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Of all the scroll projects I have completed, this was the most time consuming, and
challenging pieces. Each hole that is cut out requires that the tension on the blade be loosened, the screws undone,
the blade removed and rethreaded into another hold that has been pre-drilled. Then the screws that hold the blade
are tightened along with the tension before another cut can be made. I was lucky enough to have found spiral blades
for the saw. This allowed me to cut in any direction, pushing or pulling the wood where needed. There are 372 holes
in the piece, so it took some time before I was finished.
When I was ready to cut out the fireball, I decided to drill right on the line and cut the piece out whole. I was then
able to use it for another dragon - the Mortal Combat dragon. The piece still fits inside, and I have finished it in
a darker color for contrast. I plan to eventually mount the whole thing on a red background and have it framed.
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The pair of ducks is one of my earlier projects when I was trying out new blades
and looking for plans to follow. These are still unfinished as far as any coating, but are currently displayed
at home for me to enjoy. I'm partial to cats and birds, so this was a natural move.
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This is one of my favorite small scroll projects because of the design and
amount of detail that went into it. It's a delicate piece, and was very enjoyable to make. I took my time
with the cuts to ensure that it would be done properly and would not require much additional sanding.
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This box was appealing to me when I first saw it in my scroll book. I liked
the sliding top doors, and the double thick walls for reinforcement and to hide the contents. Building the
box was not that difficult other than the general assembly and matching up all the parts.
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After looking for another project to do that would be challenging in at 3D way,
I found this snake like box with the large lid. It was different and something that would be relatively
useful for me. Since most of the surfaces have some sort of a cut out design, it took me a few days to cut out
all the pieces. There was filing to do once I had it put together, and a lot of sanding to keep the inside and
outside free of slivers and rough edges.
I'm still trying to decide on a finish and final use for it, but I think I will use something a little darker
than the natural wood. The thin wood I use has two distinct sides, so in a 3D project like this, it needs to
be finished in such a way as to minimize this effect.
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I had a lot of fun with this project. I've always loved birds, so when I came
across the plans for the bird house, I didn't hesitate to build it. Measurement and markup was critical, but
everything went together fine in the end. Speckle paint in two tones would cover the average wood I had chosen,
and I completed it with a small bird on the front perch.
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As I was looking over some plans for a new project, I came across the book holder
and immediately liked the design. The two solid pieces had a special flare, and the sides are quite interesting.
It took awhile to cut everything out, but once that was done I spent my time on getting all the pieces to fit
snugly before I glued them in place. The shelf sits in my room, stocked full of novels for a rainy day.
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I needed a small shelf for my room and this project was just the solution. The
center window could be used for a back mounted picture, and the sturdy shape will allow it to hold a decent
amount of weight. Once I was happy with the fit and construction, I tried to find something different for the
final look and feel. I came across some speckled, bumpy spray paint, so I used that and was quite pleased with
the results.
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This is a handy keyholder I made for the family. I liked the design and all the
overlapping strands in the pattern. For something different, I chiseled out small portions to give it a bit of a
3D effect. A generous amount of shellac and lynn seed oil gave it shine and protection from the keys. To date, it
has come in quite handy.
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I found the design for this trivet in one of my scroll books, and the tiny bird
and cat figures with some other plans. Putting them together, I was able to make a cute wooden trivet that can
withstand a substantial amount of weight. I haven't decided on a finish yet, but I'll do something with them
eventually. I'm partial to the original wood grain, and feel that the light color of the grain lends itself well
to the overall design.
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Design Tech and Design Central are names I use as pseudo-business names for
the work I do, although I am not actually a company. I am currently (as of Nov. 2003) designing and building
a computer case mod for my personal P4 machine. As a part of this design, I wanted a logo, so I custom made
the letters (no, this is not some computer font) for the logo. I'm planning on getting it cut in metal for
the final case design, but for now I wanted a prototype so I could see the size and double check how it fits.
My case modding site, complete with pictures can be found
here.
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I made this project after finding the parrot design in one of the library's
scrollwork books. Other than the initial cutting, I did some filing on the inside edges to
smooth out any jaggedness from the spiral blade. I wanted a more dramatic look than the usual color of
wood I use, so I stained it once or twice to achieve that dark tone. Shellac was applied as the finish.
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With leftover scrap wood from other larger projects, I decided to make a
small Christmas ornament. Everything was doubled so that I could assemble the parts into a self-supporting
piece that could stand on its own. A project like this is simple enough to plan and draw out, but the hard
part is cutting the tiny pieces. Because I often find it in the way, I have removed the guard on my
scrollsaw so I can see what I'm doing better and make closer cuts. Unless I hook up the shop vacuum, this
can be a bit troublesome though.
