# wood Dresden Heart Help please



## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

So as you know my wife quilts and see made a Quilt of the Dresden Heart. so I'm attempting do do one in wood... cutout on the band saw went will but I'm having trouble figuring out how I want to put it together. I thought a backer board so I cut a small one but during lay out it seems to not be stable enough to glue up so I attached a couple of pictures,one is a quilt, the other two are mine. This will hang up I think on a wall and i guess what I am asking for is input on putting it together, i. e. glue them to each other, or glue them to a backer board large enough to support the lay out them cut it somehow.... or something else maybe?


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I would glue them together first, and then attach them to the backer board.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

I wonder if you could not glue these to a canvas and then glue the whole thing to backer-board. kind of like they do on roll top desks


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

see if there is some thing in here that' ll help...
Substrates for Wood Veneering

how thick is your material??


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I would tape the face together like you show it with blue tape, then roll glue onto the backer board and lay on the wet glue orient the position then lay a wide board carefully on top and weight it or clamp it down like the Marquetry guys do. When the glue drys overnight remove the weight , and the blue tape, you might want to sand it at this point before you put the heart on top.

Then position the heart on top and glue it and weight it down til the glue drys. Take off the weight and sand the heart. 

You might need to cut in veneer around the edges if you are going to leave the backer board square. I you are cutting the backer board to the points on the star then you will want to edge the backer board with something. 

Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

rough cut the backer to size and then rebate it with a rabbet bit...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> rough cut the backer to size and then rebate it with a rabbet bit...


Like Stick says or......

Or Wrap it with a rabbited frame,like framing a picture.

Herb


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

My deepest thanks to you all for the replies, Herb, your suggestion seemed simplest for me to do, as a beginner I still struggle with some of the techniques you all put forth, I'm reminded I've still got a long way to go.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

As Stick previously asked how thick are the pieces, if they're 5/8 to 3/4" why install a backer at all? If you require a backer as an offset to add depth/character to the piece, a 1/4" ply backer can be recessed away from the perimeter enough to add a shadow line and make room for the wall hanger.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Stick486 said:


> see if there is some thing in here that' ll help...
> Substrates for Wood Veneering
> 
> how thick is your material??


Sorry sir I missed your question, these are all .5 inch each


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Ghidrah - sorry and thanks, I missed Stick's question, they are all .5 inch and I should add the purple heart is .75. And my thinking about a backer board is to hang it.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Semipro said:


> I wonder if you could not glue these to a canvas and then glue the whole thing to backer-board. kind of like they do on roll top desks


Thank you, I'll test this on some scrap.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

¼'' plywood recessed back from the edge...


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Dcrusoe,
I did something, (1st time) sorta similar a few years back, although I dubbed it "Heart Compass", a jewelry box with bunches of hidden compartments. The heart is also PH and rightly so. All the material minus the PH and maples were very old and reclaimed, all except the heart was about 3/32", wouldn't you know the maple had some shrinkage problems.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> ¼'' plywood recessed back from the edge...



thats the ticket! 
A circle half the diameter of the entire piece should hold fine. Glued edges will provide plenty of strength in this application....IMHO


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> thats the ticket!
> A circle half the diameter of the entire piece should hold fine. Glued edges will provide plenty of strength in this application....IMHO


because of so much grain/ray variations in his pieces I'd take the backing to as larges as I could...
splining the outer ends of the pieces just may be in order... 
1/8'' splines...
those fans are going to want to move and because of the shape they won't do it uniformly..


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> because of so much grain/ray variations in his pieces I'd take the backing to as larges as I could...
> splining the outer ends of the pieces just may be in order...
> 1/8'' splines...
> those fans are going to want to move and because of the shape they won't do it uniformly..



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....never gave expansion a second thought..which in this particular instance cold have proven to have been a fatal mistake...point well made/taken.....

If he were to go with a 1/8" spline (which is an excellent suggestion), I don't know that I'd bother with a backer...


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

I haven't tried to copy a quilt pattern but I routinely use odd bits from the cutoff bin to design boxes and small house planters. Interestingly, my wife who is also a quilter is frequently the one in charge of placing the bits to achieve the best pattern. I've used Herb's suggestion of taping, gluing and compressing the materials onto a backer board on all of those and it works very well. The point that Stick and others make about rebating the backer board is a sound one. 

