Commissioned Church Side Altars Complete!

I look at this and once again my mind says, “someone actually BUILT this???” . I have no idea how I thought things were built—just miraculously appeared, I guess :)
Amazing.

Well done, Mark. Well done

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

The hours you spent on this project have been rewarded by fine workmanship. Congratulations.

-- Mark

wow, that is very cool. It is nice to see handcrafted ornate woodwork.

You actually made, I assume carved, the column tops?

How did you make the inset pieces, all the curves and tight corners? Did you use a template and route it?

The feet on the columns. It looks like they have multiple angle cuts. Are the feet built up after being cut? How did you make the angle cuts on the feet.

Very impressive Mark. Congratulations
Lee

I just saw your other post asking the question 179 days ago about how to reproduce the column tops and panels. So what method did you eventually go with? How did you do it?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Congradulations Mark, another awe inspiring piece! You should be very proud!

-- The Gnarly Wood Shoppe

Long time no hear from or talk to. I can sure see why pal. You took on quite a job and it’s beautiful. Did you say it’s a Catholic Church? That type of gothic structure reminds me of our old church before it burnt down during lent, 1967. Myself and another alter boy forgot to put out the pascal (a big candle) but they said the fire started in the basement. We still always wondered though. We both tried to put the fire out with the garden hose, but the church being over 100 yo went up like a box of matches. Just beautiful old archetecture, you don’t see very often, much like you’re doing. And doing a great job I might add. But you don’t need me to tell you that. Gladd things worked out with the little one, our prayers were answered. mike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Wonderful work of art! Any words I say could not adequately describe this piece. Thanks for sharing Mark.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Congratulations Mark. The work is wonderful, an inspiration to us all. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of your pictures.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Wonderful!

-- Paul, Texas

I think Paul is in the same place as I; lost for words. What superlative does one use without sounding corny? As you know, Mark, I think your work is outstanding – inspirational in the sense that it underlines my belief that God gifts some of His children with skills that are beyond what the average person can attain. So, when I look at your work, I just say, “praise the Lord!”

I’m curious about your Rev. 22:16 T-shirt.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

Beautiful wood and work.

How do you move those bad boys around your shop?

-- Keeping my fingers attached so I can stroke my wife's hair and hold my daughter's hand

Mark:

Congratulation on this milestone in your career. The alters looks beautiful. I’m sure that the people who are complementing you are doing so because they see the love that went into those projects.

They started out as lumber, but have become a work of art and a presentation to the Lord, through your hands and heart.

Love you brother.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

The pieces look fantastic. What kind of wood/finish is the majority of the piece? Love the way the grain “pop”s. Great work for a very worthy space.

-- Rick - Spring, TX

WOW!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I’m with Don on the feeling I might sound corny Mark. I’m just going to leave it at these are beautiful creations. Congratulations!

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

I knew before the pictures materialized that these were spactacular...and they are! Excellent work.

-- Jesus is Lord!

I delivered the two new Side Altars to the church Wednesday night. If a person stands at the front door and looks at the woodwork on the back wall of the church, they would never know that the Side Altars weren’t always there. I am really happy.

I did find out on the delivery run that the church has moved up the date for the dedication service, to one week earlier than I had thought. UGH! That means I only have 9 days to get the rest of the work done, not much time for the way I work. Gotta get back to the shop!

thanks for all of the nice complements. My head is still swollen up, and so I appreciate the encouragement.

Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

Don: that old t-shirt is from my Mission Days, working for World Impact’s Morning Star Ranch. The “Ranch” trains men from the inner cities of the USA for service in ministry. They leave home and live at the Ranch in the Kansas Flinthills for 2 years, while they are equipped for life with Bible training, vocational training, life skills, etc. It is all done with private donations, with the goal of equipping them to return to their home city and be a positive force for good, being the husband of one wife, and providing for their children. Some day when I am in the mood, I plan to do more writing on my adventures at the Ranch, but I’m not quite ready yet.

