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I use a power scroll saw (Hegner) to cut out the holes, but a hand-driven coping saw will do. After all, this pattern goes back nearly 900 years, when the earth was flat!
However you cut out the holes, be as accurate as possible; if nothing elee this saves a lot of cleaning up time. The drawing has a lot of lines, so do make sure you know to which you are cutting.
For subscribing members, below is my working drawing and tool list for the Tudor Mirror, as a PDF.
| 12 September 2015 17:57
Jessica - You can certainly use a hand-held, power scroll saw to cut out the shape. Do practise on a sample first: you'l find the say blade will flex as it goes around the curve and not following the outline. Ideally you want a perpendicular cut and this tool will only give you that for straight lines and slow curves. Use as narrow a blade as possible for the curves and compensate for the flex by cutting more in the wast; clean up afterwards. On big gothic projects, I've been able to glue up in sections, with each section being cut out first. So you might be able to break your design down like this. Sounds a great project - looking forward to seeing it in the gallery!
| 08 September 2015 13:37
I want to create a large carved mirror. 54''x84''. Due to the large size, I am unsure of the best way to cut out the holes. Would it still be safe to use a scroll saw on these large pieces or should I stick with a hand coping saw? or something else entirely?
Thank you for your time,
Jessica
| 21 January 2013 15:03
Denny - OAK: I'm afraid that the US Oaks only approximate to the feel and carveability of European Oaks (in the same way that Basswood only approximates to Limewood). Which is not to say you can't make a lovely mirror like this out of tight-grained White Oak, say, as David suggests. SANDPAPER: you are right. I try never to sand anything that I'm going to later carve. In this case, I'd finished with the gouges.
| 20 January 2013 14:01
Hi there Chris. I have two questions. You are using "English Oak". Is this similar to red or white oak you find here in the US? Is your oak any softer or easier to carve?
Also, you mention using sandpaper to clean up the bottom edges of the quadrafoil holes. It seems that this could be hard on the gouge edges if there is any sandpaper grit left on the wood?
Thanks
Denny
