This octagon basket requires several compound angle cuts. If you remember your trigonometry you will know that these angles will all be 22.5-degree cuts. This is a bit more advanced project than I usually design for the blog. I kept the fretwork simple so you can concentrate on cutting the angles.
You can make all the angle cuts before you do the interior fretwork.
Each angle cut needs to be made with the board orientated correctly. I show this orientation in the instructions. Pay close attention to those instructions or your basket will not assemble correctly.
My saw has a digital angle gauge but you can use a small protractor behind the blade to set the angle to 22.5 if necessary. Get it as close to 22.5 as possible.
The bottom of each piece will also have the same 22.5-degree angle cut so it will sit flat on the base.
Notice that the walls tilt out away from the center. Keep this in mind and follow the cut instruction or your walls my tilt inward and that will not work.
The next three pictures show how we clamp and glue and glue up all the angle joints with tape.
All eight pieces are facing down and tape applied to the intersections.
The assembly is flipped over and glue applied to the joints.
We then carefully roll the basket into its octagon shape and apply the final piece of tape.
If you are new to the scroll saw, this project will present a few challenges but nothing that you can't handle. The biggest two challenges are cutting the angle cuts straight and the glue up.
If you do not cut the angle cuts straight then the joints won't make good contact and the glue up will be weak. After you make the angle cuts lightly sand each cut to make it flat. Don't sand away too much wood, just make it fit well with the piece beside it.
To make the glue up easier make sure you use a decent blue painters tape. You want to be able to slightly stretch the tape across the joint. This will give it some clamping pressure when folded together. If you use cheap tape it will lift and possibly come apart.
You can also cut the project without any fretwork as practice if you are not comfortable with this type of project.
Scrollsaw Workshop Online Stencil Maker:
One feature I offer here on the blog is the free stencil maker. It is a web-based application and will work on all platforms. It will allow you to make simple key fob and desk nameplates.
Note: The application will not currently work with encrypted HTTPS connections. If you see the Not Secure message it is not a concern. There is no information shared with the application. I will have this corrected soon.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
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.
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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