Piece Size – Critical – and - Not Critical

The size doesn’t really mater, they just have to all be the same AND they have to match up with the triangle and any pieces of another size you may use along with them.

The reason I go with .734 or 47/64” is some of the boards I was getting were just under ¾”. I cut the strips off the edge of a board and from those strips, I cut my pieces, so I want to be able to then get the strip to the right width, and if it starts out to narrow, I can’t. Now when I use the half size pieces with the regular size pieces they all have to be the right sizes. As you can see the star on this box has 8 diamonds and it has 8 triangles tucked in between the points;

NOTE – On any of the pictures, if you want to read the description of that item, just click on the picture and it will take you to that picture on my Flickr site where it will give the description under the picture.

Where on this box, in the same sized area I have 16 diamonds and 16 triangles. You will notice that one diamond length wise and one diamond cross wise is the same length as one regular diamond, and takes up the same area just as 2 half size triangles is the same area as one regular triangle;

The same with these two boxes, the first has 40 pieces on the top;

This next one has 60 pieces on the top and is the same size. In the middle it has 40 pieces in the same area that I have 20 pieces on the first box;

And on this Lazy Susan I have both sizes shown;

Video

Here is a video made by Tara (weirdwolf) from Etsy.com on this same Lazy Susan; (again I have a slip of the tongue here and I say Pattern when I should have said star,(I seem to be good at that) so don’t let that mix you up)

On this table top you can see the stars in the Oak all over it if you look close, as I mention in the video;

Now when I say the Triangle has to match up with the Diamond. Like on this box I have 2 triangles back to back and they stop right at the tip of the diamond;

Where on this table top I have 12 diamonds out on a point and 24 triangles (12 back to back) and they stop right at the tip going out both ways;

So the size only matters in relation to the pieces that are used with it. It all depends on how many jigs you want to make to cut your pieces.

Also as you go from one size of finished product to the next, the size of piece you have will make a difference in the next size larger you can make. My small oak Lazy Susan will be 12” across, as here;

My medium Oak Lazy Susan will be 15 ½” across, as here;

And my Large Oak Lazy Susan will be 19” across, as here;

By this comparison it shows I can only make this design in 3 ½” size differences. The bigger your piece is the more limited you are on how close you can make different size objects of the same kind.

This all might be helpful if anyone wants to try this using different size pieces. I’m set up to use the size piece I am using. It works for me but other sizes would work also, as long as all the pieces fit together.

Thank you for looking,
Robin Tucker

-- It’s not so much what we know that causes the trouble, it’s what we know that’s not so.