Ask the Staff
Question:
I would like to make a wooden cremation urn and I have been to multiple sites with no information. If you have any information on this subject it would be greatly appreciated. I am really looking forward to attempting to build an urn and a video would really be helpful.
Thanks,
Jim Jarvis
Answer:
Jim,
Thanks for the interest in making a cremation urn. I have a couple of
suggestions for you.
By "urn" I am thinking round. This makes me think of a woodturning
operation. Hope you have a lathe!
There are two DVDs that could be very helpful to you. The first is
"Hollow Turning" by John Jordan. Excellent how-to video and is the
way that I learned to turn hollow urns with lids. Jordan is the
master in this regard.
The second DVD is by Richard Raffan and is titled "Turning Projects".
In this DVD, Raffan demonstrates how to turn a hollow vessel (urn) in
this DVD. He is also a master woodturner and one of the best visual
teachers that I know.
There are several books on vessel turning. These books tend to focus
on segmented turning - a process where pieces of wood are glued
together to form a finished piece with a complicated design. Think
Southwestern Native American pottery designs, for example.
Here are the titles:
-
"Woodturning" by Ray Allen. Step by step instructions with lots of
color photos.
-
"The Art of Segmented Woodturning - A Step-by-Step Guide" by Malcom
Tibbetts. The title says it all.
-
"Segmented Turning - A Complete Guide" by Ron Hampton. The title says it all.
If woodturning is not an option, I guess that a book on boxmaking
might be the answer. Let me know if this is the case and I can
offer suggestions.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and happy woodworking.
Sam Rieder
Highland Woodworking
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