MATERIAL + CARE

For my tombs and grave crosses i take german oak or other equally rare wood. The wood must be weatherproof and it must be  able, to sculpture it with  the tool kit.
Suitable is the timber from oak, afzelia, doussie(west-africa), kambala(iroko, africa), european larch. Other noble woods  are extraordinary durable and fine grained, but on account of customs regulations and import laws not easy to find and very expensive.Mostly i use about 200 years old german oak  wood, which is gentle and well matured for less 10 years. This sound  timber is most suitable from the domestic wood species..
 
Many tombs and crosses on the old cemetery of Oberammergau are more than 1oo years old, even though there are in the Bavarian Alps sometimes extreme weather conditions. In cold winters for month  you only  can see the top from  the crosses and the tombs.

Specially new developed kind of oils, which not isolate the timber and keep it breathable, protect the wood many years. A  roof  of copper or shingle protects the crosses and tombs. Copper becomes with the passing of years green coloured patination which can be removed with polishing paste. Hand-forged, galvanized fastenings fixes the wodden bottom side from the tombs and grave crosses, so they have a ground clearance with about one inch, so that the wood stays dry and not rots.
An  every two yearly care, this means cleaning with an ordinary household sponge and  treating with  special wood oil in dry condition - time exposure about two hours-, gives an ultimate protection against humidity and ensures durability for many decades.