Making Wooden Puzzle Playsets E-Book

Carolea Hower

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 42

Beschreibung

For carving, scrolling, and woodburning fun, nothing beats these colorful chunky brainteasers. Combine a clever puzzle and a fun playset in one handy box. Inside this book you'll find 10 imaginative projects that are sure to captivate and delight everyone who sees them. Carve or scroll a farm in a barn, dragons in their lair, princesses in a castle, Santas at the North Pole, the Nativity in a manger, and more. Each cute puzzle can be completed in just one weekend. Full-size, ready-to-transfer patterns include woodburning detail lines to enhance each piece. Detailed cutting and painting instructions include step-by-step photos, material/tool lists, and painting guides. These self-contained puzzles are perfect to display or give to friends and family. They're fun to assemble, but just as entertaining to play with. You'll burn a puzzle solution onto the back of each carrying case—but try to put the pieces back into place without peeking!

Leseprobe

About the Author

Carolea Hower grew up on a small dairy farm in Kansas. Today, she lives in a small south-central Kansas community, where she still actively farms with her husband, Ken. After working as a physical therapist for 44 years, Carolea retired and now “plays” with wood full time. (She notes that, before she retired, woodworking came after a day of work and her duties as a wife and mother, but before housework.) She also enjoys hunting and fishing with her husband.

Carolea’s grandfather, an accomplished woodworker, taught her how to use a scroll saw when she was young. She focused on scrolling until 1992, when she saw a wonderfully carved Santa and decided to make one. She bought a book on Santa carving and has been carving ever since. She earned her first blue ribbon in a carving contest for her dragon “Smaug,” and has since earned many more. She carves a variety of subjects; Santas and miniatures are her favorites. She often designs her carvings in Sculpey and relies on Ken to rough them out in wood using a small homemade duplicator; Carolea admits that she likes to carve details, but doesn’t like the rough-out work.

Carolea says that as she carves or scrolls, she is transported back in time to experiences of her childhood. She enjoys remembering a slower, more gentle time.

Contents

PART 1: LEARNING THE SKILLS

Getting Started

Tools & Supplies

Basic Techniques

Index

PART 2: PROJECTS

Old MacDonald’s Farm

Carved Dragon Castle

Once Upon A Time

Noah’s Ark Two Ways

Jurassic Puzzle

Merry Christmas

Squished Santas

O Holy Night Nativity

A Heap of Snowmen

Father Christmas Collection

Getting Started

Puzzle playsets are easy to make. You’ll just need to make a few simple cuts using hand or power tools to shape the box and separate the pieces, glue and screw the box together, and then add the details to the puzzle pieces.

The pieces can be as simple or complex as you like. I usually woodburn the lines and paint the pieces. The woodburning helps to define the shapes and separate the paint colors, but you can leave it out if you prefer. I also enjoy shaping the pieces with carving tools. Like the woodburning, carving is entirely optional. You could also cut the pieces from hardwood, woodburn the details, and finish them with clear lacquer, or even cut the pieces from pine and give them to kids to color with markers or paint pens. The projects are intended to be fun and versatile.

This book includes two step-by-step projects: one shows the basic scrolling method and the other shows the carving method. All of the patterns can be used either way. These additional tips and tricks will help you get started on both styles of project.

Choosing Wood

I use two types of wood for these puzzles: pine and basswood. I use pine for the scroll sawn puzzles. Pine is inexpensive, cuts easily, and shows the burned lines and finish well. However, pine can be difficult to carve, so I use basswood for the carved puzzles. Like pine, basswood is also light-colored and burns and accepts finishes well. Basswood is also fairly soft and has a regular grain pattern, which makes it very easy to carve.

You can buy pine at most lumberyards. You may need to visit a woodworking store or look online to buy basswood.

Pine

Preparing the Wood

Cut the pieces to the rough dimensions listed at the beginning of each project. Most of the lumber I buy for these puzzles comes ¾" (19mm) thick. If you slice the wood in half, you’re left with two ⅜" (10mm)-thick pieces, which I use for the bottom and doors on my puzzles. If you can’t slice (or resaw) thick blanks, most wood supply places and craft stores sell ¼" (6mm)- to ⅜" (10mm)-thick blanks.

Sand the cut wood with progressively finer grits of sandpaper up to 120 grit. It’s easier to remove imperfections from the wood now than after you cut the pieces.

Basswood

Working with Patterns

To cut the box and puzzle pieces, you will need to attach paper patterns to the wood. There are several easy ways to attach the patterns.

■SPRAY ADHESIVE OR GLUE STICK: Photocopy the pattern. Cover the wood with painter’s tape, which will lubricate the saw blade and make it easy to peel the pattern off. Spray adhesive or rub glue stick on the back of the pattern and smooth the pattern onto the tape. Cover the pattern with clear packing tape, if desired; this also helps to lubricate the blade.

■SHELF PAPER: