| Project by Dave G | posted 03-09-2014 09:25 PM | 1925 views | 7 times favorited | 17 comments |  |
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My dear Dad passed away yesterday after a brief struggle with an infection. My Mom, his wife of 58 years, wants to share her final resting place with him. I prepared an urn for two. Please excuse the cold statistics in what follows. I’m trying to help other woodworkers in their similar task. This was actually a very intense, personal, therapeutic project. I feel much better after making it.
Mortuary standard size is 200 cubic inches for 200 pound person. The urn is sized for 400 cubic inches, more than enough for my 150 pound Dad and 100 pound Mom. I made it of quartersawn oak milled to 5/8 thickness. It would have been too beefy at 3/4. The dovetails are simple 7:1 equally spaced. A 1/4 groove holds a 1/4 panel I milled from the same stock. The lid has a 3/4 board glued to it to seal the box and engage the divider. The divider is 1/4 stock in 1/4 groove. I have a sketchup model available here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48672449/urn.skp.
The idea is to pull the divider when my Mom passes to commingle the ashes.
The lid has a small olive wood cross inlay.
The lid inner board is sized lengthwise for a very tight fit so no screws are needed. There’s enough overlap on the lid to tap it off as needed.
I prefer varnish but it has to be in the mail very soon so I finished it with amber shellac and rubbed it with 0000 and paste wax. The finish is stunning, actually, better than the varnish would have been.
Bon Voyage, Dad.
-- Dave, New England - “We are made to persist. that's how we find out who we are.” ― Tobias Wolff
17 comments so far
JoeinGa
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7741 posts in 2427 days
#1 posted 03-09-2014 10:52 PM
What a wonderful, loving tribute. And I really LIKE this part ”The idea is to pull the divider when my Mom passes to commingle the ashes.”
So sorry for your loss
-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward
MrFid
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#2 posted 03-09-2014 11:20 PM
Sorry for your loss. Thank you for letting us share. Beautiful.
-- Bailey F - Eastern Mass.
patron
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#3 posted 03-09-2014 11:39 PM
very nice and heartfelt build
sorry for your loss
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
Grumpymike
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2387 posts in 2736 days
#4 posted 03-10-2014 12:31 AM
What a wonderful thing to be so close for eternity …
-- Grumpy old guy, and lookin' good Doin' it. ... Surprise Az.
OhValleyWoodandWool
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970 posts in 3541 days
#5 posted 03-10-2014 12:55 AM
Beautiful, just Beautiful
-- "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure." Mark Twain
Sandra
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7207 posts in 2496 days
#6 posted 03-10-2014 01:39 AM
Sorry for your loss, but so much beauty and love in this project.
-- No, I don't want to buy the pink hammer.
489tad
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3616 posts in 3432 days
#7 posted 03-10-2014 01:41 AM
The wood is beautiful and the cross is a nice touch. You built wonderful tribute to your parents.
-- Dan, Naperville IL, I.G.N.
Richard
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11274 posts in 3453 days
#8 posted 03-10-2014 01:45 AM
Very nice. Sorry for your loss.
-- Richard (Ontario, CANADA)
theoldfart
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10698 posts in 2872 days
#9 posted 03-10-2014 01:59 AM
Your love for your parents shows in your work. I hope you continue to honor them by creating more beautiful pieces.
-- "With every tool obtained, there is another that is needed" DonW ( Kevin )
Todd
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413 posts in 2097 days
#10 posted 03-10-2014 02:55 AM
Very kind and thoughtful. I’m very sorry for your loss. Sounds like your dad was a great guy.
-- Todd, Huntsville, AL
swandog
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#11 posted 03-10-2014 01:07 PM
What a great tribute to your parents. Sorry for your loss.
helluvawreck
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32086 posts in 3287 days
#12 posted 03-10-2014 01:37 PM
I’m sorry about your loss. It’s a beautiful resting place for their remains. You’ve done a fine job on it.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
BigMig
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473 posts in 3034 days
#13 posted 03-10-2014 04:52 PM
Wow, that’s a beautiful idea – hand build their urn – together in one.
Very cool, glad to hear that it was theraputic and thanks for sharing your life event. I’m praying for you and your mother.
-- Mike from Lansdowne, PA
jinkyjock
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488 posts in 1995 days
#14 posted 03-10-2014 05:55 PM
Finding this difficult to write as I made an urn for my dear sister and it re-kindles the emotions and sense of loss you are going through right now. Your love for your parents shines through in your work and your idea of a divider is a beautiful thought.
Greg In Maryland
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553 posts in 3418 days
#15 posted 03-10-2014 06:49 PM
Godspeed to your dad, Dave.
What a wonderful thing you did.
Greg
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