Funeral Merchandising Exam 1 Content

Merchandising

The purchasing, pricing, display, and sales of goods and services.

Biscuit Tufting

Tufted fabric that creates a square design.

Blind Tufting

Tufting with no buttons or “eyes.”

Merchandise

Any goods that are bought and sold.

Casket

A rigid container designed for the encasement of human remains that is available in various shapes, other than anthropoidal.

Coffin

A case or receptacle for human remains which is anthropoidal in shape.

Burial Casket

A casket for interring or entombing human remains.

Cremation Casket

A casket manufactured with easily combustible materials for the cremation of human remains following funeral service events.

Ceremonial/Rental Casket

Appears externally as a regular casket, has an inner cremation container held as an insert within the casket for easy removal so the deceased can be cremated post visitation or ceremony.

Green Caskets

Caskets made from sustainably produced materials from renewable sources, easily biodegradable, and don’t add toxins to the earth as they decompose.

Solid Wood

Raw material used to manufacture products entirely from natural wood pieces that contain no wood by-products or composite wood derivatives.

Hardwood

Angiosperms, tough heavy timber with a compact texture, deciduous (lose leaves annually) trees such as birch, cherry, mahogany, oak, pecan, poplar, walnut, and sycamore.

Softwoods

Gymnosperms, coniferous trees (evergreen) such as pine, spruce, redwood, and cedar.

Lamination (Engineered Wood)

Technique to manufacture a material in multiple layers so the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance.

Laminate

The process of bonding superimposed layers of different materials.

Wood Veneer

Created by gluing thin layer wood of superior value or excellent grain to an inferior wood.

Artificial Laminate

Created by gluing a thin layer of man made or synthetic material to an inferior wood or other material.

Plywood

Thin sheets of wood glued together with grains at right angles to one another. Odd number of sheets so grain on front and back runs in the same direction.

Composition/Pressed/Particle/Flake Board

Particles of wood bonded together with waterproof glue.

Corrugated Fiberboard/Cardboard Containers

Have an interior sheet shaped into alternate ridges and grooves, with flat linerboards on the exterior surfaces. May be used as sturdy shipping containers for the cremation of human remains.

Fisk Coffin

form-fitting metal coffin that reduced weight, significantly more convenient.

Ferrous Metals

Contain iron.

Non-Ferrous Metals

Do not contain any significant amount of iron, less susceptible to corrosion and rust, not magnetic, generally more expensive. examples: copper and bronze.

Metal Alloy

When 2 or more metals are combined.

Steel

Metal alloy that combines iron and carbon

Caskets use ______ to keep the metal soft and malleable.

low carbon steel

Stainless Steel

rust resistant metal alloy that combines iron, carbon, chromium, and sometimes nickel.

US Standard Gauge

Established by the federal government in 1893 for the purpose of levying taxes and duties. Based on a specific density of steel as a measurement of weight and an average thickness. An approximation of metal thickness.

Gauge

The number of sheets needed to equal approximately one inch of thickness.

Lower gauge metal is ____ than higher gauge metal.

thicker.

Steel metal caskets are generally available in ___ gauge thickness.

16, 18, 20.

300 Series Stainless Steel

18% Chromium, 8% Nickel. Higher end.

400 Series Stainless Steel

12% Chromium, no notable percentage of nickel. Lower end.

Brown and Sharpe Gauge

Measures and identifies the thickness of copper and bronze used in manufacturing caskets.

32 Ounce

Weight of one square foot of metal material. approximately equal to a ferrous metal gauge of 19.

48 Ounce

Weight of one square foot of metal material. approximately equal to a ferrous metal gauge of 16.

Wrought Copper

Processed by rolling, hammering, or forging into specified shapes such as sheets, bars, plates, and tubing. can be called “solid copper.”

Copper Deposit

Copper ions are combined by an electrolytic process (expensive). no longer routinely offered/manufactured.

Brass

Copper combined with zinc.

Bronze

Copper combined with tin.

Bronze used in caskets usually consists of ___.

90% copper, 10% tin, and sometimes zinc.

Cast Bronze

poured into a mold and allowed to cool.

The most non-corrosive and non-rusting metal, most expensive choice.

Bronze

Polymer

Similar in appearance to plastic. Compound with high molecular weight creating an extremely durable substance.

Plastic

Synthetic or natural organic material softened and shaped and then hardened. Commonly used in hardware and seldom used as casket shells.

Fiberglass

Fine filaments of glass embedded in various resins. Lightweight, strong, can be given a variety of finishes.

Green/Natural/Environmentally Friendly Casket Materials

Sustainably produced materials from renewable sources, easily biodegradable, do not add toxins to the earth, such as willow, seagrass, bamboo, and wicker.

Birch Characteristics

closed grain, straight to wavy, strong and dense, white sapwood, reddish heartwood. used in in cabinetry and furniture.

Cherry Characteristics

very fine, straight grain. relatively strong, white sapwood, red-brown heartwood. used in fine furniture and cabinetry.

Mahogany Characteristics

premier hardwood, raw material must be imported, strong wood, even grain, reddish brown. used in furniture and boats.

Maple Characteristics

very strong, fine grain, known for interesting grain patterns, also called “tiger” or “curly” greyish-white to reddish-brown sapwood, light or dark reddish brown heartwood, used in flooring, cabinetry, bowling alleys.

