Holy Cross

[Fabrickator]

I was trying to get something to look at by Easter Sunday but I'm not completely finished with the project yet. Naturally, I ran into unanticipated problems along the way.
Anyway, I wanted to make a cross out of a single piece of 6061 so I shaved a 1' slice off a 3 1/2" square block. I band sawed and roughed out the basic shape to the largest dimension for the flutes, 1". Then I turned all four "legs" of the cross to .500" incorporating some other pleasing angles. I put it in the mill and cut flutes in the large ends and flats in the shanks for a special effect.

I left the pointy tips rough until last because I had put a minor "center" in them for keeping it true in the lathe or mill. I was planning on using my ball turner to finish the tips so after I did one (the only one possible) it turned out just as i had planed it. The problem came when I went to chuck the other 3 tips and the cross legs wouldn't clear the compound or the ball turner. So I came up with a split collar that worked great for holding the cross and I somehow managed to hand-cut the 3 remaining tips to match. As with all of my projects, no CNC was used to create this project.

I still haven't completed the finish or made a stand for this project, but it'll come to me in the next week of so.



Bandsaw (Taiwan)
Grizzly G0602
LMS MIni Mill w/ RT
ER25 Collet adapter plate

Rick

 

[Fabrickator]

I finally finished the Holy Cross project. I decided to make a tiered aluminum football shape using the rotary table. It kind of reminded me of the alter at a church. I polished the top and steps and left the ends with the same brushed aluminum finish that are on the faces of the cross. I also polished the cross flutes and side flats to pull it all together. This cross has a very soft, warm angelic glow under the curio light, unlike any of the other 6061 projects that are on the same shelf and sharing the same light. My wife says it's kind of spooky.

 

[Catshooter]

That is very nice work man. You've reminded me of a wrought-iron cross that a local blacksmith made that is in use here in our local cemetery.


Cat

 

[GunsOfNavarone]

Wow! That is beautiful! Interesting work you do...I read title of your thread " 4 inch jack" and I assumed a large machinist jack...was I wrong!

 

[Ken from ontario]

A true work of art, and it's good to know that a mini mill was one of the tools used to create this piece.