I wasn't going to post this at first but then I have other reasons for doing it. If you ever think this is a possibility plan for it now. You don't necessarily have to store the wood just make plans on the design, size etc. There's a lot of stress in doing something like this at the last minute. So the design was rushed, based a lot on what wood I had available and the boards were just barely enough so I had to make re design considerations. I would have done a lot nicer shape and probably a more blended design and wood choices if I had made these plans earlier. Having to spend 4 or 5 days a week in Atlanta helping take care of my dad and then working to get caught up on things that need to be done at the house leaves very little time to work on this. My Dad's hanging in there but he's going down hill so I had to get this done. He had asked that I do it so naturally I had no choice but it's an honor.
Excellent, John. Well designed and executed. As tough as it was to do I'm sure your heart is totally in it. Your dad or anyone else will be very proud of it. Thank you for posting it.
John, your Dad's urn looks great. The love you added to it makes it special. It is a hard thing to turn an urn for someone you love.
I agree with you about planning ahead. I have done a number of urns and those that were rushed did not come out as well as I would have liked. It is a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. If you are using solid wood the blank needs to be rough turned and ready for finish turning way in advance of its need. Since I don't routinely turn urns for cremains I don't keep but a couple of rough outs around. And guess what? Invariably they are not the kind of wood the client wants.
It is a beautiful urn. What you have done is beautiful as well. A son showing the love and care for his father is truly a beautiful thing. You both are very lucky to have experienced it. Be at peace.
As difficult as this may be, I'm really glad you posted it. My dad is rapidly declining and he has made his wishes to be cremated well known. I have talked with him and my wife about turning him an urn, but that as far as it has gotten. Talk. I need to at least move forward with a design.
Really nice urn John. I am sure a lot of mixed feelings as you made this.
Last year a club member made an urn for his brother-in-law. Also a really nice urn. The club members mentioned a size rule-of-thumb, 1 cu in of volume for every 1 lb of the persons live weight. Good to know.
John go here and build or buy one of these set ups. It makes segmenting easy and accurate. Staves is another matter and I'm still working on perfecting those. Hopefully will have them more accurate by the next time we meet.
By far one of the best purchases I ever made when I was doing a lot of staved segmented construction was the little book they sell Woodworker's Guide To Compound Miters. I learned about this book in Don Russell's segmented class at John C. Campbell and have used it numerous times to make segmented hollow forms and bowls.
Mike I have that book. It's getting the angles set dead on and then cutting them dead on that often fights me. I don't have state of the art tools. Pretty good tools but a long way from state of the art.
Oh, I agree. I don't think they make tools that are as accurate as required to match the angles in the Bridge City book.
But what I do is use scrap wood and cut segments that represent 1/4 of the circumference of the piece I wish to turn. I stack these on tape and form a 90 degree angle and check it with a machinist square. Depending on whether the gap is at the top or at the bottom I bump my saw with a dead blow hammer in the right direction and cut some more scrap. When the taped together pieces from a 90 I set up with my project wood and cut away.
I have a couple of bags full of parts and rings for segmented urns sitting in a closet upstairs that I need to put together one of these days and turn.
John, it's beautiful. I have made a number of urns. They were all humbling to work on and a few exceptionally difficult, and a short time frame multiplies all of that. My dad just passed away in April. I was been caring for my dad for multiple years, which is why now, I'm just getting back to turning. During these times, exhaustion doesn't even come close to describe it. I think the urn is beautiful, and will honor him well. Well done.
....can be a special type of pressure, and cathartic as well. I've had the experience of turning urns for my father, mother, and wife, and have considered making one for myself. Just haven't come to the decision of how to best store the thing until it is needed!
A rule of thumb is to allow one cubic inch per pound of live weight. So how do you determine how many cubic inches do you need?
One source I found said I could use rice to determine the required space by measuring the equivalent volume in an ordinary measuring cup containing the correct amount of dry rice which is both retrievable and reusable. But the question remained: How much rice?
I found a web site which helped me determine this answer:
Now that you know how many cubic inches how do you determine how large the piece of wood needs to be to contain that volume (and a little extra)?
If you can visualize the internal volume of your urn as a truncated cone more or less then you can figure out how large the wood blank needs to be.
Then use the following to determine the necessary volume of the hollow form.
I suggest you think of the interior shape as a truncated cone i.e. a cone with the pointed end cut off (Fig. 4). By determining the diameter/radii at the top and bottom and height of the hollow area inside the urn there is a formula that can be used to accurately calculate the volume.
Volume= ⅓ π (r12 + r1r2 + r22) H
Or more simply just go to this link and plug in the height, radius of the major diameter, radius of the minor diameter and hit calculate to let their computer do the work for you.
Once this volume is known this trick with the rice can be used to visualize the internal volume needed for the cremains. Now with rice and a plastic bag you can visualize the size of the internal volume required for the urn. Measure the calculated number of ounces of rice in a measuring cup and put it in a plastic bag. Then lay the plastic bag of rice roughly formed into the shape envisioned for the interior of the urn on your blank.
I find this method works for me every time and I do not waste a larger than necessary piece of wood. I also found out that usually I have a larger than necessary interior volume but that is not usually a problem as the amount of cremains that are provided are usually more than the rule of thumb would indicate.
I started watching that and had to quit - that guy is so confused about volume and weight! ("Anyone want to guess about how much volume this weighs?") I'll have to finish watching later when I have more time or patience or maybe just download the chart he mentioned.
I've used sand to measure irregular volume before.
Hey, it's not appropriate for this measurement but when making some coffee scoops, to match the volume I filled the original with silly putty, then carved the new scoops until the putty fit the bowl.
