Dog Urn design. Where do I start?

[dbhost]

We don't have Deacon's ashes back from the Vet quite yet, so I am not even sure how to best design the urn. Mostly size wise, I am unsure of what to do. I am figuring on building a decorated box, out of the wood from the tree he used to like laying under on warm days. I figured it would be similar in design to a mantle clock I saw a couple of months ago in Wood magazine, except no holes. Everything on the top side is sealed, just the bottom is removable, and it gets sealed / screwed down, then covered with a self stick felt pad.

The Vets cremation service is supposed to deliver him in an urn. I am just a bit leery of what the urn is like, and want to make sure it is something fitting for a member of the family... If it is a nice urn I may just end up adding some special tree decor as it were, maybe just band saw / route a dog bone from the wood I am thinking of, and attach that with glue and pins, then epoxy his tags in place.

I wish I didn't have to even consider this project, but to be honest, It just seems the very least I can do for someone that brought so much joy to my home... I just wish he could be there with me as I work on this for him...

[WayneJ]

When I got BJs ashes back from the vet they were in a walnut tomb all finished. All I had to do was get a brass plaque made for it. He now rests on a shelf in our den.
Wayne

[dbhost]

When I got BJs ashes back from the vet they were in a walnut tomb all finished. All I had to do was get a brass plaque made for it. He now rests on a shelf in our den.
Wayne

I'm hoping it's something as nice as that. I am a little fearful they will just shove the ashes in an oversized pencil box is all...

[havighurst]

I used this item to make a box using the dog bone template. It was emotionally difficult, but it was truly a labor of love.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...nt_system.html

[cabinetman]

I've seen them done like a wood mantle clock. Instead of a clock face, a picture of the pet (if you have one).
.

[SteveR]

I'm hoping it's something as nice as that. I am a little fearful they will just shove the ashes in an oversized pencil box is all...

DB do you turn? I am in the same situation. My lab was about 75 lbs. and did not order anything fancy......figured I would do something nice on my own (either flat work box or turned box - hollowform of sorts). They just placed the ashes in a cardboard box, and surprisingly heavy. Not sure if okay to link to other WW websites on here??, but can link you to one that shows some examples of turnings and volume sizes according to weights.

I used this item to make a box using the dog bone template. It was emotionally difficult, but it was truly a labor of love.

That is a cool idea.

I've seen them done like a wood mantle clock. Instead of a clock face, a picture of the pet (if you have one).
.

Another cool idea......

Steve

[dbhost]

DB do you turn? I am in the same situation. My lab was about 75 lbs. and did not order anything fancy......figured I would do something nice on my own (either flat work box or turned box - hollowform of sorts). They just placed the ashes in a cardboard box, and surprisingly heavy. Not sure if okay to link to other WW websites on here??, but can link you to one that shows some examples of turnings and volume sizes according to weights.

That is a cool idea.

Another cool idea......

Steve

Yes I turn. Yes the MLCS template set is on my makes piles of drool every time I look at it list... I am gonna own one, but it is not a huge priority right now...

The box type mantle clock layout is kind of what I had in mind... I have some good pics of him and me posing for LOML last Christmas and new years. His eyes still bright, and his smile was huge...

I have about 10 different pics to chose from, and I am not sure which one to go with...

Again, depending on what the Vets office gets him to me in... I may doll up what is there, or I may build my own. I am leaning very hard to building my own just as a labor of love for Deacon... I have some "special" wood that I want to integrate into it... I have made lumber out of the Walnut that Ike blew down, it is ready to use, as is the white oak from the top of the tree in the back yard. I have the quarter round hunk of Pecan firewood that is plenty dry, just needs to be milled, and then used... He used to get into the firewood pile, and take this one particular piece, and hide it around the side of the house to make me look for it... I am thinking of doing... a sort of mortise / tenon frame and panel setup, intersecting at 90 degs, the frame being the walnut, the panels and top being white oak, a turned cap, some feet, and a "bone" on each side of pecan. I am also thinking of sealing every seam with a thin bead of clear silicone, and then spray flocking the interior. The bottom / access hole will be a simple white oak panel, that will screw into the frame, flocked, and then covered in self stick felt.

