PC Pals Forum
General Discussion => Hobbies & Crafts => Topic started by: GillE on June 03, 2010, 15:59
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It's my parents Golden Wedding Anniversary next month. They live in the foothills of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Tennyson country, so it seemed fitting to use one of Tennyson's quotations in a commemorative plaque project.
The plaque will be scroll-sawn from 6mm MDF using a technique called 'relief cutting' This means the saw table is angled so that when I cut the letters out they won't just drop out of the baseboard. Instead, it will make them look as if they are embossed. Relief cutting involves the drilling of pilot holes for the scroll saw blade, but they will be filled in later and everything will be painted. I'm thinking of gilding the lettering. Here's what has happened so far...
I designed the pattern and stuck it to MDF using repositionable adhesive spray:
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv637%2FGillD%2FLove%2520Is%2520The%2520Only%2520Gold%2FLITOG1.jpg&hash=b2fcf3e28bab8cca29c0f30e58f48ea5ebd5a057)
Then I drilled a pilot hole in some waste wood and made a couple of test cuts to see what be the best angle for the thickness of board and the kerf of the blade I was using. It's a bit hit-and-miss, but I decided to set the angle at 5 degrees:
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv637%2FGillD%2FLove%2520Is%2520The%2520Only%2520Gold%2FLITOG2.jpg&hash=fa77e5260f471a7351940ed9a8b295ce67c85b6b)
Then I tilted my saw table so that it fell from left to right and I sawed out the letters! I cut out the middle of the letters 'o', 'e' and 'd' first, making sure I cut counter-clockwise so the middles would drop down and eventually be flush with the baseboard. Next, I cut the outsides of all the letters, cutting clockwise so that they would be lifted above the level of the baseboard. If you can't get your head around this, don't worry - all will become clear as the project progresses :) . So now I've been left with a heart-shaped baseboard and a collection of letters:
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv637%2FGillD%2FLove%2520Is%2520The%2520Only%2520Gold%2FLITOG3.jpg&hash=bfe100bfe6d62f6cf301293c7736c4f96e2bcc1b)
The next step will be to fill in the pilot holes, then sand and shape everything. To be continued...
:)
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I await the second instalment, Gill.
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Oh me too! I'm sure they will be delighted Gill. 8-)
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This will be even better when I can see the pics. :)
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;D
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This is how it turned out in the end:
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv637%2FGillD%2FLove%2520Is%2520The%2520Only%2520Gold%2FLITOG5a.jpg&hash=354b98646ed60093fc4bf51578e30804d3fab497)
The pilot holes for the scroll saw blades are a little more conspicuous than I would like, but heigh-ho, pilot holes are always present on projects like this. Maurice reckons it's okay, though.
If I get time I might try this pattern again using a slightly different production technique which will leave the lettering recessed, just to see what it looks like :) .
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Looks great, Gill, you must be very pleased. :thumbs:
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wow - that's really nice :-)
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A lot of thought and effort on your part Gill. They will love it!