Creating a Memorial Box for Rags – Part Two

Those of you that subscribe to our e-mail updates, know that I am in the process of making a box for Rags (my 19.5 year old Seal Mitted Ragdoll who died in March 2009).  For those of you who do not subscribe, then you might want to read, “A Box For Rags – Part One.”

it’s been going really well and as I type this the lid is in the tumbler all night long to get his paw shiney – but I am getting ahead of myself.

So I last told you that I had these things left to do:

• Add the lid
• Cut off the square bits of metal – as this box is going to round – the circle of life is the idea with that.
• Secure the lid and the bottom portion somehow
• Add copper wire decoration
• Add Rags’ silver paw to the top of the lid – to use as a pull to take off the lid
• Polish and finish

So I might not have done everything in the above order.  I did first add the lid – to add the lid, I actually cut off part of the cylinder and then just soldered on a flat piece of sheet metal:

So when you put it “together”, it looked like this:

After I did this, it was July Fourth weekend, so I brought it with me to my parents’ lake house to share it with my family and also so I could saw off the edges and make it round.

Oh!  And I forgot to take photos of the tedious process of getting his paw soldered on!  His paw is the silver knob, so you can pull off the top.  I actuallly got an imprint of his paw before he died (okay, I got like 50 imprints) and then poured wax into it, and then cast it in sterling silver – not knowing what exactly I’d do with it – but I wanted to have it – and I am glad I did – it worked out perfectly for this!

Then the next step was to solder on a lip on the top end of the bottom part – so that the lid had something to slide over, so it would actually stay together.

So at the above photo – I was still trying to figure out how to adhere the lip so that it fit perfectly. It was a task and then some.  In fact, I soldered the SUCKER 8 times before I didn’t have any tiny holes!  And I also cut off the remaining metal so that it was a round box all the way around!

So as I said, right now the lid is in the tumbler – getting polished.  I want Rags’ paw to polished and the rest of the box, I want brushed silver.  I think brushed goes more with Rags’ personality – classy, yet not showy!  And I think brushed is more appropriate for a male too!

So here’s what’s left to do:

• Sanding, sanding and did I mention, sanding?

• Read A Box for Rags – Part One
• Read A Box for Rags – FINISHED!