This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/woodworking by /u/superkp on 2023-08-11 17:01:20.
Last year I cut down a Scot's Pine in my back yard. I decided to mill a bunch of planks with it, but had no plans. Last week, I was suddenly given a very important task.
Autumn was at first an indoor-only cat, but proved impossible to keep inside. So she became and indoor/outdoor cat. I always knew that it would be a risk, but that does not diminish the sorrow. She was hit by a car right outside my house. I did not witness it, but it seems the primary injury was to her head, so she was likely unconscious immediately - no suffering.
I decided that I would take some of the rough planks from my tree and prepare them for my kitty.
Trigger warning: The final image in the following gallery shows a peaceful cat in her final spot, just before we included some of her beloved toys and treats.
I decided that, just as her life was unfinished when it was ended, I would not put 'final touches' on the wood - planed only to basic flatness, no sanding, no trimming to perfect length, etc.
I'm not sure why, but I don't think Autumn would have liked metal fasteners.
The sides are each one larger board (from the only plank that was large enough). The only truly precise cut is the width for the box joints - given that I wasn't using fasteners, this had to be a perfect snug fit.
Because the box joints would still move side to side, I put in cross beams, secured with a peg system.
The top and bottom are several boards, connected to a beam with tenon/tusk method of securing them. It was time consuming figuring out the perfect sizes and measurements.