Oak Characteristics

strong and durable, material of choice, straight grain, white-light brown sapwood, light to dark reddish-brown heartwood, used in flooring, church pews, and furniture.

Pecan Characteristics

straight or wavy grain, medium texture, low luster, light to medium brown heartwood with red hue, pale yellowish-brown sapwood, used for tool handles, ladder rungs, and flooring.

Poplar Characteristics

straight grain, fine-medium texture, white sapwood, greenish heartwood, strong but soft, used in exterior siding and doors.

Sycamore Characteristics

less used, moderately hard, heavy, strong, shock resistant, predominantly white-light tan sapwood, darker reddish brown heartwood, fine and even texture, interlocked grain, hard to split, used in veneer, boxes, flooring pallets, crates, butcher blocks.

Walnut Characteristics

expensive, straight to wavy grain, creamy white sapwood, light to dark brown heartwood, rarely used in furniture due to high cost.

Pine Characteristics

inexpensive, fine and straight grain, twig knots, pale yellow-white sapwood, light reddish-brown heartwood, medium strength, lightweight.

Cedar Characteristics (Red)

reddish-violet brown heartwood, pale yellow sapwood, straight grain, knots, distinct scent, used in fence posts, pencils, birdhouses, closet and chest linings.

Redwood Characteristics

high tannin causes reddish hue, mostly red heartwood, lightweight, even and fine grained, can be coarse, outer rings are white sapwood, soft, used in house siding and decks, water towers, railroad steam engines.

Spruce Characteristics (White)

creamy white/yellowish, fine even texture, straight grain, used in paper, construction lumber, and crates.

Pulvinus

small, peg-like structure that each tree needle is attacked to in spruce trees.

Shell

The basic exterior of the casket, including the cap (lid) and lower body portion of the unit.

Cap (Lid)

The upper portion of the casket shell, including the ogee, crown, pie, and header.

Rim (Ogee)

The ‘S’ shaped molding component of a casket cap.

Crown (Swell)

The uppermost part of the casket cap.

Pie (Fishtail)

The wedge-shaped portion of the cap (lid) at each end of the casket.

Header (Bridge/Cap Filler)

Component part of the cap (lid) on half couch caskets that provides support at the point of the tranverse cut.

Rim Flange (Ogee Flange)

The turned under edge or horizontal portion of the casket rim which comes in contact with the gasket or body ledge flange (top body molding flange).

Gasket Channel

The channel found on the foot panel header of a half couch casket.

Header Flange

The turned-under edge or horizontal potion of the header of the casket cap.

Body

The lower portion of the casket shell containing the top body molding, body panel, base molding, and casket bottom.

Top Body Molding (Body Ledge)

A molding along the uppermost edge of the body panels.

Body Panels (End Side)

Compose the sides and ends of the casket shell.

Base Molding

Along the lowermost edge of the body panels.

Bottom

May be flat and may contain stiffeners.

Stiffeners

Elongated indentations that are pressed into the casket bottom and help to strengthen the casket shell.

Top Body Molding Flange (Body Ledge Flange)

The horizontal portion of the top body molding (body ledge) where the gasket is placed on gasketed caskets.

Hardware

The handles, ornamental fixtures, and associated fittings attached to the casket shell.

Casket Handles

Swing bar, stationary bar, bail handle.

Swing Bar

A moveable casket handle with a hinged arm.

Stationary Bar

A non-moveable casket handle.

Bail Handle

A single handle in which the lug, arm, and bar are combined in one unit.

Component parts of Handles

Lug, arm, bar, tip.

Lug (Ear)

The part of the casket handle attached to the casket body.

Arm

The part of the casket handle that attaches the bar to the lug (ear).

Bar

A part of the casket handle attached to the lug or arm and held by a casket bearer when moving and positioning a casket.

Tip

The decorative or ornamental part of the casket handle that covers the exposed ends of the bar.

Corner

An optional part of the hardware that is attached to the 4 corners of the body panel. Offer opportunity for additional ornamentation, families may keep pieces after services.

Cast Hardware

production method in which molten metal is poured into a mold, allowed to cool, and then removed from the mold.

Stamped Hardware

production method where the casket hardware sections are pressed out on a hydraulic press, typically less expensive.

Extrusion Molding

A method of molding plastic by injecting molten plastic into a die.

Cap Panel

The focal point of the interior which fills the inside of the crown, sometimes bordered by the cove (roll) and may be referred to as the panel.

Full Couch

A casket in which the rim (ogee), crown, and pies are formed as one unit and which opens as one piece.

Half Couch

A cap opening style in which the rim (ogee), crown, and pies are formed with a transverse cut in the cap, thereby forming a 2 piece lid for the casket.

Head Panel

A component part of the casket interior which is inside the head portion of the cap.

Foot Panel

A component part of the casket interior, which is inside the foot cap.

Inner Panels

Functional or ornamental covering for the foot end of a full couch casket, may be available for the head end for some full couch casket models.

Single Hinged Panel (Single Hinged Cap)

A casket in which the cap is in 2 pieces. The rim (ogee) and foot panel is one piece, hinged to the top body molding, and the head panel is the second piece, hinged to the rim (ogee).

Slip Panel (Slip Top/Priest Casket)

A casket opening style in which the cap (lid) at the head of the casket is completely removed for the purpose of viewing the decedent from either side of the casket.

Elliptic

A casket having ends in the same shape of a half circle.