Traveling Cross

[Savannahdan]

I got a request to make a hefty cross for a Priest who travels to various mission churches in SE Georgia. I used a piece of walnut slab that's been in my shop for many years. If I recall correctly, it came from a huge tree in Northern Virginia. After letting the mill do it's job I used Michael Tyler's favorite 3M Radial sanding disks on all the v-carves. The cross had a small cavity it's side that wasn't visible before I cut it and it got filled with coffee grounds and superglue. After some thought I realized the Priest would need to have something to carry the cross in and decided to build a case for it. Before that happened I had a mishap with an external harddrive with the desired pattern in that I had made. So, I used the best backup pattern and it looks outstanding. The top of the case is standard 1by Select from Lowes, jointed on my tablesaw and the 2 halves glued. The sides are a reclaimed wood that surprised me with character and some choice bug holes and the bottom is plywood. The stain is Varathane Carrington wood stain that has a 1 hour drying time. I wanted a stain with rich brown. Next it was sprayed over with polyurethane. Enjoy.

[Fleming]

Beautiful work. Love the pattern on the cross.

[Savannahdan]

Thank you. That pattern wasn't our first choice but it fit with the big walnut cross. He needed to have a cross that could stand on its own and could handle the frequent handling. I had to work on this project while my workshop was in shambles from a renovation. Since the shark cnc had to be moved a lot I had to do a flattening/planning cut on the work surface. That's a messy job with mdf.

[mtylerfl]

Wow, what a beautiful outcome! Looks wonderful!

(Curious...did you engrave the tiny words "Vampire Hunter" in an inconspicuous place?)

[Savannahdan]

The cross has enough heft that he could whack a vampire pretty hard on the head. I do have to admit that I was tempted to include something with the package but didn't. I need to check with him and see if he needs some storage slots cut inside the case along side the cross. I have some of the sides of the case made with reclaimed wood and I'll post those when I get to my main computer. Fortunately, I have more boards and some cutoffs that can be used for other projects.

[mtylerfl]

[mikeacg]

Interesting idea! If he travels alot, he might want to include spaces in the case for communion elements. I built something like that for my Daddy when he was still preaching to take with him for sick/shut-ins. He had a small bottle for wine, a container for the wafers and 8 little glasses. Looks like you have plenty of space in the case to accommodate that type of stuff!

The wormy wood seems very appropriate for a traveling cross...

Lamentations 3:19 (English Standard Version)
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!

[Cletus]

Heavenly!