# Pallet wood toe-pincher Coffin



## Terra

OK, continued:











_Lid nearly done but not nearly scary enough..._












_Pre-drill and screw in accent boards to give it a creepier look. They also firm up the boards if you screw in each board to the accent piece._












_Cut off edge of accent boards with saw._











_Top is done!!!!_












_For the bottom of the coffin, there is no need to use pallet wood. Plywood is fine. Place top of lid on the plywood and trace out. Be sure to swing one side of the top lid to the edge of the plywood so it saves you from not having to cut out one of the sides._












_Here you can see the pattern made._












_Bottom and top complete._


_I'll keep posting as I get more done on this. Thanks for looking at my first How-to _


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## Gothikim

Ah geez. I just happen to have a huge pallet and some old fencing pickets kicking around. Now I may have to do something with them!

Looking good so far!!!


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## darth stygian

Nice, there is always a ton of pallets at my work. Guess will have to take the truck one of these days and get a few.


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## killer13

Looks really cool!


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## Terra

Thanks everybody. I've added updates to some of the steps I've already posted (too late to edit them) but go to my albums and it's up-to-speed with some lessons I've learned as I built this. Halloween Forum - Terra's Album: Pallet toe-pincher coffin
Halloween Forum - Terra's Album: Pallet toe-pincher coffin Part II

I want to credit the inspiration of the pallet coffin to ScareFX. His idea to use fence posts is the basis for my build: ScareFX - $25 Full-Size Toe-Pincher Coffin

OK, on to the coffin build:










_First, decide how deep you want your coffin. To me, 12 inches is too shallow and 18 inches is too deep. I settled on 15 inches. _

_Now determine which pieces of pallet wood would work for the header, footer, two sides and two angle sides. Pick evil-looking wood for best effect. The wood sitting at the foot of the coffin is long enough to make the header and footer when I cut it in half._













_Lay out the side wood to get ready to screw together using the plywood bottom as a working table. Make sure that you have enough wood to make the sides at least 14 inches deep. (1/2 inch bottom plus 1/2 lid plus 14 inches equals 15 inch deep coffin.) _

_To make the needed cross braces: Using the remaining fence board wood from the lid construction that was cut in half (3 inch wide piece) and cut off twelve 12 inch long pieces. If you don't have enough wood, grab another fence post cut in half lengthwise and continue to cut your needed pieces. _

_Grab another fence post (6 inch wide) and cut off two 12-inch pieces._




_Continued in next post...._


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## Terra

_Using the same procedure you used to make the lid, pre-drill and screw in the side boards into the cross braces. First use the 3 inch wide cross brace for each set of pallet wood and then use the 6 inch wide cross brace to join the two sets together. Be sure to have the cross brace level with the bottom of the side. There will be a large gap left at the top. This will allow the lid to clear when closed._













_Here's how the side looks when held up on the bottom. Mark where the side of the coffin angles away to the header. You will be cutting the excess of the side off._













_Using a square, mark off the needed amount. Cut off with a circular saw._













_Sides are done. Make the top angle sides and the header and footer but do not cut to the proper fit. You will do that later on._













_Using the thick wood from the center spine of the pallet wood, cut off 3 to 5 inch pieces of wood. You will need 8 pieces total. _

_While side is held up in place, slide up one of the pieces of wood you just cut. That will serve as the anchor for the side. Mark the placement with a Sharpie. Put side back down on floor._













_Pre-drill and screw in 1 3/4 " screws in three places on the wood anchor. Use two wood anchors for the one side. Repeat process to attach the other side to the bottom._













_Pre-drill and screw in 1 3/4" screws into the wood anchor. Do a total of three screws for each anchor._













_Measure the opening at the footing between the two sides. Using your square, measure that on the footer/header piece and cut the footer out with a circular saw._













_Again, mark where a wood anchor is needed for the footer, pre-drill and screw in. Then, attach the footer to the wood anchor. You can see that I also had a space open for my wiring to go through for the MIB I will be making the coffin into._












_Pre-drill and screw in each side into the footer. I screwed in each board to make it very solid._



_Continued..._


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## Terra

_Now for the angle sides. Measure the distance from the end of the side to the header. Using your square, mark off and cut the side to fit. Mark, pre-drill and screw in anchor wood and attach the angle side. _

