Trying to conserve wood -- can this be done safely?

[Porter Bassett]

I'm making some scroll-saw baskets (as seen here). All of the ones pictured were made from a relatively small amount of wood, because the patterns for the different sized baskets nest into one another, as can be seen here. For the amount of wood that it takes to make the largest basket, I get to make one of each of all of the basket sizes. I cut out three of the patterns and glue up the baskets.

The problem is that I want the smaller diameter baskets to be proportionally shorter as well. I can't run it through the planer, because I need the inside pieces to be thinner than the outer pieces. I tried "re-sawing" these thin elliptical shapes on my band saw. Not only was it scary as all get-out, but the wood broke a couple of times as I tried to do this.

If I had a drum sander, it could probably be used for this sort of thing (although it would probably be fairly tedious). Short of that, is there a safe way to do this?

I'm guessing no. I'm thinking that if I want to achieve this effect, I need to cut more levels out of thinner stock, and put more levels into the larger baskets than the smaller ones.

But still, it doesn't hurt to ask. (I hope! )

[Glen Butler]

I assume you cut the largest one first. Resaw it before you cut the next smaller elipse. Then it cant collapse on you.

[Lee Schierer]

I assume you cut the largest one first. Resaw it before you cut the next smaller elipse. Then it cant collapse on you.

I concur....

[Porter Bassett]

Actually, it's a lot easier to cut the patterns out if I cut the smallest first -- that way I have a much larger piece of wood to hold onto when scrollsawing.

[Robert Reece]

Why not use a router with a circle jig and large diameter bit (like 1") to plow out the different heights you need, before cutting anything from the blank. So you would have a rosette looking chunk of wood. As long as you laid out the radii correctly, they would match up with you proposed scroll cuts.

[Henry Ambrose]

Use double sided tape to attach the part you want to cut onto a holding block then pass that assembly through your bandsaw. Or glue the part to a holding block and cut to size then cut off the part from the block through the glue joint.

[Porter Bassett]

That is a really interesting idea.

[Robert Reece]

yeah, let us know how it works. I'll be interested in hearing.