The details are spelled out in a blog series (this urn starts with this one). For a quick recap, this is an urn for my husband (he is ok!). I already built mine; these are "planning ahead" urns. He wanted a cross on top and maple accents. He selected the board, and I was able to build the entire urn from that board.
I resawed a section of the board for the sides because I wanted to have continuous grain around the mitered corners.
This resulted in thinner sides than I really wanted, so I used some pieces from the same board to "beef up" the top and bottom. I beveled the edge so it would look like a deep chamfer and for the top edge, it would be hard to tell (for non-woodworkers!) that it is two boards.
The top required me to do a glue-up as well. Attempted to get the grain to flow as best as possible, and thanks to the placement within the top, it is very difficult to see where the seam falls.
I cut a lip that fits into a groove on the side (allowing for wood movement). I spaced this to create a "gap" or shadow line around the top. The cross, although small, was challenging (as with many parts of this, MUCH thanks to Craftisians for suggestions and tips on that aspect).
I added splines to the corners for decoration and added support for the joints. These may be my best attempt at mitered corners which was a relief.
For the base, I had to do a glue-up of some of the resawn board to get the width I needed. That felt too thin so we decided to add another maple ancent with an additional layer. Again- this was a resawn board, glued up and then attached to the walnut. I drilled pilots and countersinks that will allow this to be attached to the box once the cremains are placed in the box.
I used Odie's Oil for the finish and this really brought out the beautiful grain of this walnut. Very happy with the final outcome, even with the various stops and starts that come with working through the plan along the way.
THANK YOU again for everyone who followed along in the blog and for all the help and encouragement along the way. I cannot express how much I appreciate you all!
Fantastic work, Barb! That turned out beautifully. You nailed the mitered corners and the continuous grain around the corners. I bet you could earn some spending money by making and selling these urns
Pottz - thanks! He liked it before the finish was applied so expect he'll be happy with the final version.
Ron -thank you! I am beyond happy with the corners. These always challenge, and this time they actually came together. I have been contemplating to see if there might be a veterans organization that I might work with to donate. Recall April Wilkerson did an infant urn that was for an organization. Either would be really rewarding to do.
Steve-thanks! The width was about the only thing I didn't like about the board. Having to glueup the top was a concern, but thankfully the grain worked out and the seam ended up on the beveled portion. I actually have a hard time finding it and I know where it is. Took some closeups - definitely there but would guess most wouldn't identify the joint.
Was able to center it thanks to using the space balls (cut in half) on the sides. Then just adjusted the ends in the groove to give an equal reveal (had glue in the center only to allow for wood movement).
Splintergroup- well, to be honest when I went back to get the pictures for my reply to Steve I had trouble finding the seam. 🧐 😆 The location is further helped by being on the "top edge" if looking at the box. With the shadow for the chamfer it does "almost" disappear.
Petey- thanks! And rather than a flaw, this one is more the reality of the raw materials (narrow board). Wish I could say I had fully planned that location for the seam - but happy the joint fell where it did! Plus, I know my project secrets are safe with all of you. 😉
Corelz125- thanks! Most of my projects are journeys, but that's part of the process. Although I had to "fix" the thinner boards after the resaw by gluing in the extra sections, having the continuous grain on all four corners was worth the effort (at least now that it's done and all worked out ok!).
This is spectacular Barb! I really love the design of this urn. I think walnut and maple go together perfectly and the small details make this build a winner. Glad you showed how you did the top, so very attractive.
Awsum55 -thank you! The general dimensions were determined by the size of a typical plastic temporary urn (the plastic bag with ashes are typically placed in this for return to the family). My husband liked having a contrast, plus wanted to have the cross. I pulled out various options of wood with lighter colors and we decided on the maple. Ended up being a nice contrast with the walnut once the finish was applied.
