DIY funeral Kiwi Caskets Flat-pack User manual

Assembly of your Kiwi Caskets Flat-pack Casket
page 1
Thank you for purchasing a casket from Kiwi Caskets.
Materials and Equipment needed for Assembly:
No 8 size square drive screwdriver (not supp ied in pack)
PVA type g ue EXTE IO grade (not supp ied in pack)
c ean-up rag(s) (not supp ied)
fine sand paper (optiona , approx 100 to 150 grit, not supp ied)
Notes:
•The number 8 size square driver screwdriver can either be a hand screwdriver or a power driven
screwdriver (there are ots of screws to do).
◦Screws shou d on y be driven in unti the head is f ush with the surface of the p y. Driving
screws too deep wi weaken the joint.
•Adequate g ue MUST be used in a joints:
◦the g ue provides the required construction strength
◦the g ue a so provides a eakage sea so that no f uids etc. can escape whi e the casket is being
used.
◦EXTERIOR grade g ue MUST be used as interior grade g ue wi fai if it gets wet from any
eakage within the casket.
◦PVA g ue (white g ue) is the easiest to use, and once set is norma y the strongest bond. Usua y
takes about 24 hours to cure. Is easy to wipe off any excess when wet and for most peop e is ab e
to be used without g oves.
◦Other g ue options such as Gori a expanding g ue can be used since some of their products cure
in as itt e as 10 minutes. However they are quite messy and extreme y hard to c ean off your
hands if you do not use g oves.
◦Our workshop on y uses fast acting Gori a g ue when needed for very urgent custom sized
orders.
•Our simp e, strong design p y casket has been tested to over 280 kg without showing any signs of
fai ure. This is far more than the casket wi need to ever be used for as any person over approx. 180
kg wi need a arger sized casket anyway.
Materials supplied in flat-pack:
screws
wood and p ywood components:
1 x base
1 x id
2 x pre-assemb ed ong sides with rope hand es
2 x pre-assemb ed ends
Instructions Summary:
First assemb e the ends and the sides to form the wa s and then fit the base. Our workshop has found
that this is the easiest and quickest way to assemb e our p y caskets.
Full Instructions below:
© 2017 Kiwi Caskets Ltd

Assembly of your Kiwi Caskets Flat-pack Casket
page 2
Assembly Instructions:
1. P ease read right through and fami iarise yourse f with the instructions before you start assemb y.
2. Run a generous bead of exterior type g ue on the short side of a
casket end.
3. Using a f at surface, screw it to a
ong side to form a corner.
It is important that the screws are
positioned to go into the 18 x18 mm
timber corner bead rather than into the
edge of the plywood.
The screws have much more ho ding
strength when secured into the timber bead
rather than into the edge of p ywood.
Use the existing three screws in the pre-assemb ed end as a guide for screw spacing, but remember that your
screws wi need to be a further 10mm from the edge so as to go into the 18x18mm corner bead.
Wipe off any excess g ue on the outside of the corner. Leave any excess g ue on the inside as it wi assist in
making a eak resistant joint.
4. Assemb e the remaining three corners of
the ends and the sides using g ue and screws to
form the wa s of your casket.
5. Se ect which of the two arge boards you
want for the id and put it aside. The remaining
board wi be the base of the casket.
6. Run a generous bead of g ue on the
corner 18mm x18mm beading of the edge of the box (the casket wa s) you have
created. If at any time during assemb y the g ue gets spread or smeared out of the
joint, put in extra g ue. It is far better to have to c ean up some excess g ue during
assemb y than to have a poor g ue sea and have to c ean up a eak from the casket
ater.
7. P ace the base on the wa s and a ign it.
8. Starting at a corner work a ong the short end wa of the casket attaching the
base. Remember to screw into the 18x18 timber corner bead rather than the edge of the p y. Screws wi need
to be about 200 mm apart. Use the positioning of the screws in the pre-assemb ed ends and sides as a guide.
9. Work a ong a ong side attaching the base. The side wi have some f exibi ity and can be f exed to
a ign it to the edge of the base board. Screws wi need to be about 200 mm apart. Use the positioning of the
screws in the pre-assemb ed side as a guide.
10. Work a ong the second ong side attaching it to the base before attaching the end. It is easier to f ex
© 2017 Kiwi Caskets Ltd

Assembly of your Kiwi Caskets Flat-pack Casket
page 3
the side to a ign it with the base if attaching the second end is eft to ast.
11. Attach the fina end.
12. C ean up any excess g ue on the outside of the casket.
13. Once the g ue has cured, ight y sand edges and any broken fibres around screw sites to remove any
potentia sp inters.
14. Turn casket over (right side up) and ensure that a joints are
watertight. Run extra g ue into any gaps in the corners to create
watertight sea .
15. Do NOT attach feet, runners or anything e se underneath the
base if the casket is to be used for cremation. Crematoria require caskets
and coffins to have comp ete y f at bases so as to be ab e to be hand ed
by their equipment.
16. Decorate as you wish to create a unique casket for your oved one. Paint it, write messages on it, ine
it with c oth.. If cremating, some crematoria insist on acry ic type paints rather than oi based paints. Oi
based paints are more difficu t for them to cremate to an approved “c ean air” standard. P ease check with
your crematorium.
17. Fina y when using the casket attach the id before heading to the crematorium or cemetery.
The id does not norma y require g ue or other joint sea ing. A id requires a minimum of 4 screws (one each
corner) so that it does not come off during hand ing at a crematorium. If a funera director is invo ved in any
stage of transport they a so prefer to have a comp ete y f at bottom on the casket.
Land buria can sometimes be be done without a id thus effective y making the casket a shroud carrier.
Check your cemetery's regu ations.
However, if the deceased has died from a communicable disease, NZ egis ation requires that the casket is
fu y sea ed with a id as soon as the deceased is p aced into it. Use p enty of g ue and screws on the id to
achieve this. NO OPEN casket viewing is permitted and the deceased needs to be very effective y
quarantined unti either cremation or buria .
ecommended reading:
There is ots more information about preparing and conducting a funera yourse f at:
www.diyfunera .co.nz
If you want any further info p ease don't hesitate to contact us.
© 2017 Kiwi Caskets Ltd