Lighthouse and Sailboat Portraits
Dip your toes into the world of fretwork with two classic nautical designs
By Sheila Landry
Cut by Robert Carpentier
Do you yearn to be swept into a swashbuckling tale complete with moonlit ships, mysterious lighthouses, and buried chests full of rubies and doubloons? Then this is the project for you! My intermediate fretwork designs are simple, clean, and well suited to a variety of décor styles. I even gave them the look of an old-fashioned woodcut for a slightly vintage feel. Before making your first cut, make sure your tools are organized with this blade sorting tip.
Getting StartedPhotocopy the original patterns and keep them for future reference. Prepare the wood; this is an excellent pattern for stack-cutting several copies at once. I recommend three layers of 1/8″ (3mm)-thick plywood. If stack-cutting, tape the stack together, binding all four edges tightly with clear packaging tape. Place a layer of blue painter’s tape over the top layer and apply the pattern to the tape with spray adhesive. Drill the blade-entry holes for all inside cuts. |
Cutting and FinishingMake the interior cuts; I used a #2/0 blade, but you could use a larger blade if cutting a denser material or a thicker stack. I used a #5 spiral blade for the rock formation details under the lighthouse, drilling the entry holes with a 3/64″ (1.2mm)-diameter bit. Once all of the interior cuts are made, cut the perimeter. Then cut the backing board. Remove the pattern pieces and sand the wood by hand or with an orbital sander, moving up progressively through the grits until you reach 320. Be very careful not to catch any delicate pieces while sanding. Clean off excess dust with a tack cloth. Apply a finish; I sprayed on several thin coats of clear satin polyurethane for the blue pine backer, letting the finish dry thoroughly and sanding lightly between coats (I used 600-grit, but use any high-grit paper you have). Because I cut the front layer from plywood, I used two coats of ebony stain to create a contrast. If you use a stain and want the wood grain to be visible, wipe the stain off immediately with a clean, dry rag. When the stain has dried, spray with several coats of satin polyurethane, sanding with a high-grit paper between coats as you did with the backer. Glue and clamp the portrait to the backer and let dry. Place in a frame for hanging, if desired. |
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Materials • Wood, such Baltic birch plywood, 1/8″ (3mm) thick: portrait, 8″ x 10″ (20.3cm x 25.4cm) (stack-cut 3, if desired) • Wood, such as blue pine, 1/8″ (3mm) thick: backer, 8″ x 10″ (20.3cm x 25.4cm) • Tape: blue painter’s, clear (if stack-cutting) • Spray adhesive • Sandpaper: assorted grits to 600 • Wood glue • Stain, such as Varathane ebony (optional) • Spray finish, such as clear satin polyurethane • Frame: 9 1/2″ x 11 3/4″ (24.1cm x 29.9cm) (optional) • Clean, dry rags or tack cloths Tools • Scroll saw with blades: #2/0 or higher, if desired, #5 spiral (for rock formation details) • Drill with bit: 1/16″ (2mm), 3/64″ (1.2mm)-dia. • Sander: orbital • Clamps |
| About the Author |
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Sheila Bergner-Landry grew up in the Chicago area and began her woodworking and painting career when her daughter Danielle was born, more than 20 years ago. A friend, Cari Denison, introduced her to scroll sawing. Sheila relocated to Nova Scotia, Canada, where she has found new inspiration for designs. For more of her patterns, call 902-482-7174 or visit sheilalandrydesigns.com. |
| About the Cutter |
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Robert Carpentier is a retired music teacher living in West Islip, N.Y. He began scrolling in 2010 and joined a local woodworking club. He studied intarsia with Judy Gale Roberts in 2012 and has since done many solo exhibits, displaying over 60 pieces in fretwork, intarsia, inlay, and segmentation. Reach out to Robert via email at rcarpen51@yahoo.com. |
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