I just wish I had dimensions to work with... At the time of his passing, he was 108 lbs...

[SteveR]

I just wish I had dimensions to work with... At the time of his passing, he was 108 lbs...

Maybe this will help. Gathered from another woodturning forum. This is the example I viewed only condensed a bit. "One cubic inch for every pound is a rule for pets. the link below will help you determined how many cubic inches your urn will hold by using cups of rice, 3 cup of rice = 43 cubic inches = 43 pound pet."
http://www.asknumbers.com/CubicInchToCup.aspx

Qualifier: I have no idea if accurate, but based upon what he turned for his pet, it appeared to work well for him.

I have not had the heart to open up the cardboard box yet, but I think the ashes must be in a bag of some sort. I do like your idea with incorporating his favorite log. I am leaning towards a turned walnut vessel/vase of some sort - with a finial top, but with a round surface I do not think I can place a photo on it. Still brainstorming this one, but may forget about a fancy finial and make a frame for the photo to mount on top of the turned urn.

[Norm in Fujino]

Sorry I can't help you much from Japan. Most urns here are porcelain and round, simple white celadon things to others more elaborate. But I did find this none-too-good photo of a pet-urn box supposedly from england:



Some other ideas can be found here, and here, and so on (google for pet+ash+urn+box).

[dbhost]

Well, the vet called, and the urn was in. I went and picked him up last night. I must admit, in this form, he is a LOT easier to lift! The box is a fairly simple pine arrangement finished in a dark stain / poly. Almost looks like Minwax American Walnut + poly but I'm not sure...

The joinery looks to be a fairly simple rabbet joint, setup, and there is at least some routed detail to it. I would have preferred box joints for joinery, but part of me is hesitant to disturb the urn to address such a silly matter...

A trip to Wal Mart and the automatic dog tag engraver machine had me come home with a dog bone shaped tag, with the following information engraved on 3 lines.

Beloved Friend
Deacon
1996 - 2010

For now he sits in the pine urn, waiting for me to decide what to do. And I am torn between using some of the wood from his favorite tree to build a new, better urn for him, or decorate the one he is in and not disturb it... I'm leaning toward new urn... Mind you, I still have a grave marker cross to build for my BIL's cat (The first one I made was, well a bit too THICK... My fault really...

I have got to get some shop time, soon...

[pelligrini]

Maybe leave him in the box if you're OK with the fit & finish, you didn't sound displeased with it, and build a raised stand/base out of his favourite tree.

[Mr__Bill]

We take a different approach, each passing pet gets a Christmas Ornament that gets hung on the tree each year. The smaller pets were buried but our full size collie was cremated and we took him on his last walk and left a bit of him at each of his favorite spots. His collar still hangs on the hook where the leash for out current dog hangs and for some reason we retired his dog dishes to flower planters and got new ones for the new dog.

I agree with your thinking that a good dog deserves something that is a labor of love for a lasting remembrance.

Bill

[Martin]

Container for the Urn and ashes

The box containing the urn and ashes of my ex brother-in-law

[unclecritic]

FWIW, When the LOML's dog passed away at a very early age due to cancer, we put her ashes in a steel gazing ball. It came with a small hole in it and I used a step bit to make it just big enough for a hobby funnel. Put her ashes into it and filled the rest with wax and then epoxied the hole closed. She sits outside during the summer months and in the colder months we have a hanging ball hanger that is in the window in our stairway. The service the E.R. vet used also made a clay imprint of her paw and we have that with a plaque with her name on it the goes with her wherever she happens to be siiting.

Sorry for your loss DB.

[4estgump]

db,
This is what i built for tipper. I put a good picture in the frame. German Shepard 17 years old. The square tower is hollow, and the box behind is also.
Hope This Helps. 4est