# Pet grave cross



## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Sadly the neighbors kid dog passed away today. He wants to build a simple cross and put the dogs name on it. My problem is how areas the vertices piece attached to the horizontal piece? He wants to paint the dogs name in it. At first I wanted to use a 4 by 4. Also, what are the appropriate proportions?

Thanks


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

With a cross you could just make a half lap joint with treated 1x4's. Allowing for about a 8" to go into the ground I would probably make the vertical about 26" and the horizontal about 13". The pet cemetery I have on our place I just make a board like a old west tombstone out of a piece of treated 1x6 and inscribe the info in the wood with a router with a v-groove bit.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Sorry to hear. How big does he want it? I don't think there is a specific size. Lots of different ways to do it. Depending on size.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Dominick said:


> Sorry to hear. How big does he want it? I don't think there is a specific size. Lots of different ways to do it. Depending on size.


Not really sure how big he wants it. I told him to draw something and we would see what we could do. I figured someone would suggest a half lap joint and I have never done those. My tools consist primarly of a small drill press, table saw, screwdrivers, scroll saw and a few sanders and a jig saw. Not to mention very little skill. I never had a dog until I was in high school and college but I just want to help the kid out since he is 10 and the dog was with him for 7 years.

What kind of router bit would i need to cut a half lap joint?


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Using the table saw half laps can be done with a dado set, or by cutting several kerfs a regular saw blade can also nibble out a half lap joint. Lay the two pieces together, and mark each board wher they meet. Set saw height to exactly half the thickness of the wood. Using scrap experiment until you get depth of cut right. Then using miter gage, plow out or nibble away the wood between the marks on the two cross pieces. I hope I'm making sense.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Start at one side at your mark, run board through, then slide board over so it can be run through blade until you get to other mark.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Well a while back I tried to cut a dado on my table saw some time ago and it kicked the board back across the shop. I opted tonight to go to dads shop and borrow a router table and a plunge router and a second fixed router and bits. Now all I have to do is learn how to use it.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Got it built today using the table saw to cut a half lap joint. I also got to use the router to cut the dogs name into the cross and that was fun. I actually preferred the fixed base router to the plunge router.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

EM3 said:


> Got it built today using the table saw to cut a half lap joint. I also got to use the router to cut the dogs name into the cross and that was fun. I actually preferred the fixed base router to the plunge router.


Cool. Now you can't tease us, got any pics.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

I was going to but the kids ran off with it to show their mom and dad what they had done. :thumbsup: I saw it on the hill this morning I think (foggy and cold).

I used a 1 by 3 for the job and it was pretty easy to handle.


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## AirKingFS (Nov 6, 2012)

A good deed done well. Nice job.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Way to go! I'm sure they appreciate it.


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