Sheila Landry Designs Sheila Bergner-Landry, Designer RR#1 box 47, Metghan, Nova Scotia, Canada B0W 2J0 Phone and Fax: 902-482-7174 Email: [email protected] Website Address: www.sheilalandrydesigns.com SLD131 Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf An Original Pattern With Complete Instructions Sheila Landry Designs Sheila Bergner-Landry, Designer RR#1 box 47, Metghan, Nova Scotia, Canada B0W 2J0 Phone and Fax: 902-482-7174 Email: [email protected] Website Address: www.sheilalandrydesigns.com SLD131 Victorian Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf Introduction Since moving to Canada , I have met many wonderful people. It always amazes me that no matter where you go, the common thread of woodworking and scroll sawing seems to form an instant bond between strangers. I fi nd this evident every time I attend a woodworking show. Several weeks ago, I received a call from Warren Paton, who lives here in Digby. Warren owns and operates a nice shop called ‘Return of the Toymaker’, where he displays and sells his wonderful hand-made woodworking creations (many which are scroll sawn). The shop is very picturesque, as it overlooks the Bay of Fundy where the tides rise and fall up to 28 feet each day. Warren had come across a package of scroll saw patterns that he had purchased at a nearby yard sale over ten years ago. He brought them over to show me and we carefully pored over them. The paper that they are printed on is brittle, yellowed and torn in places. (There was no shelf piece given, so I drew one up myself). Some of the patterns had small pieces missing from them. Many of the patterns literally crumbled apart as we opened the sheets to see the designs. On many of the patterns, we could see the publication dates, ranging from 1901 to 1926. On several of the designs, we could also see where peopled had traced over the lines to use them. It was fascinating to us to think that almost a hundred years ago people had made and created these wonderful projects! In studying the intricate designs, it amazed me to think that when these patterns were popular, there was no such thing as a ‘power scroll saw’. Woodworkers hand cut these designs out using either a coping saw or foot-powered scroll saws. There was no such thing as variable speed saws and many of the ‘luxuries’ that we scroll sawyers have today. When I look at the complexity of the patterns and realize just what tools people had to work with, I have a great admiration for the artisans of that era. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I bring you the Victorian Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf. I restored the design from the original, and I had to add in some things here and there, but the essence of the design is still evident. It is an elegant and beautiful little curio shelf and I think it was fun to do and makes a great gift. I hope you enjoy this Vintage pattern and I hope that if you are ever near Digby in Nova Scotia, you will come to see Warren at his shop ‘Return of the Toymaker’. Supplies Needed -One piece of wood (Cherry was used in the example) 7” wide x 14” long x 3/8” thick -Small brass saw tooth hanger with nails to attach it -Scroll saw blades – Size 2 reverse tooth and 5 reverse tooth -Temporary adhesive spray glue -Clear packaging tape (2”) -Drill press and drill bits size 1/16” and 5/64” -Router or Laminate Trimmer with a small round over bit for edging -Hand-held orbital sander and various grits of sandpaper -Spray Varnish in the fi nish of your choice (Satin was used) -Clear-drying wood glue (clear ‘liquid nails’ brand recommended) Procedure -Make photocopies of the original patterns and keep them for future reference. Patterns may be reproduced for the purpose of making the project – not for resale purposes. Finished items that are made by hand may be sold for profi t, but not mechanically manufactured. Credit to the designer is encouraged. Preparing the Wood -Plane your board to three eighths of an inch. -Beginning with 120 grit sandpaper, sand both sides of your wood with your hand-held orbital sander to remove the planer marks and smooth out the wood. SLD131 Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf Page 2 -Graduate up to at least 220 grit sandpaper to make the surface of your wood satin smooth. This will make it much easier to fi nish your project after you are done cutting out the design. -Use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum and vacuum all the dust and debris from your piece of wood. -Apply the pattern pieces to the wood by lightly spraying the back of your pattern pieces with a misting of temporary spray adhesive. Allow the spray to tack up for a couple of seconds until it feels as tacky as masking tape and apply the pattern to your wood pieces, being aware of the direction of the grain. -Place a layer of clear packaging tape over the entire surface of the design to help prevent burning of hard woods. Cherry was used in the example, so I was sure to do this step and there weren’t any burn marks at all. -Use the 5/64” drill bit to drill out the round holes in the butterfl y’s wings and a 1/16” bit to drill out the other entry holes. -After drilling the entry holes, turn over the piece and hand-sand the back of it so that it is perfectly fl at and won’t teeter on your saw table. Once again, vacuum the sawdust from the piece. Cutting -Use the #2 reverse scroll saw blade to cut out the back and support piece of the shelf, beginning with the inside cuts and working your way to the edges. -Cut out the top shelf piece, using the #5 blade. -The only piece that needs rounding over is the front of the shelf. Route the front edge only of the top of the shelf, using a small round over bit. Finishing -Carefully remove all pattern pieces. -Sand each piece using a hand-held orbital sander and 220-grit sandpaper to remove the majority of the burrs. You can work up to a fi ner grit paper if desired. Remove the last of the burrs by hand using a small piece of sandpaper, a sanding stick or a knife. -Once again, use the brush attachment and carefully vacuum the pieces thoroughly to remove all dust and debris before applying a fi nish. -Since this project is so intricate, I used several coats of spray varnish in a satin fi nish to protect and fi nish it. I lightly sprayed each coat from a different angle and allowed the varnish to dry thoroughly between coats. Assembly -Before assembly, mark the placement for the nails of the hanger. -Drill pilot holes where the hanger nails are to go, being careful not to drill through to the front. -The nails that came with my hangers were quite long, so I had to cut them down to size (approximately 3/8”) with a wire cutter. -For this project and similar ones, I like to use ‘Liquid Nails Clear’ glue. I think it is a good choice because it is gel-type glue, which is clear, weatherproof and has a good, strong bond. The gel helps fi ll in areas where the wood is not perfectly straight and remains fl exible when dry and not crack as brittle glue does. On a small project like this, which is mainly decorative, it bonds strong enough without having to drill and nail or screw the pieces together, which would risk breaking the delicate pieces. -Before gluing, I used a little piece of sandpaper to rough up the edges where the glue will be applied. -I then apply glue to the back edge of the shelf support and put it into place. The Liquid Nails is quite tacky and you should only need to hold it in place for a few seconds. -Next, apply glue to the top of the shelf support piece and the back of the shelf piece. -Carefully center the shelf into place and roll it onto the shelf support piece. Hold for a few minutes until it tacks up, adjusting the positioning while the glue is soft to exactly where it should be. The top of the shelf should line up with the bottom of the butterfl y on the back piece. -Attach the hanger on the back by dipping the nails into the glue and gently tapping them into place. -Use your beautiful Victorian Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf to display small, light objects or curios. If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Sheila at 902-482-7174 or you can email me at [email protected]. You may also see and purchase other patterns by Sheila Bergner-Landry at www.sheilalandrydesigns.com and download a free catalog of designs. SLD131 Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf Page 3 SLD131 Butterfl y Fretwork Shelf Page 4 .