The reindeer pieces ended up being stacked 2 deep so that I could cut 2 at a time. I had to take extra care,
especially with the guard gone, not to cut my fingers as I moved the pieces around the spiral blade. Tension
in the blade and general wear can cause it to snap at any time, so this kind of close up work can be a bit
risky.
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To top
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The bird clock was my first clock that I made in woodworking. I started by
finding the bird scene in a calandar, then drew a shape that included parts of the picture I wanted displayed.
I cut the shape on the bandsaw, and used the spindle sander with table angle adjustments to cut the
special corners and angled sides. With a blow torch, I carefully blackened the edges of the wood for special
effect before gluing on the picture. A hole saw drill attachment helped me cut the round hole to mount
the clock hardware.
The finish came in two parts. After being mixed for several minutes, the resin was poured over the clock
face and allowed to sit for several hours. It is a self leveling compound and doesn't need to be handled
or spread much. Once dry, I installed the parts and cleaned off the resin drops from the back to make the
back surface level for wall mounting.
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Unlike some of my other projects, this piece is an original work. The scroll
flower on the front, however, is from a pattern I found in a book, but the outer shape of the clock is
something I designed myself. I needed to make relief cuts on the band saw before I cut all the curves, then
I used the spindle sander to round the edges. The scroll rose was the first scroll work I had ever done,
just prior to the oval dragon.
When I had the shape I wanted and the rose was completed, I glued it on and poured the resin over everything
for the extra smooth, thick finish. Hardware was ordered and installed after that.
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As a final large project in grade 12, I had to find plans for something
challenging that I wanted to build. I selected the school house clock after some searching, and started
marking up my wood for the initial cuts. The first thing I did was thinkness plane all the boards, then
cut the pieces with the table saw and the radial arm saw. The beveled edges on the face were the hardest
to cut, keeping in mind the kerf of the blade and the exact angles.
Fitting the pieces together was tricky, and required glue and clamps. I also used screws for the smaller
pieces and some of the important joints. One of the last steps once it was assembled was to drill the holes
for the hardware, and order the bezel, pendulum, hands and number plate. Finally, I applied the finish, and
installed all the hardware.
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This was another of my major wood projects. Special features include
dove-tailed interlocking corners (custom fitted), and a small partitioned tray that sits on the top
level. I used a light variety of oak, and routed the edges before assembling all the pieces. This was
an exercies in precision measurement and execution of cuts. Everything had to be exact in order to fit
properly. The corners were filed by hand as well as the hinge mounts.
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This project required some hand planing of the three wooden pieces,
and the use of a router for the edges. The majority of time was spent on the finishing. To keep the
large surface level and flat, I sanded with another wooden block, careful to keep it even. Lynn seed
oil and shellac was applied several times to work up a sufficient finish.
The process of applying the shellac is time consuming, but is worth it in the end when a thick layer
protects the wood from any liquids soaking in.
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To shape the wood for my salt and pepper shakers, I started with a
regular block of wood mounted on the shop lathe. The reversed profile design for the body was cut
out in paper as a tester, and several measurements would help me make the right cuts. A tool rest
was positioned close to the wood and I used a few different cutting tools to shave off the wood as
the lathe turned. Because it was always turning, the shape is perfectly symmetrical. I did my sanding
and applied the finish on the lathe to avoid altering the shape or touching the finish.
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The whistles were quite easy to make as they were shaped out of
soft wood. Care was taken in the cuts and the holes to produce different sounds. If I remember
correctly, I used lynn seed oil and shellac as a finish to bring out the grain in the wood.
This required several applications and sanding with fine grit sandpaper.
Before I was done, I had an idea to make another whistle that was capable of many different sounds.
This was accomplished by drilling the hole all the way through the end and then inserting a snug
fitting dowel. By pulling/pushing the dowel, several sounds could be produced including a quick
low to high crescendo.
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Cut on the band saw and sanded with the spindle sander, the bird
shape slowly emerged as an abstract sculpture. My goal was to keep it smooth and simple. Sanding by
hand allowed me to control the exact shape of the curves and the final degree of smoothness.
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Metalworking was a class I took in grade 8 for half a semester.
The elective courses alternated so that I would be exposed to wood, metal, sewing and cooking.
After that experience, I could choose what I wanted for the next year. Since time was limited,
I only completed two projects: the tool box and the keychain.
The toolbox was made from a single sheet of aluminum. The designs were drawn on the surface, then
cut with scissor like metal cutters. Once cut, a specially designed press would help me with the bends.
To assemble, I used the spot welder for the large one and regular welding on the other. Painting was
the last step.
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For the keychain, I was given a small piece of metal to file by hand
only. I could cut the corners and the basic shape, but most of the work was in the filing and polishing.
I used hand files for the basic shape, then brasso and silvo to polish. Finally, spray-on varnish was
applied to protect the metal and produce a shine.
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