I really enjoy making crosses from the beautiful piece of mesquite from Texas that was given to me years ago by a great artist in New Mexico, John Geldersma. The natural color of the wood is pinkish; it sands so nicely. A coat of Minwax Golden Oak stain brings out a very rich, deeper color. These 24 crosses (2 9/16" high) were made in a couple of weeks, including 3 coats of Arm-R-Seal satin urethane.
| The original board. Used one piece. |
| Resewed to result in 3 pieces, 5/16" thick after planing. |
| One piece results in 24 crosses |
| Layout using a story stick |
| Cutting dado |
| Ripping strips 1/2" wide |
| Sanded with corners cut |
| Staining with Golden Oak stain |