Urns

Grumbine's site *LINK*

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Check out Bill's story about turning an urn. Link below


Cremation urn

Re: Urns

Tom In Red Deer

>Hi Richard

Here is an urn that I am working on for a friends horse.

This is called a "Keepsake" urn. It only holds a small portion of the remains. The rest will be scattered in a place that the horse likes to run.

This is made of a maple top ring and a walnut bottom ring. In the middle is Brazilian soapstone. It will have a flat lid on top that will be glued in place later. The color of the stone is very close to the horse's color.

OOPS..forgot

Tom In Red Deer

>The size of this urn is 7" tall by about six inches wide. The hollow is 3x21/2.

Tom in Red Deer

Re: Urns

Richard Allen

>Hi Richard

An urn works out to be about 1 cubic inch per pound. There is also the size of the Niche the urn will occupy to consider. The base of the urn should be large enough so that the urn will not risk falling over.

My Dad was told that he had a few months to live before his cancer overcame him. I asked him if he would like me to make him and urn. When he said yeas I asked if there was a preference of wood. He indicated lacewood. So I made this urn. It will fit in a Niche at Arlington National Cemetery.

Because lacewood is so light and porous I stabilized the turning with epoxy inside and out. This was done by warming the turning in a oven to about 130 degrees F. Then, while still hot, painting on a coat of epoxy. In a couple of days the epoxy cures and I sand off the surface epoxy. Warm the urn and apply a second coat. At this point the urn will hold water without damage.

The process of making the urn was a journey of the soul. There are times in the process where a lot of attention and though are not needed, like when sanding. During those times I found myself reflecting on what I was making, who I was making it for and why it was being made. I got more value out of that part of the process than any of the turning. I didn't go in with the soul searching on my mind. But the result was well beyond what I typically experience when turning wood. Making an urn for someone you love will be an experience unlike anything else you have encountered in woodturning.

As it turned out I didn't like the looks of some of the glue joints. I made a second urn using thin strips of walnut between the lacewood. I liked that urn a lot more.

Good Luck

Richard