Thread: Best way to make a Coffin can anyone help?

Tweet

I want to build my own coffin this year can anyone offer any advice on what I should use for materials? any diagrams on this site? Thanks

Need input!

There are several major styles, from old-fashioned pine toe pincer coffins to contemporary metal funeral parlor caskets. Also, what building materials are you comfortable with? Wood, foam, metal, fiberglass, monster mud, corpsing. Then, how strong does it need to be? Will you be attaching an animated prop to it? Will a person be laying in it? Will it just have a blucky (cheap plastic blow-mold skeleton) in it? Will it be empty?

If you want to start out simple, I would suggest a basic hardboard & 2x2 toe-pincer.

I built mine out of plywood, they are strong and are very inexpensive to build. I followed this tutorial and after building the first one, the others were a snap.

Check this out: http://64.226.23.133/woodycarr/scare...ct_coffin.html

Here are the ones I built (with all the rest of my crap)
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb258/meltdown211/

Originally Posted by LV Scott T

Need input!

There are several major styles, from old-fashioned pine toe pincer coffins to contemporary metal funeral parlor caskets. Also, what building materials are you comfortable with? Wood, foam, metal, fiberglass, monster mud, corpsing. Then, how strong does it need to be? Will you be attaching an animated prop to it? Will a person be laying in it? Will it just have a blucky (cheap plastic blow-mold skeleton) in it? Will it be empty?

If you want to start out simple, I would suggest a basic hardboard & 2x2 toe-pincer.

I was thinking of the pine toe coffin will either put a skeleton or my light up Marcus the Carcus display. Would like to use plywood it would be the cheapest way to go I guess. Or maybe press board. I saw that Walmart has a 6 foot cardboard coffin for $20 but was worried if it rained on it from now to Halloween it wouldnt hold up well. Also thanks for the replies so far I will check out the other posters reply as well. Looks like so good ideas so far and I am always open to suggestions.

Cardboard? That's for the OTHER people, the ones who DON'T post here... the ones who start thinking about Halloween the week before.

At our Lowe's, hardboard (pegboard without the holes) starts at about $8 and plywood at about $10. Thin plywood is much more prone to warping, expecially if you only paint one side (or paint 1 side at a time). Plywood is also prone to splintering, unless you use a very sharp, fine-tooth blade. On the other hand, plywood usually has wood grain & knot holes which you would expect to see in a pine box. So, I guess if you're planning on painting it, I would use hardboard. Keeping it natural or stained, use plywood. IMO

Thanks for the advice I might just use hardboard and paint it black. I am getting excited over this project thanks to everybody for their advice and comments! Peace

Lol LVScott don't hate me for saying this but that cardboard coffin really aint bad.

As far as adding something, just through some fabric in there to complete the coffin. Always makes it look good.

I hate you.

Originally Posted by halloweenking

Lol LVScott don't hate me for saying this but that cardboard coffin really aint bad.

As far as adding something, just through some fabric in there to complete the coffin. Always makes it look good.

I might buy the cardboard to use inside our home. We are throwing my son a Halloween themed birthday party so I think the cardboard one will work for indoors might throw some candy in there for him and his friends to grab.

You could use the inexpensive dog-ear fencing from your local lumber store. Its pressure treated, so you don't have to worry about it being outside and it looks more realistic that plywood. I saw this on ScareFX.com.

Hope this helps.