How To Build a Flag Display Case

A flag display case is a quick and simple woodworking project that carries a profound impact. In This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert’s case, he wanted to dedicate space on his home office shelving to honor and remember his grandfather—a Navy Seabee during World War II—by displaying the flag from his funeral. In this segment, he takes us inside his father’s workshop to demonstrate the step-by-step process of building a flag display case.

Flag Display Case Materials and Tools

To recreate Gilbert’s chosen design, you’ll need the following materials and tools:

Materials

• 1/2-inch plywood
• 1×6 red oak lumber boards
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Lacquer
• Pin nails
• Sheet glass
• Wood glue

Tools

• Carpenter square
• Compact router with chamfer bit
• Compound miter saw
• Glass cutter
• Pin nailer
• Table saw
• Tenon jig

Step 1: Plan Your Flag Display Case

Before you start building your flag display case, you’ll need to take measurements and plan your layout as follows:

1. Draw a centerline down the middle of the plywood with a straightedge.
2. A typical coffin flag is 11 inches high by 22 inches wide when folded. However, to make a snug fit for the flag, undersize the measurements on each side of your flag case by 1/4 inch.

You can make your measurements and layout more accurate by using scraps from the material itself. “We’re going to use three-quarters-inch material for the case, so I can actually do a lot of my layout with just a scrap piece of three-quarter,” Gilbert says.

Step 2: Cut and Prepare the Wood for the Display Case

Once you’ve measured everything, it’s time to cut the pieces for the wooden body and plywood backing as follows:

1. Cut each of the case’s three sides with a miter saw, making each piece slightly longer than needed—you can fine-tune this later.
2. Use a table saw to rip the side pieces down to 4 inches wide.
3. Make a small groove in each piece so the glass can fit inside. You can do this by lowering the table saw’s blade depth to 1/4 inch and making the cut 3 1/2 inches in from the edge of each piece.
4. Make rabbet cuts on all three pieces for the plywood to sit in. For the first pass, set the table saw’s rip fence 1/2 inch to the back side of the blade and keep the blade depth at 1/4 inch. Just like the glass grooves in the previous step, the rabbet cuts are only 1/4 inch deep and don’t go all the way through.
5. For the second pass, stand each piece on its edge and adjust the blade depth to 1/2 inch.
6. Use a router with a chamfer bit to ease the edges. Gilbert says he includes this step because he loves “the subtle look of it.”

Step 3: Make Mitered Cuts

Next, you’ll need to make mitered cuts to join all three sides of the case together. Follow these steps:

1. For the top two pieces, make simple 45-degree miter cuts to form a 90-degree angle.
2. The bottom piece is steeper, so you’ll need to make 67 1/2-degree cuts on both sides using a modified tenon jig. Gilbert recommends this method over using a miter box because it’s safer.
3. Go back to the miter saw to cut two legs to 17 7/8 inches and the bottom of the case to 25 5/16 inches.

Step 4: Sand and Finish the Flag Display Case

Now that you’ve made your mitered cuts, it’s time to sand and finish your wood pieces as follows:

1. Use a random-orbit sander and 220-grit discs to smooth each wood piece.
2. Remove the debris with a tack cloth.
3. Apply lacquer to the inner sides of the case. Gilbert recommends doing this now so you don’t have to come back and do it later.

Step 5: Cut the Display Glass and Plywood Casing

Once you’ve smoothened and lacquered the wood, you’ll need to cut the glass front and plywood back of your case by following these steps:

1. For both the glass and plywood, measure from the 90-degree point of the case down to the sides—around 16 inches.
2. Cut the plywood to size.
3. Use a glass cutter to cut the glass slightly shorter. Gilbert recommends undersizing the glass “just a little bit more than the plywood because it’s going to be hidden on all three sides.”

Step 6: Assemble the Flag Display Case

Finally, you can assemble your flag display case using all your prepared parts. Follow these steps to assemble your case:

1. Apply wood glue to the mitered cuts and join the top of the case together. Use a pin nailer to secure the two sides.
2. Carefully slide the glass into the grooves on the frame.
3. Dry fit the bottom piece with the glass and sides before securing it with wood glue and nails.
4. Make a base for the case that’s a little longer than the bottom of the case. Secure it to the bottom.
5. Once you’ve assembled everything, apply another coat of lacquer to all wood surfaces.
6. Once the lacquer is dry, mount the flag inside the display case through the back.
7. Secure the plywood backing with screws. That way, it’ll be easy to reopen the case for cleaning and dusting later.