Constructing a small iconostasis for mission

[Anastasios]

Hello,

Has anyone had any experience constructing an iconostasis for a small mission?  I would like to construct an iconostasis that would be approximately 10 or 11 feet long and about 7-8 feet tall.  I am thinking of just doing it out of grade A plywood and staining it a nice color, and hang some mounted icons on it, and then as I develop a feel, add detail to the screen like hand-painted icons and maybe some reliefs and things of that nature over time. Would 10-11 feet long be enough to have a small set of royal doors (or just an open space there for the priest to come in and out of) and two deacons' doors? How would I go about cutting the openings--does Home Depot/Lowes do it for you for a fee or do I need to rent my own saw?

To be clear this would not be a portable iconostasis but a permanent one that would stay in the same location without having to be broken down and reassembled regularly.

In Christ,

Anastasios

[Νεκτάριος]

Would 10-11 feet long be enough to have a small set of royal doors (or just an open space there for the priest to come in and out of) and two deacons' doors?

What is the need for two deacons' doors?  Most chapels of that size on the Holy Mountain have just one. 

[Justinian]

Hello,

Has anyone had any experience constructing an iconostasis for a small mission?  I would like to construct an iconostasis that would be approximately 10 or 11 feet long and about 7-8 feet tall.  I am thinking of just doing it out of grade A plywood and staining it a nice color, and hang some mounted icons on it, and then as I develop a feel, add detail to the screen like hand-painted icons and maybe some reliefs and things of that nature over time. Would 10-11 feet long be enough to have a small set of royal doors (or just an open space there for the priest to come in and out of) and two deacons' doors? How would I go about cutting the openings--does Home Depot/Lowes do it for you for a fee or do I need to rent my own saw?

To be clear this would not be a portable iconostasis but a permanent one that would stay in the same location without having to be broken down and reassembled regularly.

In Christ,

Anastasios

In my experience, Home Depot has always cut the plywood for me the way I wanted it for free. You'll have to pay for the full piece of plywood though.

[arimethea]

One mission in my Diocese has a very handy priest and he took several wooden interior doors and cut them in half so that they could be the base of the iconostasis and then mounted the icons on top of them. It looks very nice and was done for a fraction of the cost. I can put you in contact with him so he can explain how it all worked.

Here is a picture


Something that is really cool is that all the icons are high resolution photos that are printed on material so they look like real canvas icons.

[Thomas]

When we started a small mission in our home several yaers ago we purchased a wooden garden Trellis Gate with  swinging gate doors that was great for the Royal doors made from teak wood. It did not need staining and we mounted the Gospel writer's icons on the doors.  We then took a trellis that had a cricle at the top with a cross design in the middle and stained the trellis teak placing a cabinet grade plywood likewise stained in teak to amke the trellis a solid wall and placed gold leafing on the crosses.  It was meant to be expandable as the mission grew (sadly it did not).  The unit was free standing so it could be dismantled and moved when we moved to larger quarters.  The cost of it was under $300 and those who saw it commented on its beauty and wonder that it had not been professionally built.  We got all the parts other than the plywood at Walmart in the spring.

Thomas

[Friar Tuck]

Anastasios,

I would suggest you frame it out with 2x4s or 2x6s to give the area you want to install an anchor point to the floor or to the walls. For the frame I would use large corrugated fasteners to join the individual pieces as to lessen the possibility of the piece separating due to humidity and can ensure the corners are square. Plywood that is finished (not construction grade) that is a minimum of a 1/2 inch then can be affixed to the frame(s) using finishing nails as to not show, and then apply your stain. When thoroughly dry, you can then anchor the panels to the floor or wall using bolts for strength. Finally then I would affix the icons and any lamps. The total cost besides any necessary tools for the project could be had for well under two hundred dollars.

I hope this helps in your iconostasis.

Friar Tuck

[Friar Tuck]

Also in rereading your original post, small doors can be either constructed and hung with hinges using the same method as above without the 2x4 frames or purchased. I am not sure if Home Depot or Lowe's rents tools. I was able to buy a power saw and the other necessary tools for a minimal cost, because they always come in handy as you adding and building  .

Friar Tuck

[Anastasios]

What is the need for two deacons' doors?  Most chapels of that size on the Holy Mountain have just one. 

Well you know with the huge amount of clergy we have...

