Urn building #1: Planning and getting started

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This is part 1 in a 2 part series: Urn building

  1. Planning and getting started
  2. Planning for second urn

This is more of a come along with me, and be willing to offer suggestions type of blog (input is always appreciated).  Not sure if I'll do this right, but here it goes...

As I had posted previously, I'm building burial urns (boxes) for me and my husband.  Also will be building one for a good friend after I finish ours.  All is well, I just am planning ahead. 

For the first two, I have prepped some walnut - no surprise to anyone who has known me for any time.  Used some of my newly acquired Starbond to fill some voids and am satisfied with the outcome.

I have watched a lot of YouTube on building urns and am merging different ideas.  I decided to go with this type of top, although I did like this look.  For the latter, I was worried about there being no way to account for wood movement - in his design this was a lid (opened for storage of some personal items with the cremains in a different section).   Really appreciate these folks sharing what are very personal builds for family members. 

Thus far I have done the side bevels (working on my bevel sled was one Saturday afternoon 🙄) and worked on the top.  Built a "tall fence" jig for safer cuts at the tablesaw. Made several adjustments on the angle for the top as at first I just did a 45 but then went back to use the jig to make a more pronounced angle.  Pictures to show some of the steps:

I am having to decide on the base - right now I have two options and think the one is too thin and other may be a bit thick (so would need to sand down as its too short for my planer).  Will put an angle on it, so thicker one might be ok.

Again, of course, need to acknowledge my shop helper (her sister was in the house watching football)


Following along!

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

If that’s 3/4 walnut on the sides, my brain says you could go as heavy as 6/4 walnut for the base if you put a chamfer on the top corner and a rabbet on the bottom edge (so it appears to float above whatever it’s set on).

May you have the day you deserve!

Dave - good eye.  The sides are 3/4 inch thick.  Overall dimensions are 8 5/16 wide, 10 5/16 long, and 6 1/8 tall (plus top is proud by about 3/8).  

Built so the typical size plastic temporary container for ashes (which are also in a plastic bag apparently) could slide inside.  Per a call to a local company, the typical temporary container is 8.5 x 6.5 x 4.5.  The interior of this box is about 8.75 x 6.75 x 5.5.  I think I may buy an empty temporary container so I can be sure that will work.  Watched one video where a groove had to be added to allow for the temp boxes hinge to clear the side.  

The thicker of the two potential bases I currently have is 3/4 inch.  
Yeah, I think 3/4 will look fine if you either bevel the top edge or cut a rabbet around the bottom edge to make it “float” above the table. I’d start with a 45 degree bevel taking off a quarter down and a quarter in and see how that looks. If that looked like too little, I’d turn it from a flat to either a cavetto or a cyma recta. See the page on coving for diagrams. How the shadows play will vary a lot with the profile you pick.

May you have the day you deserve!

Interesting link on coving - thank you for sharing that. I'll admit my typical default is the edge bevel at my router table.  I had to Google the two you listed.  My board is oversized so I should be able to try some options before fully committing to all four sides.  
Yeah, and a typical edge bevel may do the trick. I would definitely start there, then adjust if that still leaves the base too heavy.

May you have the day you deserve!

Here's where I'm at

Think this looks better than no base (had thought to just inset the bottom which will be screwed in place)?


Will need to decide whether to reinforce corners with splines (would use walnut as I don't want them to stand out as I typically do) or...drumroll...dominoes.  I haven't used the Domino yet so would need a lot of practice time to feel ready.