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[Laser cut and engrave] Greek Orthodox Wooden Cross — Project made with xTool M1 machine for Laser cut and engrave.

Greek Orthodox Wooden Cross

Instruction

Orthodox Cross

.xcs

Application scenario

Laser (25min)

Machine & module

xTool M1

10W

Compatibles · 12

Material used

1/8"(3mm) Basswood Plywood

3mm Basswood Plywood

1282

Information

      I decided to make an Orthodox cross for the start of lent. I love how it turned out.

Brief overview:
I found a general image of a traditional Orthodox cross then imported it into Silhouette Design Studio. From there, I used the outline trace function to get the shape I wanted. I didn't like the font that was in that picture, so I traced a different picture that had the correct font I wanted (also done in Silhouette Studio). After my design was how I wanted, I imported it as an SVG into XCS. 

Read the steps for a detailed explanation :) I hope y'all enjoy! If you decide to do this project, PLEASE be sure to share it!

Instruction

Step1: Open the XCS file

Preview

Verify all pieces are set to cut. Please also verify the material you are using. I used 3MM basswood, as previously mentioned, but any wood will work.
An additional step you can do is set the smaller cross and the letters as a light scoring onto the bigger cross, so when you glue the pieces, they are aligned properly and you won't need to guess where they should be glued.
You can also adjust all the pieces to your liking. I made my cross just under 10.75" in length and 8.5" in width. If you are concerned about keeping the proportions, just be sure to select all the pieces and drag the corners until it is sized how you like.

Step2: Load & Cut

Load your materials (make sure to frame your design to confirm it will cut in the right place).
Send the project to your machine to cut/score.

Step3: Remove

Preview

Carefully remove your pieces. Be extra careful with the letters because they will be fragile as they are on the thinner side.
DO NOT remove the material if you suspect they did not cut out completely. Just process it again or adjust the settings then process again.
In the event that you do take it out and notice that it was not cut all the way through, you can use a crafting blade to cut out the lines that are not complete. That's what I had to do and all the pieces were fine.
Pictured is what happened to the back of my cross because it was not cut all the way through in one spot. I didn't realize this and went to push it out and it peeled the wood.

Step4: Optional Stain or Paint

Preview

I did not stain or paint mine, but this is totally optional.
If you were interested in doing this, I would recommend doing a two toned look because of the pieces being glued on top. It would offer a nice contrast.
Google what a two toned Orthodox cross looks like. The ones I have seen are usually a dark color with a lighter gold or wood color. That is completely up to you! :)
Pictured is a general idea of what a two toned cross looks like.

Step5: Glue Together

Preview

Glue the smaller cross on top of the bigger one. I did this piece first because it helped me align the letters better. Of course if you scored the outlines on to the big cross, just follow those outlines.
Glue the letters.
Use your crafting clamps to hold the smaller cross while the wood glue dries.

I used wood glue and clamps from Dollar Tree but any clamp and wood glue that you have should work.

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