Keep in mind the project takes only about 4 or 5 board feet of lumber – no reason to skimp on materials. Don’t forget this project will result in a piece of furniture that might be around for many years. You can choose any quality wood – the higher density of hardwoods makes the most sense. Material Selection.įor this article I’ve chosen quarter-sawn sycamore from my shop. Our example in this article is 5 x 5 x 9-1/2 for a total of 237.5 cubic inches. Knowing this, you can increase or decrease the length, width and/or height to adjust the volume of your casket. An applied example for, say, 180 cubic inches might be 5 x 4 x 9 = 180. L x W x H = V – that is – Length x Width x Height = Volume. Here’s a formula you can use – it’s just a bit of simple algebra: One final word – don’t go overboard, but it’s probably better to error on the high side – well, just in case… So, a person weighing 180 pounds requires about 180 cubic inches inside their cremation casket or urn. Then, the heat reduction of the other elements results in about 1 cubic inch of material per pound of body weight. It turns out the cremation process removes all the water – about 60% of body mass.
As it turns out, there is a formula for volume you can use. Along with a sound design, size is a major consideration. It took a couple tries to get a good, sound design that I felt comfortable with. He knew he was dying after a long battle with cancer. In 2010 I had a request from a dear cousin for his own cremation cask. Over the years I’ve made pet cremation urns and boxes for friends who’ve lost pets.