I look forward to the finished project.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Stick486 said:


> because of so much grain/ray variations in his pieces I'd take the backing to as larges as I could...
> splining the outer ends of the pieces just may be in order...
> 1/8'' splines...
> those fans are going to want to move and because of the shape they won't do it uniformly..


Oaky EILIF please 1/8 splines where what?


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I like all the suggestions given ,in my own opinion, I doubt if there will be an expansion or contraction problem because the edges are open to the world. It is not restricted so so is free to expand and contract as it sees fit. and it is so small the amount of expansion is quite small if there is any.
Also if the center hole is left open that even will give and area for expansion inward. I think we are over thinking things.

Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....never gave expansion a second thought..which in this particular instance cold have proven to have been a fatal mistake...point well made/taken.....
> 
> If he were to go with a 1/8" spline (which is an excellent suggestion), I don't know that I'd bother with a backer...


I'd be leary of cupping...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

kant the seams ever so slightly for camouflage....


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

an interesting conundrum!!!!


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

essentially what Dave got here is one very WIDE board that will expand over its width, which in this case would comprise all 16 pieces...

kant...forgo the adhesive, hard mount each of the individual pieces separately to a backer? Do essentially the same with the heart?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> Oaky EILIF please 1/8 splines where what?


EILIF???

centered length wise on the mating edges...
use a slot cutter and make the splines w/ the grain perpendicular to the edge...
make the splines snug to a fuzz loose but not tight and they don't need to be very deep.....
Freud Tools | 2" (Dia.) Stacked Slotting Set

you could experiment....
make the splines from high contrast woods and visible between fans as accents...
do kant or round over the fan top edges...
do experiments on scrap for visual and aesthetics...


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

EILIF- Explain It Like I'm Five


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Okay reading now Sticks.Thanks


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Dave... BTW, your wife does nice work....and your heart should be a looker as well...what is the significiance of a Dresden Heart?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> EILIF- Explain It Like I'm Five


got it...
for me EILIT would work better...


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

one of my favorite words: 

EXPERIMENT


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> one of my favorite words:
> 
> EXPERIMENT


it works...


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

my time in my shop is essentially one big experiment....


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> my time in my shop is essentially one big experiment....


film at 11???


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Dave... BTW, your wife does nice work....and your heart should be a looker as well...what is the significiance of a Dresden Heart?


thank you sir! I'll pass that along to my wife, it'll give her a smile. The Dresden Heart is a version of the Dresden Plate quilt pattern which was one of the most popular quilts made during the 1920s and 30s


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Stick486 said:


> EILIF???
> 
> centered length wise on the mating edges...
> use a slot cutter and make the splines w/ the grain perpendicular to the edge...
> ...



Okay so I've never done that and don't have a slotting bit.hmmm, so what if...

What if I spaced them by about 1/8 or 1/16 inch and used a clear epoxy? Or should I learn the spine? and BTW can I do this successfully on a 1/2 inch piece? that's 32 cuts.... hmmm


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> Okay so I've never done that and don't have a slotting bit.hmmm, so what if...
> 
> What if I spaced them by about 1/8 or 1/16 inch and used a clear epoxy? Or should I learn the spine? and BTW can I do this successfully on a 1/2 inch piece? that's 32 cuts.... hmmm


learn the spline...
using a router and a slotting bit it's cake and pie...
an yes you can do this successfully on ½'' material... and thinner...
skip the exotic glue...
it can get brittle on you over time...


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Stick486 said:


> learn the spline...
> using a router and a slotting bit it's cake and pie...
> an yes you can do this successfully on ½'' material... and thinner...
> skip the exotic glue...
> it can get brittle on you over time...


well roger that, I'll keep you posted, thank you for the guidance!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

more experimenting..

install a contrasting spline the full perimeter of the fans...
all of them..
every other one...
use the protruding spline as a border, ray enhancement or as an added 3d effect/affect...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

note...
when you cut the slot for the spline be careful not to climb cut...


