# 45-degree Lock Miter Router Bit for Coffin



## C+ Woodworker (Jun 6, 2010)

I was just asked to build a small casket for a child that passed away quite a bit sooner than anticipated. I do not know the family, but they heard through the grapevine that I had made a couple of these before for families that has lost a child.

I usually just paint these white or use a white stain, but this family asked for a pine casket with essentially a clear finish. No problem there.

I have used conventional joinery on the corners of the "Box" before, but I am thinking I would like to try a 45-degree Lock Miter Router Bit and make the miters invisible on the corners.

The box will be about 16" tall. Have the glue-ups clamped right now. I have time to order/receive a bit from Rockler if I cannot find one in town.

Does anyone have an opinion about how this type of joint would work on 16" wide stock (3/4 pine)????? 

Or any other suggestions for a real clean-looking corner joint?

Thanks.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

C+ Woodworker said:


> I was just asked to build a small casket for a child that passed away quite a bit sooner than anticipated. I do not know the family, but they heard through the grapevine that I had made a couple of these before for families that has lost a child.
> 
> I usually just paint these white or use a white stain, but this family asked for a pine casket with essentially a clear finish. No problem there.
> 
> ...


I have used lock mitres on 3/4" Pine extensively without a problem, admittedly not on boards as wide as 16", but with a tall fence like the one that I use, I cannot foresee a problem. Do of course choose a bit that will cover 3/4" as there are at least three different size lock mitre bits.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bruce

The lock bit should work out fine and you don't need a tall fence just a way to keep it running by the bit all the way true for a 16" long run, here's just a quick and easy fixture you can make to get the job done right on long runs.

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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I've no argument with your beautiful jig Bob, but my tall fence could be called a universal fence because it has so many uses.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

How tall is your fence, Harry? 

Jim


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I just braved the cold evening weather to go into the shed to measure it. It's 330mm tall and 780mm wide Jim. For the benefit of those members who have difficulty with metric, the imperial measurement is 13" tall by 30.75" wide.


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## dermer2002 (May 29, 2010)

Hi Bruce,

When I use this type of bit (dual pass, horizontal/vertical) I find that wide panel layups need to be absolutely flat. Any variation and the corner or joint won't match correctly. Looks like Bj's fence would keep the face aligned very well. With a tall fence, a fingerboard with a fair amount of pressure should keep the workpiece against the bit. I have also removed some of the waste first on a table saw to reduce the cutting pressure on large bits. 

It pays to spend a little more time with setup for lock-joint, finger-joint, and box-joint bits as accuracy is critical to the end product.


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## C+ Woodworker (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies folks. I ordered the bit from Rockler with quick shipping, so I am going to give this a try.

I am going to use a tall fence as suggested by Harry and I am also going to use Max's suggestions re: setup. I anticipated needing a really flat glue-up, so I used cauls with the glue-up.

Max, I am still blown away by those tables you made. They REALLY hit me hard. A real labor of love and making something from your heart........matched with great skill. Very impressive.

Thanks again all. Bruce.


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## dermer2002 (May 29, 2010)

Thanks, Bruce,

My wife put them on her Facebook page and people I haven't heard from in years are commenting. I'm now working on all the small projects and honeydo's I didn't work on while doing the tables. Still gotta do the matching coffee table.....

BTW, I was once asked to do a coffin for a friend of mine and found that it was an unexpectedly emotional process. I felt that I had to do the job perfectly 'cause it was such an intense time for everyone. Then the work went in the ground. What are your feelings as you build something so personal?


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## C+ Woodworker (Jun 6, 2010)

Max.........

If you will forgive a lengthy epistle here, I will share with you my thoughts on making caskets. I delivered the casket late yesterday afternoon. I did not know the family, only that it was a 9-year-old girl who was taken (sooner than expected) by leukemia. We all love kids. I love kids. Most of us have experienced enough life to understand the impact that comes to a family with a sickly child and then loosing that child……has upon the family, the parents, their marriage (good or bad.....probably some of both) siblings, grandparents, money, lives dedicated to this girls care, etc.

Almost everyday of my working life, I would walk the halls of my hospital and would see families in the waiting rooms outside of the ICU or the NICU (neonatal) or CCU (cardiac) or the ER. The families there late at night were usually there for very ill family members. I saw daily the obvious emotion when attending to or loosing a family member. It was always a little heart-wrenching for me to see. Not being vain here, but ensuring that our patients and their families were as comfortable as possible and had the best possible environment for these "events" played no little role in my insisting, training, driving, measuring, etc. the patient/family experience in my facilities. It was also good business.

Add to that my 3 tours as a medic in the Southeast Asian War Games from '66-'69 (we came in second place)...well, death and the attendant processes have been a tangible element in my life.........and I don't mean to imply that that is all a bad thing. It has made me very tender to these life events, and I think much good has come of my personal experiences.

Now, to explain that rant. 

Like all of us, I try to help when/where I can. I have seen up-close and personal the heavy burden experienced by families when hit with the expense of funerals. I understand that everyone has to make a living and that there is honor in doing any job well. BUT....(and I almost always discount any sentence that has the word "but" in it) ...... we here in the U.S. have developed and accepted a burial process that is extremely burdening in most aspects......including the expense of the send-off. I have developed a real, personal distaste for mortuaries in general. I have seen- too many times - families convinced/guilt-tripped into buying caskets and funerals they really could not afford. I think I am just continuing my personal "protection" of those families that are working through a difficult time.

So, now we get to the casket making issue.

I am not a skilled woodworker. I am trying and learning and I can usually put out a semi-decent piece. I have made 2 adult caskets and 1 infant casket over the past 15 years. I let the all the religious leaders in town, and a couple of the town leaders know that I had built two adult caskets if the need ever arose when they would be sorely needed and of great help to a struggling family. They were both eventually used......very judiciously I thought......and I got a great sense of contribution when they were used. Glad I could help in my small way.

