Soaring Eagle Fretwork Set

by Mindy Kinsey — August 16, 2017

Celebrate the beauty of nature with these stunning portraits

By Charles Dearing

Capture the grace and majesty of eagles in flight with these beautiful portraits. My secret for cutting the frets is to use a spiral blade, which cuts in all directions and makes it easy to create the small shapes that combine to create the design. Transfer a section of the pattern to scrap wood and practice with the blades before you start the project—they have a different feel than traditional blades and you’ll want to get the hang of it before you cut the project.

Making the Portraits

Cut the wood to size. I suggest you stack-cut thin pieces of wood rather than just cutting one portrait; the slight resistance of the stack makes it easier to cut than a single thin piece of wood and protects the fragile wood bridges. (See Scroll Saw Basics for information on stacking wood.) Attach the pattern to the wood stack with spray adhesive. Drill blade-entry holes and cut the fretwork, saving the cutout pieces whenever possible. After you finish cutting, replace the cutout pieces to support the fretwork while you sand the project smooth. Apply a clear spray finish and frame as desired.

Materials:

Baltic birch plywood, 1/8″ (3mm) thick: 2 each 10″ x 12″ (25.4cm x 30.5cm), plus additional pieces for stacking, if desired
Spray adhesive
Sandpaper
Finish: clear spray
Materials for stack cutting (see Scroll Saw Basics)

Tools:

Scroll saw blades: #0 or #2 spiral blades
Drill and assorted small bits
Sander

Patterns:

Click here to download the patterns.

About the Author

Charlie Dearing says his artistic talents were evident at an early age, but he didn’t discover the joys of scrolling until later in life. Scrolling became an addiction, so Charlie started creating his own designs when he couldn’t find commercial patterns to meet his needs. Visit his website at www.woodenvisions.com.