Xmas Trees - Take 2

[Phil]

Xmas Trees - Take 2

I found a picture on the web (maybe Pinter…..) which looked good and doable.

I hauled out my small drawing board and did some old fashioned drawings, the base a length of 130mm and then the first ‘branch’ 125mm and sloping up to the top star piece.

The base for the one of the other, smaller tree was used, right size, 130mm.

http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=6791



The central axis on which it all will fit and revolve is a 3mm bamboo kebab skewer.



The stock is the old slats from the Weber shelves that I replaced last year.

http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4689&p=71048&hilit=weber#p71048

As I still had the old planer knives in, I did not think twice about shoving them through the machine.
Thicknessed down to 15mm and the width down to 38mm.

It is a very ‘white’ timber with very fine straight grain. (The Weber contact said it could be American Red Wood?)

I needed to cut each one down the middle, +- 19mm

Not having a bandsaw, I then improvised.
Clamp a straight edge onto the large Hegner table and whoopee - a very-mini bandsaw!

[Fence1]

[Fence2]

Cut a couple of pieces. The small thin #12 blade tended to drift a bit (to be expected), so not all cut pieces were 19mm in width.

There was a very close call: using my fingers as hold-down and push sticks.
http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=6756
The finger is just about recovered.

Again back to the Hegner, without the fence, cut the various lengths required for the tree, 125mm, 105mm, 88mm, 70mm, 55mm, 37mm and left the top block till I could draw a star.

Each piece then had 5mm cut off each end to give the slope

Each piece then had a 3.5mm hole drilled in the middle for the skewer.

The star would get a 3.5mm hole deepened with a 2mm - the top of the skewer is a point which would then be a good fit.



The finish was one coat of Wooddoc 5 (really going to have to ditch the tin as it is getting thick! Will get the last bit out that I can)

Final sanding of 1000 grit

No picture of the star, same timber, painted white.

Assembly:
Glue the star onto skewer
1 - 10mm round bead
First 37mm
10mm Bead
Repeat till all the pieces are skewered and beaded.



Final Quality Check:

Check that all the pieces can easily move, skewers not consistent thickness. Re-drill hole if required.


Final finished trees will be posted.

Thank you for reading

Phil

 

[novocaine]

Another good one phil. Like it.

 

[Malc2098]

Nice!

 

[Phil]

Thanks chaps

 

[AndyP]

I dont feel I’ve achieved anything unless blood has been drawn at least once on a project.

Nice trees, you’ll have a forest soon.

 

[Phil]

Nice trees, you’ll have a forest soon.

Thanks.

I have a few more patterns, but need to finish off as I have other work waiting (chair repairs)

 

[novocaine]

You have inspired me Phil. Im sire ive said before on here, but my considerably better half gets an ornament every year. Your trees made me find some scrap beech from the old contertops and make this. (I happened to have a load of strips cut from making my son a lego starwars figure display case a while back).

 

[Gill]

Some smashing work in this thread :eusa-clap: but using a scrollsaw as a bandsaw??? :shock: :eusa-naughty:

As you pointed out, Phil, all blades have a bias which mean you get an uneven cut. Better to use a router with a fence IMHO.

 

[Phil]

You have inspired me Phil. Im sire ive said before on here, but my considerably better half gets an ornament every year. Your trees made me find some scrap beech from the old contertops and make this. (I happened to have a load of strips cut from making my son a lego starwars figure display case a while back).

Nice one Dave

Some smashing work in this thread :eusa-clap: but using a scrollsaw as a bandsaw??? :shock: :eusa-naughty:
As you pointed out, Phil, all blades have a bias which mean you get an uneven cut. Better to use a router with a fence IMHO.

Gill the stock is only about 38mm wide and I needed to get as much out as possible.
This last lot I loaded a new #12 blade and the cut was a lot cleaner and less drift.
I could stick it through the big saws, but with that short length is becomes dangerous (think bright red blood )
I am not sure what sort of bit I would need for the router.

 

[Gill]

Please - we don't need any more injuries :eusa-pray: !

The best way to straighten wood with a router is to use a straight bit in a router mounted in a table and run the straight edge of the wood along the table fence with a push stick so the router trims off the uneven edge on the opposite side. There are other ways to do this hand-holding a router but I'd ask for more advice on the General Woodworking board of this forum if I was you. This is getting into the realms of 'proper' woodworking and you need to consider such factors as the direction of the router blade rotation. I'm nowhere near as knowledgable about that as I am about scrolling.

 

[Phil]

The best way to straighten wood with a router is to use a straight bit in a router mounted in a table and run the straight edge of the wood along the table fence with a push stick so the router trims off the uneven edge on the opposite side. There are other ways to do this hand-holding a router but I'd ask for more advice on the General Woodworking board of this forum if I was you. This is getting into the realms of 'proper' woodworking and you need to consider such factors as the direction of the router blade rotation. I'm nowhere near as knowledgable about that as I am about scrolling.

Gill, I think we are talking past each other

I am not straightening the stock, it is straight, I had already routered them after I planed them.
(I get use out of my router and table and bits )

The diagram shows what the stock looks like, 38mm wide and 390mm long.

I then wanted to cut it down the middle to give me as close as possible 2 x 19mm wide pieces.

The scrollsaw blade is nice and thin, hence using it as a very "mini" bandsaw.
The blade needs to be very new and sharp as it is cutting with the grain direction (ripping)

 

[Phil]

I will just tag these onto this post.

This is the last of the Xmas cuttings.

Made another 3 of these from left over scraps.




A dear deer (wife thinks its a dog :lol: )




Ginger Bread kids, left grandson and right for granddaughter




Some Xmas serviette holders for Son, DIL, GS & GD with their initials on N, E, T, B
They get the Xmas serviettes with the holders.



And that is the last of the 2021 Xmas cuttings.

Thank you for reading

 

[Malc2098]

Lovely job!

 

[Gill]

Those are really good! At this time of year I miss my scroll saw so much. Never mind, perhaps my asthma will improve one day and I'll be able to return to it.

 

[Phil]

Thanks Gill Thanks Malc


I was not sure where to post this pic, it could be a thread for Xmas decorations?
(I need to start now, only 3654 days left :lol: :lol: :lol: )



This is in our Frail Care reception and was made by the Nursing Sister and admin.
They used tin cans of various sizes, hot-melt glued together, spray painted white and then added the finishing touches. They really look good, not expensive to make. At the Santa Warehouse up the road you would be paying a couple of hundred ZAR for them.