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.
$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?
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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.
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.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
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.
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.
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