I actually was ignorant to whether you can construct just one deacon's door. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Anastasios]

Thanks all for your advice. Time to get shopping

[Friar Tuck]

Thanks all for your advice. Time to get shopping

OK! Well we assume the shopping is done, and possibly the construction. How about a few photos?

[Jonathan]

One mission in my Diocese has a very handy priest and he took several wooden interior doors and cut them in half so that they could be the base of the iconostasis and then mounted the icons on top of them. It looks very nice and was done for a fraction of the cost. I can put you in contact with him so he can explain how it all worked.

Here is a picture


Something that is really cool is that all the icons are high resolution photos that are printed on material so they look like real canvas icons.

I can't see the picture any more... could you post it again?  Thanks!

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

Yes, I have helped build 2 iconostasises in churches before. You will use aproximately 3 feet for the royal doors, and if you wanted 2 deacon doors of 2 feet wide each, then that would give you 2 feet for the icons between the doors (not including trim) so that would give you space for some 18" wide icons of the Pantocrator and Theotokos, assuming your mission's patron icon and the national patron icon were not on the iconostasis proper. That would make for the same amount of spacing on the deacon doors for icons of the archangels, if symmetry matters to you. :-)

[Asteriktos]

Thanks all for your advice. Time to get shopping

OK! Well we assume the shopping is done, and possibly the construction. How about a few photos?

Fr. Anastasios or someone else in the know can correct this if it is wrong, but I think you can view photos of the iconostasis that was built at this location.

[Eugenio]

Does anyone have an idea how to build a small portable iconostasis that could be set up and taken down? The mission that I belong to doesn't own our own building.

[basilthefool]

Check out this site: http://www.christiandecor.com/IIWP.html#anchor755666

[Anastasios]

I totally forgot about this thread. Indeed, Justin pointed out what the end product was. But now I have begun renovating my chapel and making it more aesthetically pleasing.  I will post some pics when I finish it, if I can remember to

[Alveus Lacuna]

I was just leafing through some pictures that I took this summer at St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Arizona, and I actually took two pictures inside of a very small little chapel-church building, thinking that it would be a perfect place for small services.  I'm attaching the photos below.  I hope they might give the smaller missions some ideas.

[Asteriktos]

I totally forgot about this thread. Indeed, Justin pointed out what the end product was. But now I have begun renovating my chapel and making it more aesthetically pleasing.  I will post some pics when I finish it, if I can remember to

Bump 

[Asteriktos]

I totally forgot about this thread. Indeed, Justin pointed out what the end product was. But now I have begun renovating my chapel and making it more aesthetically pleasing.  I will post some pics when I finish it, if I can remember to

Bump 

Stop bumping old threads!

[Anastasios]

The last time you bumped this thread, I thought about it for 2 weeks but kept forgetting to get the camera together.  I do have some photos taken that are on my brother in law's camera...let me try to get those.

[Asteriktos]

Sounds good... and I promise not to bump it again, whatever happens

[Agia Marina]

Thanks for bumping this thread, Asteriktos.  I'd like to see the finished product, too. 

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

as would I!  I think that the most important aspect of Orthodoxy is spreading the faith.  kudos to the OP.  as my patron saint, Tikhon of Moscow said: "THe spread of Christ's Faith aught to be near and dear to the hearts of every Orthodox Christian."

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

The last time you bumped this thread, I thought about it for 2 weeks but kept forgetting to get the camera together.  I do have some photos taken that are on my brother in law's camera...let me try to get those.

  BUMP! 

[Anastasios]

OK, here it is. Sorry for the delay. I could not get the pics from my brother-in-law, so I took some new ones. This is a never-ending labor of love; I plan some more upgrades shortly.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=568100&id=505020362&l=a4072a0ce5

You can see the photos even if not a member of Facebook.

[Agia Marina]

Thank you, Father! 

[Asteriktos]

Thanks! 

[mattymoo]

...wooden interior doors and cut them in half so that they could be the base of the iconostasis and then mounted the icons on top of them.

What a good idea!

[Asteriktos]

OK, here it is. Sorry for the delay. I could not get the pics from my brother-in-law, so I took some new ones. This is a never-ending labor of love; I plan some more upgrades shortly.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=568100&id=505020362&l=a4072a0ce5

You can see the photos even if not a member of Facebook.

"This content is currently unavailable"! 

[Asteriktos]

Sounds good... and I promise not to bump it again, whatever happens

Oops. I forgot I made this post! 

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Liturgy (Moderator: arimethea) > Topic: Constructing a small iconostasis for mission