Best way to make identical 5cm oak hearts?

[LancsRick]

I've been asked to do some table decorations for a wedding, well, part of the decoration anyways - 5cmx5cm hearts out of oak about 4mm thick - identical set of 18.

I've done the first few by printing a template from my PC, attaching with double sided sticky tape and using my scrollsaw. I've got about a 66% success rate doing this as I'm not particularly skilled with a scroll saw. Is my best option just to persist with this approach, or is there a better way?

The only other idea I had was a router table, and these are way too small for me to want to put my fingers near a router bit!!

Cheers.

 

[nev]

make one of these?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-TEMP-HEA ... B001UQ5P1W

 

[Skeety]

Have you tried stack cutting them? You could probably do 3 batches of 6 on top of each other depending on the saw and blades you are using. Tape them all together with masking tape, then pritt stick, spray glue the pattern on top and then coat with sellotape or clear packing tape. It will be slower cutting but the thicker section should help with blade wander.

The Scrolling guys will certainly be able to help more.

What I would say is if the Customer wants them absolutely identical they would be getting them laser cut. Just explain that there will be very small variances as wood is all different and it's being hand made, not mass manufactured!

Good luck!

Cheers,

Jon.

 

[LancsRick]

Thanks. Thought I'd post in general to check I wasn't taking the wrong approach. No idea what blades I'm using, they seem like fine wood blades rather than metalwork or coarse cutting. It's only a little draper saw.

 

[novocaine]

chunk of oak 100mm thick across the grain, maybe 70x70 to give you wiggle room.
stick the pattern on then cut it out on a band saw to close to line.
sand to line.
cut in to 4mm pieces on the band saw. light sand and your done.

obviously this requires a bandsaw that can cut 100mm of oak.

 

[dynax]

chunk of oak 100mm thick across the grain, maybe 70x70 to give you wiggle room.
stick the pattern on then cut it out on a band saw to close to line.
sand to line.
cut in to 4mm pieces on the band saw. light sand and your done.

obviously this requires a bandsaw that can cut 100mm of oak.

was thinking the same last night, and was about to post same, :lol:

 

[NazNomad]

Stack cut 3 at a time with the scroll saw. You'll only need to cut 9 with a 66% success rate to get 18 good ones.

... or keep practising with the saw until you only need to cut 6 stacks?

 

[LancsRick]

Thanks all, no bandsaw at present due to workshop size constraints! Sounds like I'm on the right lines at least - I'll stick at the scrollsaw and see if I can do them in sets, cheers!

 

[dickm]

One other thought. Get a piece of suitable timber 5cm square and long enough to accommodate the number needed. If you have a lathe mount between centres, or make up a jig, with a track to carry a router between the two ends Then use appropriate set of cutters to cut the shape along the whole length. Cut off as many as you need.

 

[MountainMan]

http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/catalo ... egory/332/

Can you really make them for less than 35p, allowing for your time.

 

[LancsRick]

Nope, but that wood looks horrible and I want to learn the skills!

 

[NazNomad]

If you use a blunt scrollsaw blade it scorches the wood, and people think you have to charge extra to offset the cost of that expensive laser cutter they think you have. :-D

There's a shop in Lampeter selling mountains of laser cut stuff for good money. When I contacted them to ask if they sold anything that wasn't laser cut, they replied, ''what did you have in mind?''

Almost like making it by hand wasn't even on their radar. :-(

 

[NazNomad]

http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/4815/s/5cm-cherub-heart/category/332/

Can you really make them for less than 35p, allowing for your time.

Postage of £5.25 on top of £6.30.

Almost 12 of your Englandistani Squids for 18 plywood laser cut hearts - listed under the misleading 'Pyrography' section, implying some degree of skill was involved in making them. That's 65ish pence each. WOW!!!

If you were to charge two quid each for oak ones, that's a bargain.