Merchandising
purchase, display, and sale of goods
Caskets may be made of:
wood, metal, polymer, and fiberglass
Composition of wood
cellulose and lignin
Cellulose
1000's of tiny hollow shells that swell over time; one reason caskets do not swell
Lignin
glue that binds cellulose together and allows wood to breathe
Types of wood
solid wood, laminates, and wood by-products
Types of solid wood
Hardwoods, Select Hardwoods, and Softwoods
Hardwoods
deciduous- leaf bearing, close grain pattern, more expensive than softwoods
Examples of hardwoods
birch, cherry, mahogany, maple, oak, walnut
Select Hardwoods
constructed from many different species of wood
What are other terms used to describe select hardwoods?
Salix or Willow
What are some examples of select hardwoods?
poplar, cottonwood, willow, and tulip tree
Softwoods
coniferous- cone bearing trees with needles; less distinct grain pattern with knot holes and other imperfections; soft and easy to work
What are some examples of softwoods?
Pine, spruce, cedar, poplar
What is a type of wood that is used in both select hardwood and softwood caskets?
Poplar
Laminates
made by uniting superimposed layers of different materials
What are some examples of laminates?
Wood veneer and artificial laminate
Wood veneer
type of laminate created by gluing a thin layer superior wood to a more inferior wood
Artificial laminate
type of laminate created by gluing a thin layer of man-made material to an inferior wood or other material such as particle board
Wood by-products
type of wood generally used for cloth covered caskets and alternative containers
Examples of wood by-products
corrugated fiberboard, composition board, plywood
Composition board
particles of wood bonded with glue; different types are distinguished by size and shape of wood particle
Plywood
thin sheets of wood glued together with grains at right angles; odd numbers of sheets are glued together so grain on front & back run in same direction
How is wood measured?
In board feet; 1 foot square & 1 inch thick
How many board feet does the average casket contain?
300
Types of metal caskets
ferrous and non-ferrous metal
Ferrous metal
any metal formed from iron
Examples of ferrous metal
Steel and stainless steel
Steel
metal alloy that consists of carbon and iron
Alloy
substance composed of 2+ metals
What happens when you add carbon to steel?
It is softer and easier to work with
How is steel measured?
US Standard Gauge; number of sheets = to 1 inch thickness
16 gauge steel
16 sheets of metal = 1 inch thickness
lower gauge = thicker metal
20 gauge steel
20 sheets of metal = 1 inch thickness
higher gauge = thinner metal
Stainless steel
metal alloy of steel, chromium, and sometimes nickel; resistant to rust
What is a requirement of stainless steel?
must have minimum 11% chromium
Types of stainless steel
400 series and 300 series
400 series stainless steel
magnetic; contains 12% chromium; used in car mufflers
What creates the magnetic force in stainless steel
presence of nickel
300 series stainless steel
18% chromium; presence of nickel makes non-magnetic
Non-ferrous metal
and metal not formed from iron
What are other names of non-ferrous metal?
Precious or semi-precious
What are examples of non-ferrous metal
Copper and bronze
Copper
type of non-ferrous metal; malleable (workable), ductile, and magnetic, resistant to rust or corrosion
Types of copper caskets
wrought copper, copper deposit, and seamless solid cast copper
Wrought copper
copper metal rolled into sheets; sheets pressed to form casket shell
Copper deposit
core of copper that is combined to by an electrolytic process; creates seamless caskets
What can copper deposit caskets be compared to?
Bronzing baby booties
Seamless solid cast copper
molten copper poured into a mold, then broken free
very expensive
Bronze
metal alloy; consists of 90% copper; naturally resistant to rust or corrosion
What components make up the other 10% of bronze caskets?
Tin and Zinc
Types of bronze caskets
wrought bronze and cast bronze
Wrought bronze
rolled into sheets and pressed to form bronze shell
Cast bronze
molten bronze poured into a mold and broken free
most expensive type of casket
How are non-ferrous metals measured?
Brown and Sharpe Gauge = ounces per square feet
32 oz = 2 lbs; 48 oz = 3 lbs
Polymer
compound with high molecular weight; similar in appearance to plastic; very light and durable
Fiberglass
fine filaments of glass and color embedded in various resins; indestructable
Main portions of the casket
Shell, cap(s), and body
Shell
component parts consisting of caps and body
Cap(s)
top most part of the casket shell
Body
portion of the casket shell below the caps
Parts of the cap
crown, rim, pie, header, rim flange, and gasket channel
Crown
uppermost part of the cap; extends from rim (ogee) to rim (ogee)
Rim
s" shaped molding; helps casket to look less boxy; also called: OGEE
Pie
wedge shaped portion at the end of the crown
also called: Fishtail
Header
medial portion of the head/foot cap that helps to reinforce metal
*
only found on 1/2 couch caskets
*
Rim flange
portion of rim that is turned under edge or horizontal; comes in direct contact with gasket or top body molding flange
also called: OGEE FLANGE
Gasket channel
integral part of foot cap header; contains ledge that holds transverse gasket
What is the function of the gasket channel?
To seal space between the head and foot caps
Parts of the body
top body molding flange, top body molding, body panels, base molding, bottom, stiffeners
Top body molding flange
horizontal portion of top body molding; 2 flanges meet when casket is closed
also called: BODY LEDGE FLANGE
Top body molding
molding along uppermost edge of the body panels that houses locking mechanism
also called: BODY LEDGE
Body panels
sides and ends of casket shells
Base molding
molding along lowermost edge of the body panels
Bottom
portion of body that is not visible; rests on bier or church truck
Stiffeners
reinforcing grooves in bottom; adds strength on metal caskets
Casket hardware
handles and corners; attached to body
Types of casket handles
Swing bar, Stationary bar, Bail handle
Swing bar
moveable casket handle with a hinged arm; used on more expensive caskets; may be full length or individual
Stationary bar
non-moveable handle; seen on less expensive caskets
Bail handle
single handle with lug, arm, and bar combined in one unit; common in wood caskets
Parts of the casket handle
lug, arm, bar, and tip
Lug
part of the handle attached to the casket body
also called: EAR
Arm
attaches the bar to the lug; may be moveable or stationary
Bar
attached to the lug (arm); grasped by the casket bearers
Tip
for decorative purposes; covers exposed end of bar
What is found only on swing bar handles?
Tip
Cast hardware
molten metal poured into a mold; allowed to cool and removed; found in metal caskets
most expensive
Stamped hardware
sheets of metal pressed into hardware components on a hydraulic press; less expensive than stamped
Extrustion
found in plastic caskets; molded by injecting molten plastic into a die
Cap panel
focal part of the interior, fills the inside of the crown
also called: HEAD OR FOOT PANEL
Inner panels
functional/ornamental covering in foot end or located at both head and foot ends in full couch caskets
Roll
lines the ogee (rim) and surrounds the cap panel
also called: COVE OR PUFFING
Gimp
strip or metal, plastic, or cloth attached to the cap interior; runs the perimeter of the panel
also called: FOLD
Throw
covering for foot cap or inner foot panel
also called: OVERTHROW or OVERLAY
Apron
portion of throw that extends downward into the casket
Extend-over
extends over the top body molding; for aesthetic value
Bed
portion on which decedent is placed; may be stationary or adjustable
Body lining
material that drapes the inside perimeter of the body of the casket
Hinge cover
covers the hinges that attach casket cap to casket body; becomes a part of the body lining
also called: HINGE SKIRT