Cross Sign

I made this project in my dorm room in college. I had a crappy grade in my New Testament Survey class and needed some extra credit. My cousin and I (I’m on the left) decided to make the sign that was above the cross during Jesus’ crucifixion. The order is Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The translation is “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

We were in a dorm room and had next to nothing as far as tools go. We printed the letters out, got them blown up at office max, grabbed a pre-dimensioned board of oak and a 1/4 Stanley chisel for a few bucks. We taped the image on the board and cut the letters out with an exacto-knife. I then shaded in the letters. I had a wood burner so I kissed the edges of the letters with a wood burner. This really really helped when we went to chisel out the letters. All I had to do was touch the edges with the burner and pop out the letters with a light push of the chisel. It took for-freaking-ever. It was well worth it for the grade and satisfaction of it.

I only finished it with whatever stain I stuffed in my luggage to take to school. I didn’t know any better or I would have polyurethaned it too. We made sure the letters had more stain than the rest so that they looked darker.

I’d have to say this project really ushered me into woodworking. It had very few flaws (to my eye) and is probably hanging on my professors office right now. After this project I thought that I could carve a map of the world easy. (I’ll post that one later) Isn’t it amazing what learning one skill opens yourself up to? (at least in your mind)

-- Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish the work of our hands- establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:17