LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

And here it is, freshly dried and ready for…?
My Older Brother already asked if I thought he could "fit" into it. Actually I had already thought of "fitting" into it myself…and here I was, thinking this was just for fun…
The little bit that I've been able to find out about urns is that the rule of thumb is one cubic inch per lb. body weight. The standard size is 200 cubic inches, 8"X 5"X 5" inside dimensions or some such, so this is too small, but a person's wishes are paramount and it is not necessary to keep all of one's ashes…
Sorry to go morbid on this, folks, and it really was fun to make! It was never my intention to make an urn at the outset, the last thing on my mind! I haven't yet made one, though several people have asked me if I could, hence the research…but this looks like it just might end up being one. It's actually a relief, it would have been a much more difficult build had I known…
The last picture is where this project started from…
Any questions, comments, or thoughts are always welcome…

Gallery

Comments

· Premium Member
Joined
·
20,131 Posts
Quite a transition ;-))
 

· Registered
Joined
·
89 Posts
That is a very interesting build and story. I agree it's easier to make one without knowing it will end up being one. I made a medicine box for my father recently and he used it daily, and after he passed away his ashes were housed in it until we sprinkled them in the Smoky Mountains. Looking back I couldn't have made a better one.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,243 Posts
Mike my friend, I'd be proud to cross the River Jordon in that box!
It is a beautiful piece of work and you did an admirable job !
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9,848 Posts
Looks great … would make a nice sugar cube box.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,575 Posts
Thanks everybody! Sugar cubes, huh? hmm…
That would be a good idea, but the pine smell is awful strong inside of it! Maybe Pine-flavored sugar? :)
 

· Registered
Joined
·
281 Posts
nice box, guess i'll watch where i get my sugar cubes from now on.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,840 Posts
Cool looking box, Mike. Can you make mine about six feet long, though? I'd rather go intact. :)
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
145 Posts
littlecope,
Nice Box! Since I see you're getting requests now for caskets too, please make mine about 12feet long and 6feet wide. I wanna go kicking and screaming and I want the pall bearers to have done a days work as well! I still didn't understand the last photo, and the fact that it all started with it? I know I'm as dense as a piece of Ebony sometimes, but I didn't get it. Can you spell it out for me? Congratulations on a very nice box though seriously!

Sincerely,
Ken McGinnis
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,575 Posts
Charlie: Thank You! I went to Concord, NH this week to investigate rumors of a new shop that was selling small wooden boxes for $450. The rumors weren't entirely true, the asking prices were $350, but they raised questions in my mind…The shop itself had a wide variety of hand crafted things, from jewelry to clothing, and included many wood-worked items. A lot of turned items, which were nicely done, a few shaker style boxes, some furniture…and four small wooden boxes on shelves. One of them was clearly handmade and fairly nice, but the other three…They were Perfect!! Too Perfect!! I didn't feel that it was appropriate to take pictures, so I can only tell you that they looked factory-made. Beautiful boxes to be sure, mitered joints with dovetailed keys, partitioned trays felt-lined, absolutely seamless work. Though they were three different sizes, they were identically constructed. I ask you, and all the box makers among us, who ever does the exact same box over again? Right down to the wooden clasp, which was a clever idea and could be shaped in any fashion, these ones were exactly the same shape…?
I can only speak for myself, of course, and I've only been doing the box thing for five years or so, but the boxes have all been created out of the available wood on hand, no two alike. Also, with no training, there has been a learning curve for me, a slow whittling down of ideas that work…and those that don't…
The experience left me puzzled…
woodbutcher: Thank You, Ken!! I guess you missed it, but I did a blog series on the construction of this, beginning herehttp://lumberjocks.com/littlecope/blog/10694
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9,309 Posts
mike :
there are a whole slew of what i call " technicians " .
they can make things perfect .
but they cannot have original thought !

i used to have a shop in california , three doors down was an old german master and his " apprentice " ,
they made office furniture , i made off the wall art .
the " apprentice " used to come by my shop to see what i was up to , and i would proudly show him all my
methods and innovations . the old man never once set foot in my shop , ( as i was just playing in his eyes ) .
when ever i would go to their shop , they would both stand in front of their work , and let me know that i was not welcome , ( i might copy their work ) !
the only thing they could do was what they had been taught , and always needed plans to work to .
my work was considered inferior , because i had no formal training to judge against .

unfortunately , that system is still in place in some of the outlets where we might show our work ,
if it doesn't have provenance , it is not real , sell it in the flea market as a novelty or craft .
it must be a copy of some dead guy's work , how exact it is , determines how much it is worth !
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
8,391 Posts
Nice box and very original, which is what makes it interesting and worthy to be seen and commented on. I have to agree with David about creativeness vs technical perfection. For many of us though It can be difficult sometimes to free ourselves up enough to actually make something new and unusual. You have definitely done that here.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,696 Posts
Mike,
Super box! Very interesting and unusual design… and the cost to make was perfect.
I have seen those fancy "perfect" boxes and wonder who buys them. Give me a box with character that is obviously hand made using all the imperfections of real wood… a few warts really make them unique.
Nice job.
Sorry you won't be at the LJ picnic this weekend. I would love to see some of your work in person!
Ellen
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4,691 Posts
Your box turned out really nice Mike!

