# Mobius cross carving project



## scrimman (Sep 16, 2012)

All these barn raising, marquetry courses, and Conestoga builds kinda got me inspired to knock one of these things together m'self. Please have patience with me; this is the first of these I've ever done, and I'm a teacher and a father, which means free time is fairly scarce. Updates will be a bit slow in coming.

What brought this on? My littlest sister just got proposed to last month! In my family there's a tradition that I give the happy couple a cross so that hopefully the union will be blessed. So, a cross is needed. Normally I would carve a Celtic cross (like the one I posted here: http://woodbarter.com/showthread.php?tid=2879&page=3
but she is much more modern in her tastes. So I chose a Mobius cross for her. 
[attachment=10792]
I call them Mobius crosses because they're modeled after the mobius loop. That way I can still work in the infinity idea that makes me love Celtic knotwork. Carvings like this tend to lend themselves well to highly figured woods, so I picked up a hunk of curly maple on Ebay. Well, three. I'm making three so I can hand her the best one. So, if you notice that some of my pics look like I was using a different piece of wood, you're right. I didn't have this epiphany on the lesson until I was well into making the first one. 
Anyhow...
I started by putting the design onto the wood using the photocopy and acetone trick, and then I darkened it in with a felt tip pen. 
[attachment=10793]
Next, I drilled out the negative spaces in the cross......
[attachment=10794]
Now, one of the tricky parts. Carving out the negative space between loops has always been a hassle for me, so on this one I drilled out the center and used a recip saw to cut them loose from one another beforehand and hopefully eliminate that hassle.
[attachment=10795]
[attachment=10796]
If you ever decide to use this trick, know that you need to start the cut while the saw is at full extension; all the way out, that is. You're only going to be able to cut with the very tip at first anyhow, and if the blade has to start and move though it's full length you might wind up snapping the blade or sending the project merrily across the shop!


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## NYWoodturner (Sep 16, 2012)

Nice thread Sean! - I am looking forward to seeing this progress.
Scott


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## scrimman (Sep 16, 2012)

Next, the hunk of wood between the two loops in the middle has got to go, so I use my sliding miter saw. It has a screw that limits the downward swing, so I can use it as sort of a poor man's radial arm saw. I do what amounts to a dado cut between them being careful that the wood has two solid points of contact against the fence and my hand is nowhere near anything sharp and spinning.
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[attachment=10798]
Now I gotta start shaping it and hog out the waste wood. I could use a router or a shaping table, but last time I tried using either on a project like this the damn things tried to bite me. Router bites are nasty, and involve WAY too much blood for my tastes. Instead, I use one of my favorite tools in my shop: My Arbortech Mini! (The little yellow monster on the workbench)
[attachment=10799]
I love this little thing! Its basically a small saw blade on a stick, but since it uses a rounded tooth its highly controllable. I lock the carving into place in my vise, and start cutting away waste wood all the way down to my previous saw cut. With this, the loops are now starting to take on a basic shape.
[attachment=10800]
[attachment=10801]
I flip it around, and do the same for the long side.
[attachment=10802]
And then I flip it over and get to work on the other side. 
[attachment=10803]
While I'm cutting away at this, my mind is on (a) safety, and (b) how I should be writing this thing when I get to my computer in the evening. I Guess my thinking was maxed out. What I SHOULD have been thinking of as I was chucking the wood into the vise was (c) where should I be taking the wood from? Should have. Didn't. :dash2: The sharp eyed amongst y'all have already probably noticed that for some wierd reason I'd cut material from BOTH sides of the cross, not just one like I'd done earlier. Like I was supposed to. :dash2: Did you notice any pattern on the back? Me neither. I charged ahead without making one, which is why I screwed up. Hopefully, there is still enough stock left that it won't be noticable......but I'll have to wait for later for that. Note to self; next time when carving in the round, make sure the pattern goes ALL THE WAY AROUND as well. 
No, I took no pictures of the screw up in progress, nor did I copy down my language after I figured out I screwed up. I figured y'all didn't need that; especially on a Sunday......
Anyhow, back to the work! I keep working the waste wood away to rough out the basic shape I'm looking for. 
[attachment=10804] 
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[attachment=10806]