_To add strength, use another cross wood to span the side and the angle side together. Pre-drill and screw in from the other side._













_Screw in each board to cross wood._












_Follow same procedure for the footer to attach the header. All the sides are on!_












_As you can see, there are cross braces everywhere! I hope you remembered to leave a 2 inch clearance at the top or the lid won't fit on._












_Now to make the top even: I put the lid on to show that we will have to saw the top edges to achieve this._












_Measuring from the bottom plywood, mark the perimeter of the coffin 14 1/2 inches high. Cut this out with the circular saw._












_Cut is done and pretty even._













_To add rigidity, pre-drill and screw in 1 3/4 screws from the bottom up to the cross pieces in the inside. Do that for each one. Also, go around and screw in all loose boards until you feel comfortable that it is strong. I did this because this will end up being a MIB and will take punishment from pneumatics._












_Lid fits nicely. Now it needs an accent piece on both sides. Again screw the accent piece to each board to make it much more rigid._












_Now with accent piece. Much scarier. In part III I will add hinges and rope handles and call the coffin build DONE!_


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## Terra

OK, Here is the last part of my pallet wood toe-pincher coffin. Again, I've learned some lessons so I suggest you check out the tutorial at my albums to get the latest info (can't edit these posts after a few days). 

Here is the links to the three part tutorial:

Halloween Forum - Terra's Album: Pallet toe-pincher coffin
Halloween Forum - Terra's Album: Pallet toe-pincher coffin Part II
Halloween Forum - Terra's Album: Pallet toe-pincher coffin Part III

In the future I will add two more touches to the coffin: A large lock and a coat-of-arms.




Adding rope handles, hinges and chains:










_To make the rope handles measure and mark two holes 7 inches apart halfway up from the bottom of the coffin. Get it as close to the angled part of the coffin as you can._














_Drill out with a 7/8 bit._














_Buy 10 feet of 5/8 inch manila rope at Home Depot. Cut into four lengths (2 1/5 feet each). Insert one rope into the hole and knot. Repeat for the other side._














_Put two handles on each side of the coffin._















_Screw in three 4-inch black strap hinges (gate hinges) onto the long side of the coffin._


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## Terra

Continued......












_I bought 20 feet of decor chain at Home Depot. Regular link chains are pretty expensive and heavy ($2 a foot). This was only 77 cents a foot and had a good rattling sound. I separated the chain into two 10 foot lengths. I will drape the extra chain onto the back nails to add to the rattling sound._













_To attach the chain to the bottom: I slightly hammer in a nail, hook the chain over it and hammer the nail again to bend it over the chain._













_To keep the chains from falling off the edges I put a nail in each corner. I thought this coffin was done but DH suggested I put a giant lock where the chains cross and a bat plaque or coat-of-arms in the center of the coffin. Good ideas...darn him._


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## guitarist155

great work, i will post some pics of mine soon. I also used the scare fx design with some of my own ideas.


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## Pennywise

Very well done. I made of entirely out of pallet wood 2 years ago. They last quite awhile. Unfortunately mine met with a terrible fate and I have to make a new one.


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## Terra

Did you have to use it to bury someone?


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## Elvira

Awesome job Terra, you and DH make an awesome team. Love how it turned out, the attention to detail with the rope and chains sets it off beautifully. Great work!


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## creepy crawler

I love it you did a great job I hope mine turns out half as good as yours... KICK A$$


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## ddstsm

Fantastic tutorial!!! I've been wanting to build a coffin and have been searching for old lumber, but didn't even think about using pallets.


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## TheReaper

Very Cool! I am actually making two of these but they will be in half for a ground breaker.


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## Terra

Thanks all. I'm relieved you liked my first tutorial. I look at it as way to give back for all the help you've all given me.


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## Lonely Grave Walker

This is such an awesome tutorial!!! Thank you for all the tips... and great job!! I love the coffin! Hope to see more of your stuff soon!


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## ghostokc

WOW! that looks great.


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## Pennywise

LOL Terra! Unfortunately it was behind my house when a tree come down on it. The tree caused major damage to my house and obliterated the coffin  Mine wasn't nearly as sturdy as yours is. I used a lot less bracing and pretty much winged it when I built it. When I build the next 2 or 3 I need, I will follow this tutorial!


