What you will need:

2 Sheets of 3/8" plywood
1 Sheet of 3/4" plywood
20 feet of base board molding
14 feet of crown molding
6 8' ¾" thick pine boards (3 4" wide, 3 6" wide)
4 hinges
6 coffin handles from ABCO Platers Part #19 (273-81) Ph.(215)634-6983
2 quarts of wood stain (I used (1)"dark walnut" and (1)"golden oak")
Satin or similar fabric
Poly-fil or pillow stuffing
12" pneumatic cylinder
* Reverse momentary pin switch

This coffin will be built using no internal supports or braces, so to make it easy for you I suggest using a pneumatic nail gun. If you don't own one, go out and rent one.

The first thing you will need to do is cut out cut out two of the templates from the last page of these instructions from your the 3/4" sheets of plywood.

Now cut one of the 3/8" plywood sheets into 8' long, 14" wide strips, then cut the 14" strips into the following sizes: (cut each piece independently using a 10-15-degree angle on all angled edges) 2 @ 22" x 14", 2 @ 64" x 14", 1 @ 14" x 14", and 1 @ 17" x 14".

Now that we have our base and sides cutouts, you will need to begin dry fitting all of the panels together. Once you've dry fitted them to ensure a correct fit then you can start construction. Use a generous amount of Elmer's "External" wood glue around all edges that are to be nailed together and proceeded to nail all of the sections to your base panel and to the connecting panel. After all sections are nailed to your base, flip the whole thing over and proceeded to nail the tops of the panels together as well as through the base into the sides.

When that part is done, I recommend sealing all joints with wood glue and let the coffin dry overnight. While it is drying take your dark walnut stain and apply it to all surfaces that will not be covered by the pine boards (where the handles will be).

Now that your glue and stain are dry, start applying the pine board trim to the walls. Use the 6" board around the base and the 4" around the top. Once again use 15-degree angles on all of the joints. Nail or screw these boards onto the plywood frame from the inside to avoid screw or nail holes, then once all of the boards are mounted measure the distance between the 4"(top) and 6"(base) pine boards against the sides of the coffin's frame. They should all be 5" high but I recommend double-checking before cutting. Next take one 8' strip of 4" pine and cut a 15-degree angle down the entire edge. Cut the strip as close to the edge as possible to cut down on waste. Next you'll need to cut 12 pieces at 5"(or whatever your coffin requires). Mount each of these centerboards in between the top and base in the same way as above.

Once you have all the base and top boards mounted, router the inside edges with the bit of your choice. Make sure you set the router depth deep enough to give a nice edge, but not too deep that it hits the plywood. You may wish to apply your stain now, or you can wait till the rest of the molding is applied.

You will now build the lid. Take the piece of 3/4" plywood that you cut at the same time as the base, and router the edges. Next take your crown molding and mount the flat edge of the molding to the inside of the plywood (see fig.). When you are purchasing your crown molding make sure that you purchase a design that has at least a 3/4" - 1.5" flat surface so you can nail it to your lid. Nail in the crown molding through the bottom of the molding into the plywood and work your way around the coffin until your done.