Memorial cross
- Thread starter wmg
- Start date
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Many thanks for your response, could you enlarge on that a little. I don’t have a spindle moulder but I have a router and a miner saw I also have a CNC machine.
I have been asked to produce a cross for a family member and my first thoughts were to do a simple lap joint and chamfer the edges. However the family really like this design and its taken me outside my comfort zone just a little
I have been asked to produce a cross for a family member and my first thoughts were to do a simple lap joint and chamfer the edges. However the family really like this design and its taken me outside my comfort zone just a little
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
You could half lap the two square pieces (make them longer than needed). Then miter and glue on the beveled ones to the long grain. Finally bevel cut the ends.
Pete
Pete
niall Y
Established Member
This is the sort of job , that with a bit pf care you should easily be able to carry out with hand tools.
I would cut the mortices on both sides of the cross piece before it's chamfers are cut and planed. It is probably best if they are not too wide so that a sloping shoulder can be formed all the way around the matching tenons, to keep the lines clean - a full width one would result in the tenon having sloping sides and require a mortice to match.
I imagine that there is some form of flat, where the large chamfers would normally reach a sharp edge, so this will have to be taken into account when scribing the top and bottom parts of the cross. I would hold back from forming the chamfers on these sections until the scribe has been completed. In fact it would be expedient to not cut them to their finished length either, as this will afford a bit of leeway should you have to re do the shoulders.
I would cut the mortices on both sides of the cross piece before it's chamfers are cut and planed. It is probably best if they are not too wide so that a sloping shoulder can be formed all the way around the matching tenons, to keep the lines clean - a full width one would result in the tenon having sloping sides and require a mortice to match.
I imagine that there is some form of flat, where the large chamfers would normally reach a sharp edge, so this will have to be taken into account when scribing the top and bottom parts of the cross. I would hold back from forming the chamfers on these sections until the scribe has been completed. In fact it would be expedient to not cut them to their finished length either, as this will afford a bit of leeway should you have to re do the shoulders.
You would need a router table with a 1/2" router and then invest in a set of chamfer and profile router bits. You only need the chamfer on the face side and I see a set on the Wealden site for a hefty £55. Door and window joining sets are similar and a bit cheaper but they would put the bevel on both sides.
The scribe on the long piece is straightforward but to cut the matching coping profiles on the short pieces you have to push the ends across the cutter. If you don't have a sliding fence on the table just use a 300mm square block of wood to push it across. The block must cut dead square and is perfectly safe.
That would be a bit pricey of course for a one off piece. Shop around and you may find a cheaper set of bits that match each other.
Doug71
Established Member
Think I would be trying to do it in just 2 pieces using some kind of cross halving joint, either mitred or scribed. I would have to make a quick mock up out of softwood to get my head around it though.
Hornbeam
Established Member
You could do this as a simple cross halving joint and then do masons mitres so effectively chamfer the edges with a router and then clean the internal corners to 90 degrees (rather than rounded) with a paring chisel
HOJ
Established Member
Havok665
New member
Interesting thread, do let us know how you get on with it.
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
Looks good. So are you going to reveal the secrets of how you did it?
Pete
Pete
Just followed the YouTube video above very closely. The chamfer was done with a palm router and the lap joint was done with a combination of a mitre saw, wood chisels and an excellent Japanese saw. The inscription was engraved on my CNC machine.
