Making hexagons?

[GrahamRounce]

Hi - I'd like to cut accurate hexagonal pieces, maybe 2cm across or less, from wood 1-2mm in thickness.

Might there be a tool, perhaps like a glorified cookie cutter, for doing that, and maybe other shapes as well?

[Laser cutting would be a last resort!
All I've thought of so far is to make a super-accurate hexagon the right size out of steel (not at all easy!), clamp the wood to it and cut round with a dremel or something.
Or find a ready made piece of steel with the right hex cross section.]

Thanks again,
Graham

 

[CHJ]

I was going to point you to a WIP by Alf in how to make London Pattern Handles, but unfortunately here Web account (http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk) is no longer valid.

Producing a Hexagon spindle would allow you to just slice off the pieces.

This is a taster of what was in her Cornish workshop:-

 

[Tervueren]

Have a look for some decent wad cutters, not sure on shapes but they may be available

 

[marcros]

How accurate do they need to be? Good enough for edge jointing and tessalating or just similar in size but not put together.

 

[marcros]

I would look at a sewing shop for templates for patchwork. My mum had some, which were a bit bigger and in steel. Other sizes must be available. I would use a scalpel to cut around them. 2mm may be pushing it, but 1mm would cut in 3 or 4 passes.

Alternatively, mark out with a compass and use a steel ruler and scalpel.

 

[sunnybob]

if you want numbers of something that small i think laser cutting should be your first thought. Or else youre going to need a whole crate of sticking plasters

 

[GrahamRounce]

Hi, and thanks. They want to be the same size, so they can be tesselated, yes. I'm using avocado stones, which when dried out are pretty hard and take a nice polish. They vary in size and quality (voids etc), though. I've made a nice attachment to the band saw for slicing them evenly.
The problem with a laser cutter, apart from not having one, (cheap mini laser cutters?), is that due to the size of the slices, I'd only get 2 or 3 from each stone, and each slice would have to be time-consumingly lined up under the laser. Laser time = money!

A what cutter? Oh, a wad cutter : ) That sounds like something! Let me have a look.

I've ordered a 1/2" sample of 5/8" hex bar, in case it's useful, but I don't know how accurate the cross section will be, or how sharp the corners.

 

[profchris]

I'd think that any method of cutting each one individually, other than using something like a laser, would be likely to leave the sides needing to be cleaned up, which is a huge job.

It just struck me that the following might work, if you can cut even slices, though it's a bit odd ball and I don't guarantee it!

1. Glue the slices together using hide glue with copier paper in between, to produce a rough cylinder. Liquid hide glue would do for this temporary bond.

2. Plane that cylinder into an accurate hexagon profile along its length (I think someone posted a link to how to do this earlier).

3. Separate the slices at the paper with a sharp blade and remove the paper and glue with a warm, damp cloth (maybe glue them up and then remove the paper across your finished tessellation).

If you can make an accurate hexagon section rod, you'd be sure that each piece was the same size and they'd all tesselate nicely.

Maybe try this out on a short stack to see if it might work - I wouldn't try to get an accurate hexagon at this stage, just to see if I could glue up, shape and then separate.