Making the bell ornaments

[Curt Fuller]

These ornaments are easy enough that even I can do them with my 4th grade math skills. First you take two pieces of wood approx 12" x 3" x 3/4". The length is a little extra but I don't like getting my fingers too close to the saw blade to it gives you a little to hold on to. The other dimensions can vary so long as both are the same. Then you need a 12" x 3" piece of 1/8" thick birch plywood. Just glue the plywood between them like a sandwich and let it dry.#1 glue up.jpg
Then you set your miter saw (or table saw with sled) to 30 degrees, cut the very end off the glue up, flip it over 180 degrees and cut the first segment. Just repeat that until you have 6 segments.#2 30 degree cuts.jpg#3 continue 30 degree cuts.jpg#4 all 6 pieces cut.jpg
to be continued.....

[Curt Fuller]

Next you glue 3 of the segments together to make half the ornament and the other 3 to make the other half#5 two halves glued up.jpg If your cuts are accurate and your gluing is too, you can now glue the two halves together. Mine never are and the surface needs to be flat so sand the two flats so the fit flat together and then glue them together#6 all glued up.jpg
Let that dry, then mount it between centers to round it off and make a tenon on one end.#7 between centers.jpg#8 rounded of with tenon.jpg

continued

[Curt Fuller]

Now chuck it up.....#9 chucked and partly shaped.jpgand begin shaping the outside of the bell. Once you get the general shape you want, hollow the bell...#10 still chucked with bell hollowed.jpg
Now, wrap the edge of the bell with a couple wraps of masking tape to protect the edge...#11 masking tape to protect edge.jpg and reverse it in the chuck like this...#12 reverse chucked.jpg Use very light pressure with the chuck jaws so you don't damage the bell. Mostly you just want it centered in the jaws. Apply a little pressure with the tail center so it won't slip when you finish shaping the bell. Take light cuts and be careful. #13 finish shaping.jpg Finally, backoff the tail center and drill the hole for the handle using a 1/4" forstner bit in a jacobs chuck in the tailstock..#14 drill for handle.jpg That's it for the bell part. Now the handle....
continued.....

[Curt Fuller]

There are probably hundreds of ways to do the handle. But this is how I do it....First I place a piece of wood about 1/2" square and about 5" long either between centers or as in the pic, held in the spigot jaws of a barracuda chuck with the tail center in place. I then round if of somewhat and make a tenon that's about 1" long.#15 tenon for handle.jpg Then I reverse it and hold it in the jaws with the tenon. I use the tailstock until I have it round and most of the waste wood removed.#16 handle chucked up.jpg Then I make the end of the handle with the curve I want and drill it for the eyescrew using a small #58 bit. #17 drill for eye screw.jpg From there I finish turning the handle. I prefer to do it without the tailstock, taking light cuts, but you can use the tail center and hold it lightly in the hole for the eyescrew or with a cup center.#18 mostly finished handle.jpg Now this is why I like to use a long (1" tenon). I now slide about half of the tenon out of the chuck, re-align it with the tail center, and turn finish the handle and turn the 1/4" handle that will fit into the bell using a 1/4" wrench for sizing it.#20 sizing handle.jpg Then just part if off, and glue it into the bell, screw in the eyescrew and it's ready for a shot of lacquer and finished.Redheart and birch plywood bell.jpg

[Scott Hackler]

Curt, that is awesome! If I get time before Christmas, I might try to make of of those. (the other ornaments come first)

Thanks for sharing your technique.

[Tom Winship]

That is great, Curt. Thanks for the tutorial.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thank you for sharing Curt.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curt...excellent tutorial!

Where do you get your 1/8" birch plywood?

[Doug W Swanson]

Great tutorial, Curt!

When you look at the ornaments, you'd think it would be really hard. This info really makes it look simple!

If you don't mind, I may have to borrow your ideas!

[John Keeton]

Great tutorial, Curt!! When I viewed the previous thread on the bell, I thought through much of this in relation to other possible ideas with this basic segmentation. But, the progress pics really help! Lots of possibilities here!

[Russell Eaton]

Thanks for showing Curt. Pictures always help.

[Roger Chandler]

Super tutorial Curt! Thanks a bunch!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Excellent tutorial Curt! You should think about having this published on the Creek front page! Lots more exposure!!

[Dan Cannon]

You read my mind Curt! I signed on to reply to your original thread from last night, I just couldn't quite visualize how this was done. Before I got to the other thready, I saw this one! Thank you very much for sharing.

Dan

[Tony De Masi]

Excellent tutorial Curt and thanks for taking the time to do it. Now it goes into my Favorites.