold them closed.
It was next to impossible to get any design info from the cemetery so I just winged it.
In any case, the boxes are a little more respectful than the ugly plastic boxes from the crematorium.

[Rick Gibson]

Sorry for the losses here. I built a couple last year for my wife and myself. Hopefully they won't be needed for a while. The only real design requirement I could find was if they were being placed in a crypt where there would be size limitations. Mine were designed to hold the ashes until the survivor or our kids could get to where we want them scattered so a lock was put on to discourage grandkids or others from opening them.

Yours look good and using some of the wood from your late father in laws farm is fitting.

[Billy Chambless]

Very sorry for the loses in this post.

I have a question though - it is about the hinged lid. Are these urns typically hinged? Maybe this is not an Urn. Just wanting to know what the proper design is for this?

I looked at a few at the funeral home, and actually took home a catalog for ideas. Styles vary immensely. Some are true "urns", meant for the cremains to be poured into them, while others are sized to accept the plastic box that the cremains come from the crematory in. Some have hinged lids, while others are designed to accept the box from beneath, then the bottom is screwed on. I plan to follow the latter idea.

Thanks to those who offered condolences.