A Trotițe is a Romanian term for a wooden standing Cross. They are most common by Churches, graveyards, and by the side of the road in the Old World. In most places in America, the only time one is likely to se a Troițe is when visting a Romanain Orthodox Church.
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
New York is known for it’s not infrequent violent weather. It was during a winter windstorm that the Troițe of a local Orthodox Church was blown over, damagaing and breaking it in a few places.
The original instalation of the cross had been done in such away that the wood had slowly been rotting away for about 20 years, and numerous layers of flaking stain and finish could be seen on the original.
By slowly stripping away the old finish, your humble timberwright was able to expose the originalwhite oak finish. IN many places this required me to esentially re-carve the knotwork and intricate details of the finish to be able to get a workable surface.
Once down to bare wood, I was able to apply a Linseed oil and Pine Tar finish. This finish is commonly used in the baltic countries and is known to last upwards of 7-10 years without needing to be recoated. This particular aspect is always desireable when attempting to display detailed woodwork in an harsh outdoors.
By affixing the Cross to a new metal plate the newly installed Troițe is now safe from further rot and will serve its community for decades to come.
