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Back then, I was living in Slidell, LA. I operated a fan site about the popular reality TV show Survivor, and I had happened to hear that one of the survivor castaways, Pastor John Raymond lived just a couple blocks away. He was on the Survivor Thailand series.

I attended his church and eventually had the opportunity to meet and become friends with Pastor John. He's a terrific guy. Pastor John was kind enough to teach me how to make the Disciple's Cross necklaces. I also had the privilege of helping him set the groundwork for his web site, better known today as www.DisciplesCross.com. The site has changed and undergone a few changes, but it's nice to know that a lot of what I put into the site still remains. I wrote a testimonial back then that I believe is still on his site:

The testimonial is true to this day. Of course, I'm much better now at crafting the necklaces. I've lost count of how many I have made. The Disciple's Cross  Opportunity has literally spanned across the globe, and there are hundreds of producers now.

While I lived in the Slidell area, I made necklaces quite often for Pastor John. But after I moved out of State, I mostly made the crosses around the holidays.

Actually, I didn't even begin selling the Necklaces and Key Chains online until late 2008.  Since then I've had the opportunity to help several groups raise money for worthy causes.  I have also even attained the level of Powerseller on ebay. Click[ HERE ] to visit my eBay Store

The official Disciple's Cross is made with a 3.5 Capewell Horseshoe Nail and wrapped with 20G wire. I have experimented with other cheaper types of nails & wire but soon realized that the unique shape of the Capewell horseshoe nail looks best. Other nails just don't have the same kind of shine or shape.  All supplies can be purchased through http://www.DisciplesCross.com after you have become a certified Disciple's Cross Producer.

I used to use vise grips to bend my nails, but now I use a small drill press. That might sound a little extreme, but I bought the drill press at Big Lots for just $50.

It's a little difficult to explain, but basically instead of using a drill bit, I insert a flathead screwdriver bit in the chuck section. I have two small metal bars on the drill table spaced about ½ inch apart. I set my nail over the small bars so that when I pull the drill press handle downward, the screwdriver head bends the nail into the gap of the bars to a perfect 90 degree angle.

A pair of needle-nose pliers is used for bending the nail ends that the cord goes through. I've found it's best to do this before doing the 90 degree bend with the drill press.

Then... A regular pair of channel lock pliers works fine for bending the two bottom nails.

Using the above mentioned tools: Bench-top drill press, channel lock pliers, and needle nose pliers.... I can bend enough nails for about 50 crosses in an hour. (That's just bending the nails.) Bending the nails and then wrapping them with wire... I can do about 10-12 crosses an hour. Normally, I'll make 25 crosses, then dip them in the clear coat. While those are drying, I'll make my next round of 25. If I choose to spend a whole day making crosses I can make up to a 100.

Tool Tip: The Top Loops of the cross can be a bit of a challenge bending to perfection.  Often times, the loops appear 'rounded' and not crisp and sharp.  The nail conforms to the shape of the pliers. A simple adjustment to your pliers can remedy this.  Use a Rotary Tool with a grinding attachment to actually grind the tip of your pliers to an angle.  This will make that 'rounded' loop look much sharper.  Below are a couple pictures to illustrate what I mean:

About the only real complaint that I have ever had regarding the necklaces, is the knot either comes un-done or just gets too tight to slide.  I guess wear and tear on the cord from daily use eventually may cause this to happen.  (A little dab of vaseline from time to time keeps the knot sliding nicely over time.)  I'll usually replace the cord, or just re-tie the knot for them.   But there is a site online that does a pretty decent job illustrating how to tie the knot.  It's called a double fisherman's knot.  Here is the link:

AnimatedKnots.com

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. I'm usually pretty good at getting back in touch, but please bear with me if it takes a day or two.
Take Care and God Bless

~John Peralta
Owner
CarolinaCross.com