Couple Flag Cases

[George Bregar]

Russ,

What method did you use to attach the top section of the case to the base? I've been considering building some for some family members, but can't get it in my head how to attach and make it look acceptable. Thanks for your help and sharing.

Biscuit would work nicely. Or screwed from the bottom.

[Lee Schierer]

Those are really nice looking Russ. I like the base design to allow for the nameplate.

One trick we use when putting flag cases or shadow boxes together for military retirements is to cut out a piece of 1/8" hardboard or cardboard slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of the case. This way you can fold the flag over this so you get it the perfect size and can also align the stars just right so it looks perfect to the viewer.

Instead of the hardboard, I use the 1/4" foam core poster board from the craft stores. You can stick straight pins into the edges to hold the flag and stars in perfect alignment and perfectly flat.

[John Gornall]

A few suggestions:

Don't fold the flag over hardboard or cardboard as they are acidic and may damage the flags over time. Foamcore board is a better idea but be sure it is "acid free" foamcore. A best choice is ragboard which is 100% cotton - get it at a frame shop.

It's best if the flags don't touch wood at all as wood is acidic although the finish may solve this problem. A good choice is to line the box with ragboard in the color of your choice.

I suggest Conservation glass to prevent fading.

[Russ Filtz]

Biscuit would work nicely. Or screwed from the bottom.

Yes, I screwed my bottoms on. Wasn't the original plan and I could have just slotted the back piece in instead of rabbetting, since you can then place the flag from the bottom! I think the rabbets also caused problems at the bottom near the corners of the base (or I just cut wrong!)

[Scot Roberts]

I found this forum while researching what I needed to know to make a flag case. I've taken it upon myself to surprise my mom on Christmas with a flag case for her second husband of 25 years. He was a WWII veteran and recently passed away. The flag is the standard VA supplied 5 x 9 1/2 burial flag. Very nice cotton by the way with embroidered stars.

I like the design Russ came up with for a few reasons and have decided to imitate it...."steal it" if you will. I also have the rare privilege and pleasure to work on it with my father (84 years old) who I learned everything from, as he did from his father. We work in the shop together quite often and it's a pastime we both enjoy.

My question is, I'm using African Cherry a.k.a Makore, and I'd like to get any tips on finishing it that anyone might have. I'm not a great finisher yet so most intricate techniques are rather foreign to me. Most of the work I do is lathe work which I usually oil or wax.

Tips? Suggestions?

And thanks for being here. Nice to see a woodworking forum.

[Russ Filtz]

I'm a purist when it comes to Cherry. I assume your version may work the same as american cherry. I tend to use ONY a "PURE" tung oil finish mixed with mineral spirits (witches brew). I use varying mixtures as I go, gradually adding more tung to the mix, maybe up to half-half. I also add varying amounts of clear rub-on poly as I go, with final coats at 1/3 each, tung, MS, poly. You can finish with a coat of pure poly if you want.

This is a long process and can a week or more. You need to flood the wood initially, let it soak in and then wipe the excess, then let it cure for while. Rinse and repeat (not the rinse part!)

If you go too fast, or add too much tung or coat too soon, it can get gummy. No worries, you can cut it back with some MS and scotchbrite. If you start adding the poly, you will need to lightly sand between each coat as well (use a fine grade or even just the scotchbrite pad).

The tung will really pop the grain and adding just a little poly as you go later will give durability without "coating" the wood too much. You still get that natural wood feel. You HAVE TO USE pure tung, not the tung oil mixtures you get at the hardware store. You will need to order online or go to a dedicated woodwaorking store.

[Jody Malinich]

Very nice flag cases. You should be proud. Alot of good tips on how to get the flag nice and tight. I use the hardboard method for most flags.

He is one I just finished. Made from sapele. No splines, just four screws that hold the triangle to the base everything else is glued. No stress at any of the joints.

[George Bregar]

I found this forum while researching what I needed to know to make a flag case. I've taken it upon myself to surprise my mom on Christmas with a flag case for her second husband of 25 years. He was a WWII veteran and recently passed away. The flag is the standard VA supplied 5 x 9 1/2 burial flag. Very nice cotton by the way with embroidered stars.

I like the design Russ came up with for a few reasons and have decided to imitate it...."steal it" if you will. I also have the rare privilege and pleasure to work on it with my father (84 years old) who I learned everything from, as he did from his father. We work in the shop together quite often and it's a pastime we both enjoy.

My question is, I'm using African Cherry a.k.a Makore, and I'd like to get any tips on finishing it that anyone might have. I'm not a great finisher yet so most intricate techniques are rather foreign to me. Most of the work I do is lathe work which I usually oil or wax.

Tips? Suggestions?

And thanks for being here. Nice to see a woodworking forum.

Just use BLO. Saturate it...wait a bit, wipe off excess. Repeat. Wax with a high quality paste wax. Buff to a nice sheen. Done.

[David Tiell]

I have never seen anything that only the burial flags can be displayed in a case. Many military members will receive a flag either in a flag case or shadow box with their medals at retirement, moving to another base, etc. It can be just an "ordinary" flag or one that was flown over a memorial, Capitol, Pentagon, combat zone, a significant date....

I was never in the Honor Guard but I do know that you only want the blue field displayed when the flag is folded, never the red or white stripes.

Mark,
You're quite right. Military retirees rate a flag for their service upon their retirement, and can request it to be flown just about anywhere to dedicate it for the occasion. Most then have it folded and mounted in a shadowbox or flag case along with their medals, ribbons, and other memorabilia from their career. In my mind, it is a fitting tribute to be presented with a flag at retirement after spending 20 years or more defending it.