One of a kind!

I used to have a box about that size when I was a kid.

I kept my marbles in it. I wonder if kids still play with marbles?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,840 Posts
Mike, I agree with David about there being great technicians out there who just aren't creative at all. That's okay if technical perfection is your goal, and what you enjoy. Personally, and I think this holds true for most of us, I enjoy the creative aspect of woodworking as much as (or more than), the technical part. I've never wanted to make a box just like one I already made.

As far as selling boxes, It has always seemed to me like the only way to make any money would be to shorten the labor time by mass production. In other words, make maybe 10 boxes exactly alike so you could mill all the similar parts at one time and save a lot of set-up time for all the machines you were using. You'd also save time on finishing if you sprayed them all at one time. By cutting down on man-hours, you could lower the price to a more reasonable level and still make a profit.

The problem: None of this sounds like a lot of fun to me. :)
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
2,704 Posts
Mike you made a perfect and beautiful boxurn. It's just the right size for about 4 lids i'd say. But who's counting, is it air tight?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,575 Posts
Wow! What a nice and thoughtful bunch of people! Thank you one and all!!
I was at work this morning, checking my E-mails when I had a chance, reading everybody's words. I wanted to answer sooner, but it's difficult to put together words when you're preparing breakfast for a 100+ people and your cellphone's screen is about the size of a large wristwatch…
David: I'm actually very familiar with the "European Traditions", at least in my line of work. I've worked with probably a couple dozen Chefs over the years, some of them steeped in it. French and German Chefs are largely inflexible and usually utterly humorless. I used to often wonder what kept them in the business, when they didn't seem to be enjoying themselves at all… One of the first places I worked, everybody was required to leave the kitchen while the Chef added his "secret" ingredients to the soup! Like nobody could figure out that he used the small jar of saffron, that we were all admonished not to touch, to color his cream soup light yellow! I was young, and thought it was a big deal, a "magical" moment. Looking back now, from this time and distance, I realize what a pompous…er…fellow the man was. But don't get me wrong, I admire and respect them too, for holding true to their traditions, and as you say, technically, they're very good… I just wish they weren't afraid to use some salt now and then, they're food is too bland!!
stefang & Ellen: Honest to God, I feel akin to Santa's elves when I enter the world of my little shop, merrily going about creating something that I hope will bring some small measure of joy to somebody. Usually there's somebody specific in mind, on this one I got to make a little something just for my own heart's delight, what could be better or more fun? I'm very sorry I'm going to miss the picnic, Ellen. I'll be slaving away in the hot kitchen tomorrow…Too bad somebody couldn't set up a pod-cast or something… :) I have no idea how to do that, just thought I'd throw it out there! I'd love to meet you and all the other LJers too!! Have some good fun!!
Mr. & Mrs. C: Dick, you used to have a box that size that you kept your marbles in? What are you saying? That you lost your marbles?! I'm very sorry to hear that… :)
As far as playing marbles, I think the parent's are too afraid the kids will eat them or stick them in their nose or something. And the children would be bored to tears anyway…no lights flashing, no loud noises, nothing getting destroyed, where's the fun in that they'd say…and then, of course, you'd have to invent a game where no one loses, we wouldn't want to ruin anyone's self esteem! Self esteem…whatever happened to pride??
Charlie: I apologize to you and David, or anyone else, if I implied I was trying to sell anything! I just had to see what boxes look like that somebody could shamelessly and with a straight face ask hundreds of dollars for. I haven't sold or tried to sell a box yet. I give them away freely to the people I love, and to friends and acquaintances as gestures or gifts, or in appreciation for various reasons. Before making boxes, for me it was signs, stopped keeping track of how many at about 80, but I probably made close to two hundred of them for people. Some people couldn't accept them freely, somehow felt that it wasn't a "sealed deal" unless money was spent. My question was and always is, "What do You think it's worth?". You and I and everyone here know the time and effort we spend on these little one-of projects! But we do it because we love to, that's all…to misquote a movie, "It's not business, it's personal…" or something like that. Anyway, these people would, by and large, give me a quote that was in their favor and not in mine, and I would smile and graciously accept their offer…Everybody's happy!! And I would have learned something about the buyer ;-)
Jockmike2: Lids? Lids?? Oh, I get it, you must be referring to those plastic coffee cup lids! Yes, I suspect a person could put a 1/4 lb. or so…or rather about 4 of those plastic "lids" inside… :)
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
3,537 Posts
Wow really sweet design I love this best new design I've seen in a while.Sometimes when making boxes we need to come out of the box so to speak and this is unusualy nice keep em coming brother great work.Alistair
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,575 Posts
Thank you very much, Alistair, my Friend! :)
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4,691 Posts
Has anyone seen my marbles??? LOL

Quite a good explanation of the kids nowadays.
 
Top