Tree of Life Tiger Maple and Walnut Scroll Box
And now for something completely different -
I have turned a few vessels and decided to try something a little different. I bought a Dewalt Scroll Saw awhile back but have not made heavy use of it. I bought a book by Diane Thompson on Scroll Saw Box making about a year ago. There was a design in there entitled The Tree of Life and thought I would give it a go. I had some 1/4 inch Walnut and some thicker (approx 1 1/2") Tiger Maple that I purchased from Raven's Farm that I decided I would use for the project. I planed the pieces and proceeded to the task at hand.
Box making with the scroll saw is similar to using a bandsaw, except you will end up with more scrap wood. You drill a hole for the interior, cut the box shape on the inside, then cut another oval for the exterior and you have the box side. When I was finished, the piece did not look very oval, it looked a little jagged. I hooked up a sanding drum on my little benchtop Central Machinery drill press and worked it so it had more of the proper roundness. I knew that the thick maple would be pushing the limits of the saw, and the largest blades I had handy was a number 5. I would have had greater success with a 7. To compensate for burning, I only cut to about 1/8th from the line so I could sand any burn marks off on the drill press. The oval then was glued on a walnut board and both pieces were cut out with the scroll saw as one piece. This is the box sides and bottom currently -
It gives a nice effect as one cannot see any lines marking the beginning or the end of the oval.
I drilled the various holes for the fretwork on the Walnut top. I can honestly say that I have developed quite a respect for the patience and diligence of those that do extensive fretwork. I can get a little impatient with a project but found that if I just put on some music and go with the flow that the experience can be quite soothing, rather than frustrating. Working the thick pieces first also made scrolling with the 1/4" stuff seem quite breezy. After about an hour, the design came to life -
I have a little more cleanup to do on the fretwork (fortunately random purchases in the past provided me with riflers, some mini files, and some small dremel bits for cleanup in the hard to reach places) and some finish rounding on the drill press. The top is oversized, I have another glue up for a piece that will provide a tenon for holding the lid in the box and the top will be properly sized. I will do some rounding of the lid with the router. Currently, this is the overall contrasting color look and should make a decent jewelry box when completed. -
Keep making sawdust all,
David
And now for something completely different -
I have turned a few vessels and decided to try something a little different. I bought a Dewalt Scroll Saw awhile back but have not made heavy use of it. I bought a book by Diane Thompson on Scroll Saw Box making about a year ago. There was a design in there entitled The Tree of Life and thought I would give it a go. I had some 1/4 inch Walnut and some thicker (approx 1 1/2") Tiger Maple that I purchased from Raven's Farm that I decided I would use for the project. I planed the pieces and proceeded to the task at hand.
Box making with the scroll saw is similar to using a bandsaw, except you will end up with more scrap wood. You drill a hole for the interior, cut the box shape on the inside, then cut another oval for the exterior and you have the box side. When I was finished, the piece did not look very oval, it looked a little jagged. I hooked up a sanding drum on my little benchtop Central Machinery drill press and worked it so it had more of the proper roundness. I knew that the thick maple would be pushing the limits of the saw, and the largest blades I had handy was a number 5. I would have had greater success with a 7. To compensate for burning, I only cut to about 1/8th from the line so I could sand any burn marks off on the drill press. The oval then was glued on a walnut board and both pieces were cut out with the scroll saw as one piece. This is the box sides and bottom currently -
It gives a nice effect as one cannot see any lines marking the beginning or the end of the oval.
I drilled the various holes for the fretwork on the Walnut top. I can honestly say that I have developed quite a respect for the patience and diligence of those that do extensive fretwork. I can get a little impatient with a project but found that if I just put on some music and go with the flow that the experience can be quite soothing, rather than frustrating. Working the thick pieces first also made scrolling with the 1/4" stuff seem quite breezy. After about an hour, the design came to life -
I have a little more cleanup to do on the fretwork (fortunately random purchases in the past provided me with riflers, some mini files, and some small dremel bits for cleanup in the hard to reach places) and some finish rounding on the drill press. The top is oversized, I have another glue up for a piece that will provide a tenon for holding the lid in the box and the top will be properly sized. I will do some rounding of the lid with the router. Currently, this is the overall contrasting color look and should make a decent jewelry box when completed. -
Keep making sawdust all,
David