Living Hinge Scroll Saw Box.

This is a small round lidded box. It is unique because the walls of the box are wrapped around the bottom and top rim. The 1/8" thick plywood is cut in a way to make it bendable. This is sometimes called a living hinge.

Living hinges are usually cut with a laser. I'm not sure it has been done on a scroll saw before but it works quite well. 

This was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to make sure it would work on a scroll saw. This technique can be used to make much larger boxes. It's just a matter of cutting a whole bunch of straight lines. Maybe we will try a large box later.

Here you can see the series of cuts in the wall of the box. I cut these with a #1 blade. I also used a micro drill bit to keep the interior entry holes as small as possible. 

 The lid of the box is made in two layers so it sits on top of the box.

This picture shows a good view of the cuts that make the living hinge. These cuts go pretty fast once you get started.

I will say that gluing and clamping the box is the biggest challenge to the project. I thought about using a two hose clamp after I finished. That may be the best option.

The reason for yesterday's poll.

Click image to enlarge.

Yesterday I posted a poll. The questions was:

(When you install a new scroll saw blade do you put the blade in the top or bottom clamp first?)

This write-up won't make much sense if you are not familiar with the Jet scroll saw.

I had a reason for asking this question. The Jet scroll saw has a unique clamping system. Some folks love it and some are not so crazy about it. The part that some don't like is that the bottom clamp has to be removed to install a new blade. 

Pegas listened to this complaint and made a new lower clamp that replaces the stock clamp. Replacing just the lower clamp with the Pegas clamp keeps the unique upper Jet clamp in place and solves the lower clamp problem.

It did present a new problem for me. With the new Pegas lower clamp installed you have to install the scroll saw blade in the lower clamp first. I never do it that way. I always install the blade in the upper clamp. Then I drop the blade down through the table and insert the blade into the lower clamp. I find this way easier because it lines up the blade with the lower clamp and I don't have to look under the table or fiddle with doing it blindly. It's just the way I do it.

I actually thought that this is the way most scrollers install a scroll saw blade. I was apparently wrong.

Of the people who answered the poll, 395 install the blade in the upper clamp first. 647 install the blade in the lower clamp first. This is way different than I would have predicted. Neither way is wrong. I just had it in my mind that I knew the most common technique. 

The good news is that the new Pegas/Jet clamp should work for most people.

Order your custom signature coins.

$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping.

Four designs to choose from.

These wooden signature coins are embedded into that special project using

a 1" Forstner bit. Show the pride you have in your work with a special

signature. What better way to sign a woodworking project than with wood?

- -

Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in it's proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever. 

www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com

Products for your consideration:

Scroll Saw Pattern Design Tutorial: DVD
Let me teach you to create a beautiful wooden portrait pattern. I will show you everything you need from start to finish. The video will show you the free software program you can download for Windows or Mac OS. I will show you how to install the program and configure it for best results. 

Then I will show you the technique to take your photograph and make a pattern from it. When the pattern is complete we will go in the shop and cut it.

The DVD is $10 plus shipping. This is a data DVD that you will use on your computer to watch the video tutorial  

Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2017 in DVD

Purchase the entire Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog for offline access.

This DVD has 2,300 patterns published from 2007 thru 2017.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.

Click here to Order. 

If you use the DVD on a Windows PC there is a simple viewer program to browse through the patterns.

The DVD also works fine on a MAC. The viewer program is not MAC compatible but there is an included PDF with all the patterns shown as thumbnails for easy viewing. 

Unique Wooden Vases:
Want to create beautiful wooden vases on the scroll saw?

My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.

The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video Demonstration.

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this Button. Your support is greatly appreciated. 

My Sponsors:

Support the businesses who support our community.

Shop Bear Woods for your craft supply needs.

Home of Pegas scroll saw blades.

Visit Heritage Wood Specialties

for you scroll saw ready boards.

Ad: Affiliate

DEWALT DW788 1.3 Amp 20-Inch Variable-Speed Scroll Saw

• Double parallel-link arm design dramatically reduces vibration and noise for extremely accurate cuts
• Exclusive tool-free blade clamps allow blade changes in seconds. Depth of Cut (inches): 2 in
• On-off switch, electronic variable speed, flexible dust blower, and blade-tensioning lever all located on front upper arm
• Arm design pivots from back of the saw to front, shortening the arm movement for smoother, quieter operation
• Arm lifts so blade can be easily threaded through the material for inside cuts