Here is the ministry’s website link: http://www.worldimpact.org/ministries/camps/msr.php

My job there was to train the men vocationally, with things like home remodeling, home building, furniture, woodworking, lawn care, maintenance, car repair, electrical, plumbing, etc. Two years was not enough time to develop them into masters of anything, but merely expose them to the typical things that life requires of workers, husbands, and fathers. Some guys from the Ranch have gone on to be entreprenuers, others construction workers, some into Missions work, and other various careers.

The goal of my work there was to train the men for their future lives as providers for their families, and to learn deep in the inner core of their heart, that “work” was not a bad 4-letter word. I don’t know if I was sucessful in that, or not.

I always started my lecturing with the new guys with the Scripture that shows that Adam was put in the garden to tend it (“work”), and it wasn’t until after his sin, and the curse, that the work became hard. I tried to show them in Scripture that “work” is good for us, and that it is God’s plan to develop our character in ways nothing else will touch, and give us purpose for our days here making a living and providing for our families.

I did enjoy the process of teaching, so that was a good aspect, and seeing the guys develop from lazy young-men, to hard-working men in a two-year stint of working with me every day was fun to watch.

There were days when it took some real patience and perseverance, trying to motivate and inspire them to work hard, and do their best at whatever God had created them to do with their lives. When they started with me, they had to learn how to read a tape measure, and go from there. The actual vocational skills seem to have been secondary to getting them to view “work” in a positive light, and something worthy of their best efforts.

Anyway, I have three of those old t-shirts that are in the rotation of “shop-wear”. I prefer my Lumberjocks Shirts, BUT I don’t want to mess them up! I wear them to other occassions.

It is interesting that you noticed the little Scripture reference on the very edge of the photo. You didn’t notice my bald spot did you? It was hard setting up the camera and taking my own photo without getting the back of my head in the photo too much!

ha,
Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

That sounds like more fun than my mission work. I got to spend one day per week on pure service (one time I was able to translate for an American visiting pastor for a satellite branch of the Full Gospel Church in South Korea (it is an Assemblies of God affiliated church… ) Weird service assignment for a Korean speaking Mormon missionary. They had a translator lined up but he ended up with laryngitis and I filled in… It was a fun experience. I was asked because the language is difficult and while many know how to talk about business or industry there are few who learn the vocabulary needed to talk about spiritual and religious things over there.

The work is breathtaking… I love looking at wood work in churches and temples as the craftsmanship in those edifices is so incredible… it helps create that almost other-worldly feel… The holiness of the physical building is enhanced by the craftsmanship I think. Gets you into a frame of mind that allows for introspection and I believe for us to be able to feel the Holy Ghost, to commune with God so to speak. For you to be chosen as a craftsman who is qualified to work to create such a feeling through your work is a high honor indeed. Even in Korea when I visited the Buddist temples the workmanship was stunning…

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

I’ve been so busy trucking it’s hard to get to keep up with the great things happening on this site. Looking at your work Mark, I’m speechless. You’re a wonderful and gifted craftsman.

-- Phil Brown, Ontario

Drew – you are full of surprises, aren’t you? The translating experience must have been very interesting.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Awesome!!!

-- Sawhorse - Sulphur Springs, TX - www.sawhorseworkshop.com

Responding to amfmnsam’s comment about how to move these big altars around in my workspace, I decided to take a photo from one corner to show the shop space. This is pretty treasured data, as I don’t show many photos of the mess in the shop. The altars were built in place, as they are sitting in the only floor space I have. To do this, I had to build them with wheels on the bottom, which allowed me to move them forward and backward, depending on which one I was working, and whether I needed to be at the back, or the front. To use the router table, I had to roll both of them East. To use the table saw, I had to roll both of them West. Glad they have been delivered.

thanks for asking.

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

I’ve gotten several questions about the techniques involved in the details of these altars. I don’t have a CNC, so everything was done with conventional tools, and in my shop (no subcontract work). As soon as I get some spare time I will start posting notes about the techniques involved. I knew there would be questions about the processes, so I took a lot of progress photos, but it takes me a lot of time to prep them and post them, something I won’t have time for in the next 3 weeks. The church moved their dedication service up one week, and they can’t have a service without the Front Sacrifice Altar to use, so I am scrambling now to get it restored and rebuilt right now.

thanks for the questions, let me know what techniques you are interested in.
Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com