Pumpkin Pattern in new issue

[Dragon]

I guess I'll stay away from that pattern for this year. Thanks for the explanation Bob.
Diane

[BobD]

You can handle it, Diane! I have faith in you!

Just cut 1/8" or so outside the lines. Then make the layout guide like the article tells you (the circle) and align the pieces next to each other, and sand the pieces until they fit.

It's really almost like doing intarsia.

Bob

[SawTooth]

I think it was a little 'cruel' to instruct "Cut a 1/4" wide by 1/8" deep rabbet on the inside ring of the bottom of the box" in Step 11. I think you ought to have given some hints on how someone might do that... and tell us why you'd want to wait until the box is glued up to do it.

Myself, I'd want to either rout the rabbet on a router table before the glue-up (using a tenoning-type jig) OR even easier would be to clamp the side segment pieces to a scrap with 90-degree squared sides and cut the rabbets with the scroll saw (again, before the glue-up in Step 7)(the outlines for the rabbet could have been drawn in the shaping profile patterns and should be cut before doing the shaping).

I haven't started on the Pumpkin Box yet... but am I wrong?

Spence

PS. BobD, I don't see how you can say anything to defend printing a lid segment pattern that was not accurately representing 1/12 of a circle. In truth, this project should only be like intarsia in the rounding over and shaping of the segments, and there would not be "sanding to fit" if the pattern was correct. The problem is, as you said, "I just did a rough sketch of the pieces, and it was a bit undersized when you use the pattern exactly."

[BobD]

Thanks for your input, Spence. I'll keep that in mind the next time I edit an article like this.

The author used a rabbet bit with a bearing and found it easier to cut the entire rabbet at one time using a router table.

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[knothead]

[quote=SawTooth;131511]I think it was a little 'cruel' to instruct "Cut a 1/4" wide by 1/8" deep rabbet on the inside ring of the bottom of the box" in Step 11. I think you ought to have given some hints on how someone might do that... and tell us why you'd want to wait until the box is glued up to do it.

Spence,

After you have the pumpkin body done, set it on a piece of 1/4 bb, trace on the inside, cut and install from the inside. Much easier than trying to cut a rabbet and looks just as good. If anyone critiques your work by what it looks like on the bottom, tell them to make it themselves.

Tom

[SawTooth]

BobD and Tom,
Thanks for sharing those options... they both sound easier than what I came up with.

"...using a rabbet bit w/bearing on the router table" must have been accidentally left out of step 11.

I think it is a great project... the points discussed in this message thread will make it easier for me to get it done. Thanks.

Spence