It's just a box

just a coffee table
i can use before the fact

like you something ,
i can use for a while ,
and get comfortable with first .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

I have made coffins & urns for pets..I have plans for human coffins…

-- We call the destruction of replaceable human made items vandalism, while the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources is called development.

I for one believe that our society in general has a hard time facing the reality of death. Instead of talking or acting on practical matters that pertain to our inevitable end, we pay others take our destiny into their hands.

I really like the concept of making your own resting place (or piece of art) so that you know where you’re going to be and others, especially distraught loved ones, don’t have to worry. I think an urn is a perfect item as it’s small, compact and can be transported without hassle to the living. It can also reflect your thoughts in the creativity of it. The next best choice to me would to be placed at the roots of a tree that could be nurished by my ashes to continue life.

I think this will be a project for me in the very near future.

As for the urn, you could also provide a glass insert so that it could be used to hold flowers before it’s final determined use. Or confections!? Just being practical, not morbid! And why can’t we have a laugh before we go?

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Mine is already made, Cathy…
When my Parents bought their plot in the mid “90’s, my Mom asked me if I would be interested in being interred there… I told her that, not only would it be an honor, but in some strange way it gave me great comfort… It’s perhaps morbid, but it gives peace to me to know where I’m going, or maybe that I have a place to go at all…

-- Mike in Concord, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

I think it’s a great idea, esp. considering today’s market prices – have you seen what those things cost?

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

hey Cathy…sorry for your friends mom…but at least she died with her daughter and while on vacation…if we had the choice to pick when and where..that wasn’t to bad….being with your friend will give her some added peace also….as to your query into the coffin or urn…i was once going to make my coffin…and started a blog here…was going to use some red cedar i had…but i strayed away from it and though i would rather use the cedar to make my daughter in laws a nice cedar trunk….i still want to make my own coffin…and will probably do it with the southern heart pine i have…its very beautiful wood and i too would like to be buried in something i have made…not the ugly coffins of today…....they just don’t suit me at all…...mark decou has made some and i don’t know if hes going to make his own or not, but he has made some for others and in fact hes going to hold a class on it…check out his home page and you will see what im talking about….....glad you could help your friend….grizzman

-- GRIZZMAN ...[''''']

Thanks grizzman, I will definitely check out his site.

-- cathyb, Hawaii, www.cathyswoodworking.com

If you are interested in building a casket Cathy, you might want to take a look at Mark DeCou's project. Mark is experienced both in teaching how to build them as well as building caskets. If you send him a message I am sure he will be able to help you.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

You might want to check out your state’s laws. You’re getting into the territory of an industry that knows how to protect its interests above the interests of the public.

I haven’t made mine yet but plan too. I did make the urn for my mother out of walnut. It was a shame to have to place it in the ground, but we honored her wish to be buried with her parents.

-- I don't make mistakes, I have great learning lessons, Greg

My father made his own coffin out of rough pine. It started as a lark and ended serious (that is to say he worked on it seriously, but incorporated humor in the design). Once finished he put photos of us kids on the inside. It was an unexpected addition and I was touched. Much more personal than generic something in black lacquer.

-- Kate, http://www.wooden-box-maker.com

I like the small box idea Cathy. I just can’t see a large coffin sitting in my little shop for the time I have left, and my wife certainly wouldn’t be thrilled with the idea. But a small box can be worked on without anyone else knowing about it and it can be stored inconspicuously somewhere in the shop. We all have to go sometime, and it would be nice to sail one’s own vessel into eternity.

-- Mike, American in Norway

I just love that image Stefang. If my spirit is aware of the box around me, I can just imagine my dismay if I were in a box made by someone else and they didn’t book-match those boards! LOL….....

-- cathyb, Hawaii, www.cathyswoodworking.com

Spread my ashes in Walmart so my kids will visit me twice a week

-- lcurrent ( It's not a mistake till you run out of wood )