Making a processional cross

[Roger Feeley]

I’m making a processional cross for my cousins church. I live in Virginia and the church is just north of St. Louis so shipping is an issue. For the staff, I found some brass fittings used by pool cue makers. I’m not completely sure about how I will finish the walnut staff and cross. I want to use Protectaclear on the brass parts.

Im planning on doing the glue up in the lathe. I can apply whatever pressure I want and then run the lathe at about 20rpm while the epoxy cures.

My question is about when to epoxy the brass parts to the wood parts. I’m thinking that I will completely finish everything before assembly. Thoughts?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Roger, that sounds like a neat project. I am not sure I am getting a clear picture of your plan. My inclination would be to glue the brass on before bringing the walnut down to its final shape and dimension. I only have a very basic, old, hobby lathe. Hopefully some lathe experts will respond.

[Roger Feeley]

I am not sure I am getting a clear picture of your plan.

Maybe the best way to think of it is a 2 section pool cue project.

The really neat part is that my great great grandfather was priest at that church. When my grandmothers house was being emptied after her death, no one wanted this kind of crappy walnut plant stand that had belonged to her grandfather (yeah, that one). I took the plant stand, broke it down into lumber and “archived” the wood like I’ve done with other unwanted family artifacts. So the actual cross part will be made from the archived wood.

The staff is from 1” walnut dowels from woodcraft. Woodcraft sells dowels that are the actual size. I just have to be careful to EXACTLY center the dowel in the lathe when turning the tenons for the brass joints.

[Jerry Wright]

I tepaired a formal "crook" for our local Episcopal Bishop. I used these (search eBay for :
JWL Two (2) Solid Brass Connectors Couplers (1/2" x 13) to split Canes in two ). You just have to make sure you are on center when you bore your dowels.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I enjoyed looking at web results for pool cue parts. Are the joints made before or after the shaft is aligned and trued? It seems tricky either way.

[Roger Feeley]

My brass joints are about 1/32” under the dowels which is fine for my purposes. I turned tenons at each end which had to be centered precisely. I made a quickie jig by chucking a 1” thick piece of mdf in the lathe. I bored a 1” hole halfway through and then drilled for a center punch I have. It was a simple matter of putting the jig over the dowel and tapping the punch.