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## Ed of the Dead

This is EXACTLY what I needed to see. I had a plan in mind for making a coffin out of pallet wood, and now I know I'm on the right track...

And the idea of a groundbreaker... that will be one of my last-minute projects, with a smaller bit of coffin pushing above ground with a zombie arm coming out.

Not much money for adding stuff this year, but this will work great!


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## lisa48317

That looks great! When I made mine (entirely out of plywood) I didn't know what kind of hinges to use so I grabbed the kind like you'd put on a bathroom door. So there's a huge gap along the back. I haven't painted it yet, so I could change them out & patch the holes. 

I also plan to make a groundbreaker coffin for myself this year & a full one for my sister, so I'll keep your ideas in mind!


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## Terra

Neat surprise to see this old thread again. Happy to hear that it's been helpful to you both. This was my very first tutorial!


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## One eyed Mick

Terra said:


> Neat surprise to see this old thread again. Happy to hear that it's been helpful to you both. This was my very first tutorial!


Great tutorial! I "borrowed" a few ideas for my pallet wood Toe Pincher too...!


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## Terra

Ooooh, pretty _(in a coffin way I mean)_  Love the accented wood grain.


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## Si-cotik

glad it was brought up again....saving for prop ideas!!! Love your tutorials


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## One eyed Mick

Terra said:


> Ooooh, pretty _(in a coffin way I mean)_  Love the accented wood grain.


Thanks! 

It is a "Work in progress" and my first try at building a Toe Pincher. I need to add a bit of chain and some rope handles...I accented the wood grain by "Flame painting" the wood with a propane torch....I think it ages the wood nicely....!


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## Crunch

Hmm, so would pallet wood be good for a more square/rectangle MIB?? There's TONS of these right close to my work place I can have for free.. Maybe abscond a few and build my MIB that way?


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## Terra

Yeah, I would think so. I loved the pallet wood because it was already so old and beat-up.


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## Crunch

Yeah makes sense. Just gotta nab a motor will be the next big part =l


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## Mr. Moundshroud

Great how-to, and considering the fact that I passed a sign advertising "FREE PALLETS" on my way home yesterday, I know what I'll be doing soon!


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## Immortalia

My husband and I were just discussing building a real coffin 2 days ago after our fold-up heavy cardboard one got a little soggy from the fog machine during our haunt. This is a fantastic idea. "Oh, Honey. I have another "item" for your list this year"........... :OE 

BTW Terra, we LOVE your tomestones and can't wait to stretch our artistic muscles with the help of your tutorials. THANK YOU!!


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## Terra

Mr. Moundshroud said:


> Great how-to, and considering the fact that I passed a sign advertising "FREE PALLETS" on my way home yesterday, I know what I'll be doing soon!


Have fun. Remember the Sawzall will be a big help. Those nails are a pain!



Immortalia said:


> My husband and I were just discussing building a real coffin 2 days ago after our fold-up heavy cardboard one got a little soggy from the fog machine during our haunt. This is a fantastic idea. "Oh, Honey. I have another "item" for your list this year"........... :OE
> 
> BTW Terra, we LOVE your tombstones and can't wait to stretch our artistic muscles with the help of your tutorials. THANK YOU!!


What would we do without 'da hubby? Just told mine today, _"Honey, tomorrow night after work I need you to help me bring the slammer, pipes and haunt cart down to the basement."_ Hubbys are so handy


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## One eyed Mick

Terra said:


> Have fun. Remember the Sawzall will be a big help. Those nails are a pain!


You said it....a Sawzall is the only way to go when you are taking pallets apart! After I cut through the spiral nails, I used a small punch to knock out the nail heads. Pretty time consuming, but getting free, aged wood is worth it....!

I used a bunch of pallets to make a couple of coffins, a treasure chest and several other props this year for my Haunted Pirate ship display....


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## lisa48317

mic214 said:


> You said it....a Sawzall is the only way to go when you are taking pallets apart! After I cut through the spiral nails, I used a small punch to knock out the nail heads. Pretty time consuming, but getting free, aged wood is worth it....!....


I totally need to invest in a Sawzall! I took mine apart (with the help of my hubby, some truck drivers and "The Shop Guy" at work- LOL) using hammer & pry-bar. Talk about a b*tch !!! 

Terra - I just love your work. I bow to your awesomeness!


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