Thread: Groundbreaker Coffin Help!

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Here's what I built today using pallets. My plan is to lay it across the width of my cemetery area but propped up in the back. And then have skeleton hands coming out from underneath in between the wood slats then light it from underneath.

I had some trouble cutting the wood as I only have a jigsaw & a miter/bevel chop saw.

Does this look ok or should I go out & buy a Sawzall & start over?

I think it looks just fine. I actually like the stylistic shape. Don't mess with it, IMO.

Also, I don't think a sawzall would give you a straighter line.

I agree. It looks great. It looks old and hand made. Just one look and you know whatever is in there has been there a long time.

Originally Posted by GhostTown

I think it looks just fine. I actually like the stylistic shape. Don't mess with it, IMO.

Also, I don't think a sawzall would give you a straighter line.

Originally Posted by warpaint

I agree. It looks great. It looks old and hand made. Just one look and you know whatever is in there has been there a long time.

Ok whew!! Thanks to you both.....I was afraid it didn't have that "coffin" shape since I had so much trouble cutting the wood (darned circular saw died!).....

I agree with everyone else, age it and leave it the way it is. You could call it a pauper's coffin.

If you want a straighter line you'll need a circular saw and a maybe a guide. To be a little safer on doing long cuts, put a bunch of 2 x 6es on the ground and put the board/etc on top of that (you can try to position it so that the saw goes between the boards but it won't hurt to nick through the top of them). That way you can't drop the saw on your foot while trying to balance it so the pieces don't twist and bind up the blade. Our Home Depot has offcuts of boards in their scrap bin for .51 which was a lot cheaper than buying a full 2" x 6" x 10' (about $8-10).

With a jigsaw you could nail a piece of a 2 x 4 to a thin (about 1/4") piece of plywood or other board. Then use the edge of the 2 x 4 as a guide so you wind up with an L shaped piece that you can simply place on top of what you want to cut. But even with a guide, a jigsaw tends not to want to behave. But at least you can only overcut and not undercut, then go over it again. You can also use this to make a guide for your circular saw but since mine is a perfect 1.5" from edge to blade it's easier just to make marks where the straight edge goes. Other saws sometimes have wacky measurements like 1 23/32" where you'd go nuts having to figure that out each time you draw a cut line.

I love it! Wish you lived close by so I could have you make me one!

Originally Posted by Xane

I agree with everyone else, age it and leave it the way it is. You could call it a pauper's coffin.

If you want a straighter line you'll need a circular saw and a maybe a guide. To be a little safer on doing long cuts, put a bunch of 2 x 6es on the ground and put the board/etc on top of that (you can try to position it so that the saw goes between the boards but it won't hurt to nick through the top of them). That way you can't drop the saw on your foot while trying to balance it so the pieces don't twist and bind up the blade. Our Home Depot has offcuts of boards in their scrap bin for .51 which was a lot cheaper than buying a full 2" x 6" x 10' (about $8-10).

With a jigsaw you could nail a piece of a 2 x 4 to a thin (about 1/4") piece of plywood or other board. Then use the edge of the 2 x 4 as a guide so you wind up with an L shaped piece that you can simply place on top of what you want to cut. But even with a guide, a jigsaw tends not to want to behave. But at least you can only overcut and not undercut, then go over it again. You can also use this to make a guide for your circular saw but since mine is a perfect 1.5" from edge to blade it's easier just to make marks where the straight edge goes. Other saws sometimes have wacky measurements like 1 23/32" where you'd go nuts having to figure that out each time you draw a cut line.

Thanks for the tips!! I did use a longer piece of wood screwed on as a guide, but like you said the jigsaw just got a little wacky & didn't want to cut thru the wood. I would have used my circular saw, but I think the motor is shot. I had the whole thing sitting on top of whole pallets so I could stand on it while cutting, but it just didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Didn't help I was being eaten alive by mosquitos the whole time either! That's when I just took off some of the extra boards & angled them to try & get the right "shape" I wanted...

I do need a new circular saw eventually...

Originally Posted by Hearts1003

I love it! Wish you lived close by so I could have you make me one!

Wow! Thanks!!

Originally Posted by jenscats5

I would have used my circular saw, but I think the motor is shot.

It may just need new motor brushes. If you don't have the manual anymore you can almost always find one online. If it was really really cheap you may want to get a new one anyway. Check Home Depot and Lowes' clearance racks for display or demonstration models. They'll have seen little use and tend to be a good deal compared to buying a used saw off Craigslist.

Originally Posted by Xane

It may just need new motor brushes. If you don't have the manual anymore you can almost always find one online. If it was really really cheap you may want to get a new one anyway. Check Home Depot and Lowes' clearance racks for display or demonstration models. They'll have seen little use and tend to be a good deal compared to buying a used saw off Craigslist.

It's really old & it wasn't that expensive - so I think I'll buy new. I do a lot of home improvement work & am a firm believer in having the right tools......My Dewalt dual-bevel miter saw is one of the best investments I've ever made! Didn't help much in this project tho!! LOL