Anyone thinking of building your own coffin?

[Mike Henderson]

I considered it, but don't have a place to store it long term and a Schwartz-style bookcase/casket is going a little too far for my comfort level. (I don't mind being prepared, but I don't want to stare at the dang thing for 40 years.) Nothing wrong with making one if it suits you. Do check local regulations.

And then, when you die, your survivors have to find some other place to store their books

Mike

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Coffins.jpgIt's a fun group project – and you get lots of great looks through the front windows while doing it. Mine is, after a Halloween stint on thr front porch, in the basement where it serves as storage for me, not of me.

[Bob Glenn]

I have thought of building my own and mounting it on my workshop wall above my canoe. A constant reminder to not waste my time left. Swimming 50 lengths of an Olympic pool is not routine any longer.
Storage could be an issue down the road though, hate to pay for years of storage while I rot in some nursing home.

Are you working on a flat pack design?

I don't know what the flat pack design is, however, I thought about cutting, planing and fitting all the pieces and pre-drilling the holes for the cut nails, then leave it un-assembled, hoping someone could knock it together when the time comes.

[Simon MacGowen]

No coffins...ashes to be scattered. Yes, an environmentally friendly kinda guy here. If my family honor my (living) wish, I don't want any formal funeral to be arranged. An obituary sent to remote relatives and friends would be more than enough.

Simon

[Mel Fulks]

Megan, that is a happy looking bunch. Make-up artist - coffin maker is a great skill set !

[Kris Cook]

Not sure why I read this thread. Maybe the same reason people stare at an accident scene...

Not sure why anyone would waste good lumber on a coffin.

[Mike Henderson]

I wonder why they used to make coffins in that shape. That doesn't save a lot of wood over a plain rectangular coffin, and it makes the construction more difficult. That joint in the sides at arm level could be weak unless done well. Any ideas why they're that shape?

Mike

[Mel Fulks]

I think it was to know for sure which end the feet were in. They were always careful to carry a body feet first. And suicides
were carried head first. These days they get a little careless at times.

[Prashun Patel]

Definitely a bucket list project for me.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I feel like there was a Roy Underhill episode on coffin building. Might be worth a look if you want to do it.

ETA: Just googled it. Called “Plain pine box” available for free from the PBS website.

[Flamone LaChaud]

When I saw that link about sky burial, before I clicked on it I thought to myself "pushed out of a plane over some random location? Maaaybe worth looking into - that way my family can say I finally tried skydiving."

[Bill Jobe]

I sorta share the opinion of Bob Hope on such things.
I read somewhere that when asked where he wanted to be buried, he responded with "Surprise me".

[Tony Wilkins]

Definitely a bucket list project for me.

I see what you did there.

[Mel Fulks]

[QUOTE=Flamone LaChaud;2892451]When I saw that link about sky burial, before I clicked on it I thought to myself "pushed out of a plane over some random location? Maaaybe worth looking into - that way my family can say I finally tried skydiving."[/QUOTE
I have no objection to the sky drop .....oops, almost forgot the requisite "but not in my neighborhood"
Unusual requests can, over time, be misunderstood. A few generations out that could become "his body was dropped on the dump site from a plane". Or a murderer found guilty might say. "He died of natural cause. He loved automobiles and
made me promise to bury him in the "automobile grave yard".

[Kevin Hampshire]

I have thought about it and would like to build mine.

Megan hit on a good idea. Build it and turn it into a saw till and plane rack.

Then repurpose it back to the original purpose...once it’s needed for that!