Someone asked me if all I do is crosses. I know I have been showing a lot of them on this blog, but the answer to my friends question is, "No, I do other things as well."
This is a cheese board I made. I thought I would show it today because I did a little extra work on it. This particular board was made for my wife last year. This past Christmas she got me a wood burning tool to use. So I tried my hand at pyrography (the art of wood burning) and ended up making this mouse and cheese.

This is the whole board with the design burned in. I thought it was a nice touch and my wife loved it. Without the wood burning I sell these beautiful cheese boards for $25. I am working on making these right now for 8 people who want them. I do not sell them with the wood burned design.

I wanted to add something to her board so I basically searched the internet and found the picture I used. To burn this image in by hand took me about 30 to 45 minutes. I am still new at pyrograpy, so I have a lot to learn.

This is a close up of the design so that you can see a little better how it looks. I will be showing some other wood creations I make or have made in the past. Also, if you are interested in a particular item or design that is not yet talked about in my blog, feel free to contact me and let me know. I do make items on request. You can find my email in the sidebar to the right.

Desk Cross

I made this cross today from a piece of Walnut Burl. It has a bit of blonde (lighter wood color) causing it to have a nice unique look to it. This particular cross stands on a desk or shelf. It is 4 1/2 inches tall and 3 inches wide. I normally make these style crosses out of regular Walnut or Cherry. I sell them for $10 each. This is a pretty simple cross. The hardest part about it is the cost of time in sanding. It takes more time to sand by hand for a smooth finish than it does to cut. I really like the way you can put this cross on a desk or shelf.

Here is the same cross sitting on a shelf. It looks good and adds a bit of character to the room. Even though I have designed it to sit on a shelf I can easily make it so it hangs. I also make this same design in a larger size. The larger cross can also sit on a shelf or be designed to hang on the wall.

Crosses

One of my favorite things to make are crosses. I make them of all styles and sizes. Some of my work can be pretty complex with a lot of fretwork while other things are just simple cut crosses with the type of wood and the grain giving the cross a nice look. Here are a few of the crosses I have made this past year.

This is a cross I made today. The design is just a very basic cross shape. I made this out of solid Cherry. The size of the cross is perfect to set on a desk or end table. It can also be hung on a wall or propped up against something. While this cross does not have any fancy fret work it has value for the cost of the wood and the time spent sanding it smooth. I make this style cross in 2 sizes. This particular size I sell for $12.50 and the larger size I sell for $20.00. You will see the larger size shown a bit below this one.

This cross is one of my favorites. It is simple and uses the word, "Jesus" to make the shape of the cross. It is not an original pattern of my own design. You might see this or various types of this cross at craft sales. The hardest thing about making this cross is keeping a steady hand on the long straight edges both inside and out. The finish I use is a natural Oak stain and mineral oil. This particular cross is made from solid Oak. The picture gives the details as to the size of this cross. For this size I sell each one for only $20.00.

This is another Oak wood cross with fret work. I like this one for a few reasons. First, I am from Arizona. The rays at the top remind me of the Arizona Flag. Also there is a circle of solid wood in the middle. I can do a lot with that small area. I could add a small metal cross or a stone cross. Doing this would add some color, interest, and value. I could also wood burn a name or a design in that space. It is easy to personalize a cross of this nature. Just like the cross above I sell this one for only $20.00.

Here is the one I mentioned earlier. It is a larger size cross. This particular one is made of African Padauk. The wood is fun to cut because of its color. It is an orangish color wood. The saw dust from it is like the crumbs you might see in the bottom of a Dorito's bag. The wood is a bit more expensive. What makes this cross is the color and grain when it is finished. When sanded smooth I simply add a few coats of either mineral oil or another oil finish. This brings out the natural wood color and preserves the wood.

This is the cross I make more of this time of year. As Easter approaches a lot of people look for crosses like this one. As you can see there is more detail in the fret work. This particular cross is called a Story Cross. It tells the story of Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Resurrection. I made this one out of Maple. It is an easier softer wood to cut but also has a nice color and grain. The cross is designed to set on table or shelf. If someone wishes, it is easy to make into a wall cross. Because of the size, wood, and amount of fret work I sell this cross for $40.00.