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## scrimman (Sep 16, 2012)

You might notice the extra wood block in the next to last and last pictures; I put that in there to keep from snapping the wood. I learned from a past mistake that once you get it cut down this far, it's not as structually sound. The scrap block helps with that.
Anyhow, this is where I finally wound up right before dinner:
[attachment=10808]
We'll see where we go from here.........
Hopefully I'll be able to update this next weekend. Let me know if there are any points I missed and/or questions! 
'Till then, y'all have a great week!


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## LoneStar (Sep 16, 2012)

Very cool, I'd like to make one of these !


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 16, 2012)

Subscribed! Very cool! Thanks for doing this, build threads are fun for all!


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## HillybillyGirl (Sep 18, 2012)

I'm watch this, what kind of tool did you use the most I notices the little chain saw but never used one can you tell e about it Please 
Catherine


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## scrimman (Sep 18, 2012)

@Cat
Which tool I used the most depends on what stage I'm at, I guess. Which reminds me, I forgot to mention that somewhere between the first and second pictures I used a bandsaw.....I really should have mentioned that....
As for the mini chainsaw, that's my Arbortech mini carver. Arbortech is a company out of Australia, and I lucked into it when they were just introducing it so I got a really good deal on it. Its not really a chainsaw; its like a small circular saw blade on an extension with teeth like a chainsaw. But the teeth are round, not squared off. I find I can control it a whole lot better than a chainsaw with one of those dime tip bars on it and its just as aggressive. Look up 'arbortech mini' on youtube and there are videos of 'em at work.


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## scrimman (Sep 30, 2012)

Ok, another update.
Now is the time to smooth it up a bit. For that, I like to use a combination of FlexCut gouges and Stubai gouges. 
The Flexcut flex as advertises, which is extremely helpful when you're doing compound curves. They are practically useless when dealing with the deeper cuts, so the Stubais come into play here. You'll notice that I have the tool 'flipped over'; I'm making use of the reverse of the curve of the gouge to get me my carved curved surface. 
[attachment=11372]
My whittling knife gets used a whole lot here for the cuts on the insides of the cross. Stabbing cuts (not shown...yet. My photographer helper Hannah had to head to bed) are one of the only ways to cut on the insides without going cross grain.
[attachment=11373]
And now it just comes down
[attachment=11374]
To removing
[attachment=11375]
Excess wood
[attachment=11376]
While hopefully maintaining the original design. 
[attachment=11377]
I can already see that ain't gonna happen here; my little boo-boo earlier (the not marking the stock to keep me from removing it from the wrong spots) is going to seriously change my design. I'm going to have to switch from a rope looking cross to one that looks like it was made from a wooden ribbon. I'm wondering if I don't want to make some sort of brace for the insides of the cross to keep me from snapping it. 
More later as things progress!


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## Twig Man (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks for the post that is awsome work


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## scrimman (Oct 3, 2012)

So.....whaddaya do with your hands while watching the debate? I carve.
Pre-debate:
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Post-debate:
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And lord PLEASE don't hijack this thread to talk politics! I think the better place for that would be the chat room.

And, as usual, more as it happens.


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## scrimman (Oct 16, 2012)

In case anyone was wondering how things were going.....
[attachment=12207]
A lot of file and scraper work has gotten me to this point. Next comes the fine sandpaper and finish.


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## scrimman (Dec 22, 2012)

Finally had a chance to finish it; this last week has been very, very busy. 
[attachment=15016]
It hangs on the wall waiting for the summer when she gets hitched. I finished it with tung oil, and I add another coat every time I remember to.


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## cabomhn (Dec 22, 2012)

scrimman said:


> Finally had a chance to finish it; this last week has been very, very busy.
> 
> It hangs on the wall waiting for the summer when she gets hitched. I finished it with tung oil, and I add another coat every time I remember to.



This looks great! Looking forward to seeing it once all the finish it put on.


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