.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Just wanted to add I ordered the Slotting Cutters, though to be up front, not the one in your link  a little bit more than I can spent, so I went with a cheap set that I know won't last ;-)

3-Wing Slotting Cutters - Lee Valley Tools


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

dcrusoe said:


> Just wanted to add I ordered the Slotting Cutters, though to be up front, not the one in your link  a little bit more than I can spent, so I went with a cheap set that I know won't last ;-)
> 
> 3-Wing Slotting Cutters - Lee Valley Tools



Keep those carbide cutters clean and when the time comes, get a cheapo diamond card sharpener. You might be surprised at how much mileage you'll get from the cutters you ordered from LV...


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Keep those carbide cutters clean and when the time comes, get a cheapo diamond card sharpener. You might be surprised at how much mileage you'll get from the cutters you ordered from LV...


roger that, but I'm coming after you to teach me how when the time comes!!


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

easy peezy, lemon squeezy


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> Just wanted to add I ordered the Slotting Cutters, though to be up front, not the one in your link  a little bit more than I can spent, so I went with a cheap set that I know won't last ;-)
> 
> 3-Wing Slotting Cutters - Lee Valley Tools


having different diameter bearings for depth of cut control is what matter the most right now...
you only want a slot a ¼'' deep or so...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> roger that, but I'm coming after you to teach me how when the time comes!!


now that you mentioned it...


.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

you people sure as hell want to make us wannabe's read a lot you know that right? 

;-)


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

dcrusoe said:


> you people sure as hell want to make us wannabe's read a lot you know that right?
> 
> ;-)


your wish...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

more...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

keep reading...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

get comfy...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

just enough to tide you over...


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

exactly what I was talking about!! no shop time for me


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

oh yeah...


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

now, your just show'n off !!!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> now, your just show'n off !!!


naw...
just trying to bring Dave up to speed...


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> naw...
> just trying to bring Dave up to speed...


A little homework usually pays big dividends...short term and long term


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

TwoSkies57 said:


> A little homework usually pays big dividends...short term and long term



What do you mean a little?? Did you see all the links he posted? Just waiting for a FNG like me to come along.... ghesh


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

dcrusoe said:


> What do you mean a little?? Did you see all the links he posted? Just waiting for a FNG like me to come along.... ghesh



Ya gotta pay your dues!!! 

a year from now, you'll be the one slinging out those PDF's to the new guy and answering questions....its a viscous circle and you just happened to run into one of the big dawgs...


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## schnewj (Nov 18, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Ya gotta pay your dues!!!
> 
> a year from now, you'll be the one slinging out those PDF's to the new guy and answering questions....its a viscous circle and you just happened to run into one of the big dawgs...


Don't be like most of the new guys here, read the PDF's and learn. A lot of questions could be answered just by doing a little reading. Still confused, then ask the questions.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

schnewj said:


> Don't be like most of the new guys here, read the PDF's and learn. A lot of questions could be answered just by doing a little reading. Still confused, then ask the questions.


Don't worry I'm way worse than most guys. They tell me once they adjust the meds I'll be fine though.


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## Moz (Nov 13, 2015)

Just as I start setting up my equipment, excited to be getting close to powering up...More reading... sigh.

On the Burning Bits pdf, the advice (well given) is to clean your bits after every use.
Do I have to use the prescribed specialized Router Bit Cleaner?

Or would any of the "traditional solvents," like turps, mineral spirits, or acetone work?
I was a hairdresser for years, many years ago. Acetone is like, my standard go to for dissolving anything gummy on metal...

Thank you for the Study Guides again, Stick.
They, along with all you wonderful people here on RF, have done SO much to take away the 'scary,' while encouraging the 'excited,' part of routing and woodworking...
Once I master beehives, my 'pie in the sky' dream is to someday progress to learn to make "daiza" stands for suiseki rock viewing...








I have always liked rocks...I have so many in my head, it comes naturally... 

~M


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

Moz - I second your comments you've expressed better than I how nice it has been to learn from the folks here. In my field it is sometimes a challenge to work with and learn from other "experts" I sometimes need to fall back on the focus rule.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

so I got my slot bit and this weekend worked on the Heart. However looks like the bit I got could have been a bit bigger. I used my thin strip cutting jig to rip my stock but getting it thin enough caused me a head ache! more next weekend and I attempt to assemble the heart.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

adjustments...

Freud Slot Cutting Router Bit - justfreud.com


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