If you are interested in purchasing one of my crosses you can let me know by emailing your purchase request to: Email Troy.

Troy's Wood Creation

My name is Troy and I work with a scroll saw creating beautiful art. I am creating this blog to show some of the things I make. I also hope to go into some detail about how hand crafted items are made. I feel too many people do not understand how much time goes into a nice handcrafted project. Once you see how each piece is made it helps you appreciate the item all the more.

To start with, a little about who I am. I live in Phoenix, AZ. The nice thing about my location is that I have many more good weather days to work in my shop. I am a Navy veteran with 6 years of service. Many of the projects I make are for veterans. I am also a licensed minister so most of the work I do reflects my faith in God. I love to make crosses of all types.

Working in a shop is a relatively new thing for me. I am not well known for working with tools. Those who know me know that I do not have skills to repair things that break or to make things construction related. So, when I asked my wife for a scroll saw two years ago, she was pretty surprised. In the past two years I have learned quite a bit about using a scroll saw and creating things from wood.

Since then I have added a few tools to my shop. I have a belt/disc sander, a hand drill, and a dremel. I also have a router, which I need to learn to use. So, the work I will be showing and discussing is pretty much made with the simplest of tools.

For those who are unaware, a scroll saw is much like a band saw. It is a saw which can cut wood or other objects into various shapes. Unlike a band saw, the blade on a scroll saw moves up and down. A band saw has a blade which moves in a loop. Scroll saws are a bit more convenient because the blade can be changed pretty easy. There are also many types of blades, each one chosen according to what it will be cutting.

The nice thing about scroll saws is the concept of cutting holes into wood. When you cut a design inside the wood it is called fret work. Years ago this kind of work was done with a hand held saw. It takes quite a bit of work to do fret work with such a saw. In order to cut a design inside the wood you have to start with a hole. The hole only needs to be big enough to fit the saw blade through so that the design can then be cut.

Depending on the saw, setting up to cut one design inside the project can take about 30 seconds to a minute. When you consider that some projects may have dozens if not hundreds of holes cut in order to make a complete design, that amounts to hours of work. It is for this reason that you will see hand crafted items of this nature selling for a high amount of money.

Another thing to consider when looking at a piece of work is the kind of wood used. Some work is made out of a simple plywood. Usually Baltic Birch is used. It is an easy wood to cut and makes some nice looking projects. Fretwork boxes and plaques are often made with this type of wood. Because the wood is not very expensive, it helps keep the price down. Mostly when you buy an item made from Baltic Birch you are paying for the skill and time.

Other projects are made with a solid wood. Oak and Maple are two of the woods I like to use. They both produce a nice looking grain and are pretty easy to work with. Solid wood costs more than the Baltic Birch Plywood so a project made with solid wood ends up costing a bit more, especially if the project has a lot of fret work involved. On occasion a more exotic hard wood is selected. I like to use Tropical Walnut, Zebra Wood, Purple Heart, or African Padauk for many of my bigger projects.

Generally projects of hand crafted wood are given a natural stain or a clear varnish to protect the wood. The idea is to keep the natural wood color and grain in order to show off the wood. Some projects are hand painted, but mostly wood workers prefer to keep it natural.

In order to preserve the wood it has to have some kind of treatment. A stain, varnish, or oil is used depending on the project. In order to finish a project it has to be sanded. The smoother the wood surface the better the final project will be. A smooth hard wood can actually shine with the simplest finish applied to it.

When you consider the time it takes to select the right wood, cut the fret work, cut the outer boarder, sand and then finish a project, you can start to see the value in a hand crafted item. Next time you are out looking in a craft fair or at a flea market take time to admire the work and to see the love that goes into each piece of art.

It is my goal through this blog to show you some of the work I make and to explain how each piece is made. Thanks for stopping in and reading my blog. Please come back and look for it again to see each new entry.