Building the cross - Installation complete

Don Baer

Moderator
Staff member
Now most would say that it is not really rocket science to build a cross but there can be challenges involved. The cross is for the church commission I am doing. Since it is a Roman Catholic church it will have a figure of Jesus crucified on it. The term to re-fering to it is a crucifix. The figure of Jesus (called a corpus) they bought from Italy for some big $$$ is 5 feet tall and has sat in a box in my shop for several months. I showed it to the guys on the tour when they were here. It is 5 feet tall and I am told that the cross should be 2x the height of the corpus so the cross should be 10 feet tall. The horizontal part should be 1/2 the height or 5 feet. Now we all kn ow that if you buy a piece of rough hardwood 10 feet long some of it will be un-usable so I need to use a piece 12 feet long. The thickness I want is 8/4 and and looking at the corpus I want 8 inches finished so I scoure all of Arizona and cannot find a single stick on 8/44 12 feet long and 10 inches wide so what to do.
So I decide that I can do it using 1/2 lap joints on the back of the cross. It will be against the wall and no one will see it.

Here is some raw lumber

attachment.php


Here is the top part and cross piece milled to fit and
attachment.php


attachment.php


here is how it will fit together.

attachment.php


The joints will be further reinforced since I am putting a French cleat accross the back to hang it to the wall
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1639.JPG
    IMG_1639.JPG
    60.2 KB · Views: 194
  • IMG_1640.JPG
    IMG_1640.JPG
    68.3 KB · Views: 191
  • IMG_1641.JPG
    IMG_1641.JPG
    51.2 KB · Views: 194
  • IMG_1642.JPG
    IMG_1642.JPG
    62.5 KB · Views: 197
Last edited:
Part of the challenge presented to me on this project is how the cross will be mounted to the wall and how to mount the corpus to the cross. The mounting to the wall was simple once I got the attention of the General contactor. The second part was mine to solve. The corpus came from Italy with a metal strap across the small of the back. The metal is a little over 1/8 thick.

attachment.php


I designed a bracket they will allow me to simply hang it up once the cross install is complete.

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1643.JPG
    IMG_1643.JPG
    64.7 KB · Views: 189
  • IMG_1634.JPG
    IMG_1634.JPG
    43.8 KB · Views: 189
only one thing i can think of don, don't forget the placard that reads INRI at the top. it's latin shorthand for Iesus Nazareum Rex Iudaeorum (translated: Jesus (there's no J in latin, they used an I) the Nazarene King of the Jews).
 
Your right Dan,
It was also in the carte with the corpus. The "nail" is tapered so I figer I'll drill a hole centering the indictment (sp) and epoxy it in place.
attachment.php
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1644.JPG
    IMG_1644.JPG
    57.8 KB · Views: 179
  • IMG_1645.JPG
    IMG_1645.JPG
    59.6 KB · Views: 179
Last edited:
Hi Don,

A couple of questions and a comment since you asked.

I don't quite get how your bracket will connect to the bracket on the back of the body.

How are the lap joints to be held together? Of course, glue, but could you consider draw bored dowels, too?

As to the french cleat for hangiing the entire crucifix to the wall. I would assume you are talking about a substantial wood timber that would carry the weight. How are the current and future generations that will be near the crucifix know that it can be easily removed from the wall, whether intentionally or by accident?

I know I am more than a little persnickety in my old age but please consider some of what I have asked.
 
Hi Don,

A couple of questions and a comment since you asked.

I don't quite get how your bracket will connect to the bracket on the back of the body.

How are the lap joints to be held together? Of course, glue, but could you consider draw bored dowels, too?

As to the french cleat for hangiing the entire crucifix to the wall. I would assume you are talking about a substantial wood timber that would carry the weight. How are the current and future generations that will be near the crucifix know that it can be easily removed from the wall, whether intentionally or by accident?

I know I am more than a little persnickety in my old age but please consider some of what I have asked.

No Bill, your not being persnickety, I'm glad you asked these questions. I am hoping by posting this here that you guys can help me see any faults in my thinking process. One of the challenges with this part of the build is the fact that I need to co-ordinate with the general contractor on hanging this thing. The wall that it will go on is metal studs with drywall. The cross will weigh about 250 lbs when finished. Neither the Architect or the contractor had any idea as to how the cross would be hung so I came up with the idea of the French cleat. I already delivered the bottom half of the cleat to the church so the contractor could mount it to the wall with some reinforcement to insure that the wall will take the weight. It is made from a 4 foot piece of maple 2"x6". There will also be a spacer made of the same material near the bottom of the cross to keep the cross plum with the wall.

Regarding the joint, Although the glue when dry might be sufficient I am also planning on using 8 screws to to help with the joint 4 in the top section and 4 in the bottom.

On the bracket I should have taken a better picture but it is a piece of steel 1/8" thick 2 1/2 " wide and 6" long. I had the machine shop weld a piece of steel the same thickness to it which is 1 1/2" wide and 6" long with a spacer that is 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" x 3 " at the bottom of the bracket. The brace on the back of the statue is 1/8" thick steel so it will fit rather loosely in the top 1/2 of the bracket.

And about removing the cross from the wall I am also drilling two holes in the top of the cleat and there will be two long screws to prevent accidental removing the cross from it's mounting. As for intentionally removing I will have to trust the pastor to pass along the word that it can be removed after i am no longer around to let them know.

looks like your almost done with this job don so whats next???

Larry The Altar is next and I am already starting to cut out the pieces for the base. The top will be another story all together.
 
That is an excellent project. I recently finished a cross for my Lutheran church. No corpus. Simple project, but, as you say, it did present some challenges.
When finished you will experience great satisfaction from your work. And, you will always know many people will see it often and receive comfort from what you created.
Looking forward to more progress pics.
 
Shoot Don I couldn't find anything to add other than nice job. :thumb: Looks like you covered all the bases.

As long as the contractor screws it to at least 2 studs with some liquid nail behind it there will be no problems. You would be suprised how much weight a light guage metal stud wall with sheetrock on it will support. I haven't seen an architect yet that takes stuff like that into consideration.
 
Don, it's real important to find out the gauge of the studs. If they are any lighter than 20 ga. you have a serious problem. They won't even hold a screw properly let alone hold 250 lbs. I wouldn't attach it to anything less than 18 ga. myself.
I would rather see blocking attached to the studs and your cross fastened into that. They should fasten the blocking through the steel stud into the wood blocking and not the opposite way.
 
All I can say Bob is that down here all I ever seen used is 14 ga for load bearing walls and 25 ga for everything else. A 25 ga stud will hold a screw properly provided your using screws for metal studs and not wood screws which the thread is to coarse. With his cleat being 4' long it will have no problem supporting that weight.
 
All I can say Bob is that down here all I ever seen used is 14 ga for load bearing walls and 25 ga for everything else. A 25 ga stud will hold a screw properly provided your using screws for metal studs and not wood screws which the thread is to coarse. With his cleat being 4' long it will have no problem supporting that weight.


Up here load bearing is 14, and 16 ga. depending on the exterior finish. most commercial buildings have 25 ga as finish walls. 25 ga is about as thick as a few sheets of paper. You can actually pull the screws out with your hand. I agree that that is fine for attaching drywall to but as an old concrete and steel fastener guy, I wouldn't trust it to hold anything heavy.
 
Well finished the last piece today dry fitted and started sanding.

Here's a picture of the cross

attachment.php


and here is the back with the French Cleat in place.

attachment.php


I'll finish sanding and apply the finish before final assembly. This sucker is heavy, much easier to handle in pieces.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1646.JPG
    IMG_1646.JPG
    79 KB · Views: 117
  • IMG_1647.JPG
    IMG_1647.JPG
    75.4 KB · Views: 135
That is coming along so well. I really appreciate folks taking the time to take us all along via pics and such. That cleat should distribute your load very well.
 
Top