Follow My Carving - Step 13

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

It’s time for the final assembly. After checking all the pieces for fit, holes are drilled in the lower frame piece and in both feet so they can be attached later with small screws. A rubber band is used to help hold all the frame pieces together while the stained glass is inserted behind the carving. The rubber band also helps hold the full assembly together while the corners are being glued. This allows each frame piece to be separated at the corners just enough to swab the interior with wood glue while still holding the rest of the pieces in place.

After applying all the glue, special right-angled metal pieces are placed at each corner. One side is bent to fit under the frame while the other side is bent in the opposite direction to help keep the banding strap in place. The orange banding strap is slowly tightened as the frame is routinely checked for a square fit. Once the strap is secured as tight as it will go, the assembly is left overnight, allowing the wood glue to cure fully. The next step will be to insert tiny nails into the corners. Gluing the assembly together first ensures that it will be held dead square when the nails are inserted.

The finished piece will be ready soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.