Very clever flat pack!

[Radio Fixer]

Well most if us know that the Italiens are very clever at woodwork. Their marquetry is breath taking.

But this is different and not seen by many people. A young fella was selling them on the quay of the island of Ischia. Very reasonable I thought for 8 Euro. I saw them no where else on my travels on the main Sorrento peninsular. This one, as you can see, is a frog and has a round bowl but he had other shapes such as loaf tin and with other animal cutouts.

   

Its laminated wood and it looks prefinished. The scroll saw has been set at an angle so that the bowls self wedge when opened out.

   

Pity Colin has sold the Hegner, the sort of challange he likes

Gary

[Joe]

Looks like one for David.

- Joe

[Radio Fixer]

Amazing that other people just ‘shooed’ the young fella away, with his bag over his shoulder, without even any interest or a look. But glad I did, I like clever things and its actually useful.

Just in case David's going to give it a go: the hinge between the bowl and the frame looks like two pins, about 1/8" that are neatly filled with a wood plug that is smoothed off on the outside. The foot hinges on a similar pin and it extends on the inside so that the bottom of the bowl 'plugs' onto it. There has to be a neat (routed) recess that allows the folded spiral to go over it and sit flat.

Gary

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks for adding this Gary it is most unusual. How these are sold for 8 Euro's makes me wonder just what profit is involved; the material has to be bought and to make a single one of these must be time consuming doing the cutting; assembly and finishing. Credit to the maker for ingenuity.

The spiral saw cut is obviously one cut and done freehand; this will take a lot of practice and as the cut will be so long if opened up it must be demanding on blades. I think if I had to make six such cuts I would feel giddy as a lot of concentration must be needed.

I never realized the full potential of my Hegner scroll saw as I always regarded it more of a toy than a serious woodworking machine; I seldom used the Hegner and it just sat on the bench idle most of the time; at well over £500 new these Hegner's are not a cheap bit of kit. I didn't even like using mine as it wasn't secured to the bench so vibration used to make it walk around. This is not the fault of the Hegner more down to my lack of use for it; when I bought it I thought it would be ideal for cutting patterns in plywood but I just couldn't settle with it so I finally sold it getting a very good price. I have reverted back to using either my coping saw or fret saw and to be honest I find this hand work to be more interesting.

I'm sure you are right Joe as I can just see David gearing up to to turn some nesting rings using slicing cutter on his lathe with the pattern being cut freehand using a fret saw.

Kind regards, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

Here's another bit of lateral thinking that SWMBO came across recently. The shelves fold up and the sides fold in and it's flat. The corner one is pretty tat but the flat one is good quality.
Alan

           

[Yorkie]

Amazing that other people just ‘shooed’ the young fella away, with his bag over his shoulder, without even any interest or a look. But glad I did, I like clever things and its actually useful.

Just in case David's going to give it a go: the hinge between the bowl and the frame looks like two pins, about 1/8" that are neatly filled with a wood plug that is smoothed off on the outside. The foot hinges on a similar pin and it extends on the inside so that the bottom of the bowl 'plugs' onto it. There has to be a neat (routed) recess that allows the folded spiral to go over it and sit flat.

Gary

I bought a similar wooden basket some years ago (in the shape of an apple with a stalk and two leaves when flat) as a gift for one of my sons. It was from an upmarket gift shop in the UK, made in cherry and cost rather more than eight Euro. I was intrigued by it and did a tracing of the spiral, thinking that if ever I got time, I'd have a go at one, but then I realised just how skilled it was and that the angle of cut of the scrollsaw is critical. Too much of an angle and the basket would be too shallow and not well proportioned, too vertical an angle would cause the spiral to just fall through. I've no doubt that those who make these spiral baskets will do it simply by eye and skill, but if I tried that with no guide lines, the end result would look as though I was wearing boxing gloves to manipulate the wood! I just know that it would end in tears and tantrums before bedtime

There used to be a quite elderly guy who travelled round the woodworking shows demonstrating Hegner scrollsaws. Not only was he highly skilled, he had the 'gift of the gab' and should have been something big in double glazing. I saw several people so enthralled at what he could do on the Hegner that they bought one on the spot. Ludicrous really - it's rather like watching a mandolin player and saying 'I'll have one of those please - I'd like to do that', or watching a plasterer work his magic, then buying a trowel to plaster a wall.

I was so taken by the versatility of the Hegner when I watched him working his magic about six years ago that I bought a far cheaper Rexon scrollsaw at the same show. Still in its box - I've never used it to this day. I dare say that the same will apply to many of those who were seduced by the demo and bought a Hegner.

The one power tool that I bought which I thought would be a white elephant but which on several occasions has proved indespensible is a biscuit jointer. I think that in terms of usefulness for my needs, I sat pillar drill #1, router #2, bandsaw #3. I've got a large(ish) bandsaw with nominally 6" thick capacity, and a smaller Charnwood bandsaw with 4" capacity. The latter has a Union jack on it, implying that it's British made, but I hope it isn't because the quality of the engineering is very poor indeed. The wheels don't run true, and certain components are poorly finished and aren't square. It's adequate for my needs - smaller bandsaws such as that one seem to be made down to a price rather than up to a standard, and aimed at the undiscerning DIY market. Same with pillar drills - I've inherited a nine speed one which originated from Screwfix. Nine speeds is ridiculous anyway, but there's play and backlash in the quill. Adequate - just.

[AlanBeckett]

Same with pillar drills - I've inherited a nine speed one which originated from Screwfix. Nine speeds is ridiculous anyway, but there's play and backlash in the quill. Adequate - just.

You need a proper Denbigh when it comes to Pillar Drills

Alan

   

[Yorkie]

Same with pillar drills - I've inherited a nine speed one which originated from Screwfix. Nine speeds is ridiculous anyway, but there's play and backlash in the quill. Adequate - just.

You need a proper Denbigh when it comes to Pillar Drills

Alan

You mean one like this Alan?

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/ant...ll-206508/

I really shouldn't tantalise you and Colin with sexy stuff like that - I know how excited you get at the prospect of fettling

[AlanBeckett]

David,

Yes, that's the one. I wonder how it got over there.
I'm a member of that Forum but not very active as it's very professional.
The picture I posted is my drill by the way
I've spent the last week or so fitting a new motor, with some help from Col.
I've also got a small one for more delicate operations. Spot the deliberate mistake - it came like that.

Alan

   

[Joe]

One of the pulleys is upside-down.

- Joe