My flag is simply folded and placed inside my shadowbox in the traditional triangular folded manner. I have seen the one folded over hardboard and foamboard. I admit it does look nice, neat, and pretty. However, and I don't intend to start any fights with this, but most people when they do this don't actually FOLD the flag behind the hardboard. They simply wrap it around the hardboard so it looks nice and pretty, then just cram the rest of the flag in behind it then close it up. I personally think this is disrespectful to the flag, and refuse to do it. If I make a shadowbox, I will provide hardboard for the person to do that if they prefer, but I won't do it myself.

[Neal McCormick]

We buried my father yesterday. He was a "SeaBee" in the South Pacific during World War II. I was presented with the flag after the burial and thought I should make a case for it. I had forgotten about it until I was scanning the posts today as I do most days. Quite surprising to see this post. Wonderful cases. I suspect this next question belongs in the Laser Engravers section - One item I have always cherished was a "SeaBee" patch my father gave me when I was a young boy. It is about 2 1/2 inches round. Is that something that could be transferred onto a piece of wood I could mount into a base under the flag? I looked at Jody's site (very nice) and the cases with 3 sections and drawers was what I had in mind.

[Tony De Masi]

Russ,

Wonderful cases. I've made at least a couple hundred of these over the years but of a bit of a different design.

On your walnut case, the flag may indeed need to be refolded but it also appears to be in backwards.

Tony

[scott spencer]

Nice Russ! I like them both...

[Scot Roberts]

Thanks for the finishing tips guys. I think I'll try the boiled linseed oil method on this project because of it's simplicity and the time I have. I would however like to explore the method Russ talks about on my next turning project which is a figured maple and walnut.

As for the flag folding, David, I find it shocking that anyone would even consider wrapping a hardboard with the facing side of the flag and then stuffing the rest in behind. Unbelievable.

My situation is the flag was folded by some local aging VA guys before the service. Since he was cremated there was no casket. Instead the folded flag was sitting on a memorial table at the front of the church. My question is...if anyone here knows the protocol, the fold seems like it's maybe a little bit loose and I think I can get a tighter fold but there's something that feels very wrong about refolding it.

Do I leave it and respectfully place it in the case or can I refold it?

[Don Abele]

Guys, let me answer a couple of questions about flag protocol that have come up. First, I'll qualify my response - I've been in the Navy for 21 years now and am currently the Command Senior Chief (most senior enlisted person) for USS CONSTITUTION in Boston. We fly nearly 10,000 flags per year for anyone in the world that requests it. We pay for return postage and a really nice certificate (the paper costs us $3 a sheet). We will fly any authroized US flag as well as any service flags or state flags.

First, flag cases are for presentation and preservation of a flag. It doesn't matter why (death, retirement, etc). It's the proper way to display it if it is not going to be hung up.

Flag cases need to be fit for the flag that will go in it. A standard flag is much smaller than a casket flag. A casket flag is also made of 100% cotton, where all outdoor flags are 100% nylon. Therefore, the casket flag is not only larger in size, but is much thicker.

When inserting a flag into a case, we do not use any backerboards. We fold it tight and correctly so the stars line up. We have a lot of practice and usually get it on the first try. But if it takes a couple of trys no biggie, you are only going to fold it once. If the flag is too loose (front to back) in the case, we use 100% cotton batting behind the flag.

As for refolding a flag, absolutely. Whether it's one we fly over the ship or one we folded at a funeral, they are never going to be folded tight enough just because of how/where they are folded. There is nothing wrong with unfolding and refolding to get it tighter/neater.

Ideally, when folded the flag should present two stars at the top with a second row under it with three stars. Some smaller flags may yeild more stars, but the two over three is common.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please let me know.

Be well,

Doc

[David Tiell]

Guys, let me answer a couple of questions about flag protocol that have come up. First, I'll qualify my response - I've been in the Navy for 21 years now and am currently the Command Senior Chief (most senior enlisted person) for USS CONSTITUTION in Boston. We fly nearly 10,000 flags per year for anyone in the world that requests it. We pay for return postage and a really nice certificate (the paper costs us $3 a sheet). We will fly any authroized US flag as well as any service flags or state flags.

First, flag cases are for presentation and preservation of a flag. It doesn't matter why (death, retirement, etc). It's the proper way to display it if it is not going to be hung up.

Flag cases need to be fit for the flag that will go in it. A standard flag is much smaller than a casket flag. A casket flag is also made of 100% cotton, where all outdoor flags are 100% nylon. Therefore, the casket flag is not only larger in size, but is much thicker.

When inserting a flag into a case, we do not use any backerboards. We fold it tight and correctly so the stars line up. We have a lot of practice and usually get it on the first try. But if it takes a couple of trys no biggie, you are only going to fold it once. If the flag is too loose (front to back) in the case, we use 100% cotton batting behind the flag.

As for refolding a flag, absolutely. Whether it's one we fly over the ship or one we folded at a funeral, they are never going to be folded tight enough just because of how/where they are folded. There is nothing wrong with unfolding and refolding to get it tighter/neater.

Ideally, when folded the flag should present two stars at the top with a second row under it with three stars. Some smaller flags may yeild more stars, but the two over three is common.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please let me know.

Be well,

Doc

Doc,
Thanks for the great information! The flag is the symbol of this great nation, and should be treated with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, not everybody knows the true protocol. Your input here will help a lot of flags be properly cared for.

And thanks for your service, and I envy you your current tour. Talk about a historic duty station!

Dave