Hey Everybody....
I have been thinking of a cart and wanted to make a cedar coffin. Thought of making a poplar frame and covering it with cedar closet lining.
The thing that is bugging me up is how to put wheels into it, with the narrower size of the base the only way I can think of is to have an axle housing sticking way out the sides of the bottom or the back side.
Can anyone give some advise on this ?
I figure it will have to be at least 15 to 16 inches at the base, flare out with shelf's at the wide part then taper back down toward the top to the first measurement. I thought of putting lips on the shelf's for ammo storage
I think some tung oil or danish oil rubbed in would make the color or the wood just pop out at ya!
I would have already started on this but being in the army all my tools are in the storage unit, so that has a big affect on what I make!!
Louie Girardeau
Rob Wright
Louie, I have built a lightweight coffin, (full sized, used as a CAS vendor merchandise display and also as a cargo box on my MC trailer)
and here's my recommendation. Build up yer coffin box using ripped down pine sticks at the joints and to form reinforcing battons inside, and 1/4" panelling of some sort as the skin. I used underlayment plywood. the completed coffin is urethaned with satin exterior urethane. Rip down 3/8" thick pine mouldings to cover the joints in the skin. Use screws and glue on structural stuff, brad nails and glue on trim. My full-sized coffin only weighs 30 lbs.
THEN frame up a basic, very light handcart ala the one's they used to move wooden crates and barrels back in the day and mount yer coffin on it using a couple of wingnuts or some such to secure the box to the frame of the handcart. The box would happily sit on the cart frame, but a couple of screws and wingnuts to hold it fast when used as a gun cart would unitize it but allow the box to be easily removed from the "chassis". Then use the traditional method of attaching the wheels to the handcart chassis with a straight solid axle and clevis pin clips (again for ease of removal for transport/storage). It'll look just like what it is, a coffin being moved about on a handcart. Plow handles can be bought that would make great handcart vertical rails/handles..... Interior should be kept very light. Use simple cutout "rack" forms and either leather or pipe insulation to make upper and lower cradles for guns, etc.
here's my MC trailer with the coffin box...
It wasn't quite done in this pic. The internal brace was temporary and is now cut out. The trailer now has a tailgate, lights and fenders added. the coffin box lid has a water-tiight gasket made up with white silicone and four "tool box latches" hold the lid secure for travel. I've taken guns, ammo, clothes, merchendise, etc, everything except a gun cart needed for a three day shoot (stayed in a pard's RV) in the box, towed behind the bike.
Here it is in use as a vendor display.