Memorial Flag Case

In this video we make a pair of memorial flag boxes. My grandfather and his brother were both war veterans and my father decided to display their flags. So, on a whim I decided to tackle the project while he was visiting.

For the first box, I just jumped into the build without any planning – probable not the best way to go about it. I had some ½ inch thick walnut available, so we used that for both boxes. I measured the size of the flag and cut the pieces to match. Then, we made a quick run to my local big box store to get some plexiglass for the front. This case I cut 45-degree angles with my miter saw on both sides of the two top pieces. I decided to leave the bottom piece square. Then I ran them all through my table saw to make a groove for the plexiglass to sit in. Cutting the plexiglass was simple enough, I just measured and used my circular saw guide to make the cut.

The glue up was made simple by the culls I made for my patio chair build. After it was together, I used some wood filler to fix a small mistake I made with the groove on the bottom piece that made it visible. Next up was making a rabbet using my router on the back side to inset a cover. Since the rounded bit didn’t get into the corners, I used a chisel to finish it up. After that, I was simply a matter of sanding, applying finish and putting the flag in the box.

For the second box, I decided to make all the joints mitered. The top peak used 45-degree cuts and for the lower 2 I used 22.5-degree cuts. To get the needed angle on my table saw, I made a jig to hold the walnut pieces upright through the cuts. With that done, I was able to cut the groove for the plexiglass and the rabbet for the back cover before assembly. And that kept the bottom piece from having an exposed cut like on the first case.

I also sanded and did some of the inner finishing before assembly. While gluing up this one, I used the same culls, but also needed to add a clamp across the width of the case so it didn’t bow outward.

In the end, the builds came out looking great. This is a relatively simple project that can display something that may have significant meaning. You can apply the steps to any shadow box or case that you want to make.

 Full build video on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/unwl143qbME

Affiliate links for tools, I make a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Tools:

DEWALT 10-Inch Table Saw (DWE7491RS): https://amzn.to/3z4vcDU

Freud Diablo 10" 50 tooth ATB blade:  https://amzn.to/3pnPCDz

DEWALT 20V MAX XR Cordless Router (DCW600B): https://amzn.to/3fTc2te

Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Drill/combo: https://amzn.to/2Rqy50V

Dewalt Palm Sander, 1/4 sheet: https://amzn.to/3ikKa2U

24-piece router bit set for ¼ in shank: https://amzn.to/2RqJpdz

Tape Measure: https://amzn.to/2SdP0nJ

Mechanical Pencil: https://amzn.to/3uT8mfh

Wood Glue Dispenser: https://amzn.to/3ppyZYa

Safety Ear Muffs: https://amzn.to/3cnvqMG

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