I quit making infant caskets when I learned that almost every mortuary will donate infant caskets. Good for them. Also good business.

Over the past week, while making this young girls casket, I have been very touched, quiet, introspective and focused. Again, I am not a good woodworker, so all I pretty much used were rabbets and glue-ups and miters. The family specifically asked for knotty pine. The girl loved horses and I guess had a lot of knotty pine in her home/bedroom. But, as you said, I wanted everything to be as good as I could possibly make it. I took my time. Worked very slowly. Asked my wife to kinda leave me alone. And she took such good care of me. Kept my drink full and made me my favorite lunches. Screened my phone calls.

Sure, I thought a lot about what this little girl must have endured and experienced. About her family......the past few years and their future years. About how they must be feeling today, and tonight and tomorrow.

All of my many aunts and uncles and my parents had pre-planned and pre-paid for their final expenses. Had all the caskets and headstones and grave plots chosen and paid for. Most even had their funeral program set-up.....who was supposed to do what when the time came.

My last uncle passed away last year. I was just ramping up my woodworking. He had a wood casket. It was nice looking.......for a day.....that's all it would have lasted. I, so much, wanted to have built him his casket. Just because he was such a good and great man and I wanted him to know I loved him and wanted the best from me.

I have decided to make my own casket. The family thinks I am totally nuts, but (1) I am going to find great satisfaction out of making it.........and if they don't understand that.........too bad! (2) I will be damned if I am going to pay $4-5K for a casket when I can make one for a hundred bucks.

And I think I am going to make a couple more of the simple adult caskets and give them again to the town leaders. Just cuz I want to.

And, I will get to use my brand-spanking new router table and router and lift.

You understand…….I know it.

Check this out: youtube.com/watch?v=eNQg_P3gjIc&feature


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bruce

Thanks for sharing that with us..

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C+ Woodworker said:


> Max.........
> 
> If you will forgive a lengthy epistle here, I will share with you my thoughts on making caskets. I delivered the casket late yesterday afternoon. I did not know the family, only that it was a 9-year-old girl who was taken (sooner than expected) by leukemia. We all love kids. I love kids. Most of us have experienced enough life to understand the impact that comes to a family with a sickly child and then loosing that child……has upon the family, the parents, their marriage (good or bad.....probably some of both) siblings, grandparents, money, lives dedicated to this girls care, etc.
> 
> ...


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

harrysin said:


> I have used lock mitres on 3/4" Pine extensively without a problem, admittedly not on boards as wide as 16", but with a tall fence like the one that I use, I cannot foresee a problem. Do of course choose a bit that will cover 3/4" as there are at least three different size lock mitre bits.


That _is_ tall Harry ! I feel a quick project coming on ! Any perceived problems for putting one on a Triton router table ?

Cheers

Peter


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hmm. I hadn't seen Bruce's moving post when I wrote the above. It looks somewhat frivolous now.

Peter


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Bruce,

I'm with Bj, thanks for sharing. Just yesterday had a friend, a fellow coworker collapse at work. A few hrs later, we were all informed of his passing.:sad:


Max, Peter,

A while back, I was having difficulty trying to figure out a way of doing some modification to either one my plates or the base of a router. Either one I wasn't too keen on doing. I had been in contact with Harry via. email and, he gave me another option in which I hadn't considered. The "tall fence" in which Harry has posted. Let me say that, that tall fence has been a life saver to me. Saved me much aggravation from doing any modification work and has given me extra support for work pieces on my RT. It has worked so well that, I'm going to build another one just like it except, I'm going to "borrow" one of Bj's idea's too. Removal/replaceable inserts. I didn't do this the first time, just a solid one piece fence.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

A tip of the hat to you sir!!! Bravo!!

b.


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## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

Hamlin said:


> Bruce,
> It has worked so well that, I'm going to build another one just like it except, I'm going to "borrow" one of Bj's idea's too. Removal/replaceable inserts. I didn't do this the first time, just a solid one piece fence.


I wouldn't mind seeing some details on how you build this fence, especially how you incorporate removeable insets.

Thanks in advance.


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## dermer2002 (May 29, 2010)

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for the thoughtful reply.

If _you_ will forgive rather lengthy response, your post brought many things to mind.

I am surprised by the parallels in our lives. I too am a veteran of SE Asia (4 years Navy 65-69). I was a hospital x-ray tech for ten years (previous career life), had a favorite uncle who passed two years ago, but was too far away to participate in his funeral. 

I empathize with your compassionate and caring attitude. I left the medical field due to the psychological and emotional stress, I just couldn't handle the pain and sorrow. That and the administrators.... but that's another rant.

I went into construction, working up from laborer, framer, roofer, painter and finally finish carpenter. After that got too physically demanding I started my own cabinet shop and did that for 10 years. I have always wanted to just build furniture. Needless to say, over the years I have crafted lots of pieces for friends, relatives, and many customers. Never made much money, but I do get a tremendous sense of fulfillment and accomplishment when I see and touch the end result of all the thought and work. 

Please don't underestimate your ability. Anyone who can see a hand crafted project thru from idea to actuality already has a leg up on many people. And I am impressed that you give back to your community, that's awesome. Keep practicing your woodworking skills (I still do, and I've been at it decades); there is always some new technique, material, process, to work thru, or just something you personally haven't done before.

I hope to see some of your work here on the forum.

And from one vet to another, Thanks.


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## Lkessler3 (Jun 8, 2010)

What a great gift to a family at a time when all else is in turmoil. I appreciate your "rant". Thank you for sharing your thoughts


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