Thread: Graveside cross

Hi there,
I have actually got into the shed and done a bit of woodwork! First time in 6months. Nothing too demanding, and certainly not a job that brings much joy. Its a temporary graveside marker (stone masonry is apparently quite delayed) for my wife's cousin who recently died, complications from melanoma. Julie and her were close, and she was only 5yrs older than me.
The timber is some of the European cypress that I milled a year or so back, Cupressus sempervirens. First use of the timber, and I'm really quite impressed apart from it looking similar to pine, esp Kauri. Light, stable, softish and works sweetly if you can avoid the many knots. I had some tearout with surfacer and hand plane, but a good quality plane should work better... or a belt sander.
Info I can glean from the Net points to it being 1/ used for coffins 2/ hardy and resistant to rot even in the ground. The latter will be tested at the Goodna Cemetery.
Pic of work in progress, with masking tape patches over epoxy/fine saw dust filler in tearout. I think I'll finish it in Polyurethane, hopefully survive untill the stonework replaces it.

RIP Maxine