Soaring Eagle Fretwork Set

Patterns / Projects

Soaring Eagle Fretwork Set

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.

 

 


Further Reading

Want more wildlife patterns? Charlie is the author of Wildlife Portraits in Wood, which contains 30 patterns for assorted animals, including sharks, dolphin, deer, lions, leopards, and more. The book is available for $14.95 +S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing or your local retailer.

 

 


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