Leaderboard

Step 1 Once I have my pattern printed out, I just need to trim it to fit onto my board. I’m using 3/4″ cherry for this project. Step 2 I sprayed the back of the pattern with spray adhesive. I let that dry for a few moments until it’s tacky like a Post-It Note. In hindsight, I should have applied a layer of clear packing tape over the top of the pattern. Cherry is notorious for burning. The lubrication the tape provides would have reduced the amount of burning. Step 3 I drilled some pilot holes in the monogram area and the bottle neck area. I also added a pilot hole just outside the pattern. That way I can cut the perimeter and maintain the surrounding wood. It makes it a little more stable as I cut. Step 4 I cut out the center hole first. I’m using a #3 Scroll Reverse blade. A #5 would work well here too. You can also cut this hole with a hole saw or a large Forstner bit. But cutting it with the scroll saw works well enough. Step 5 Now it’s time to cut the perimeter. You can cut in from the outside edge of the board, but the long pieces tend to bounce around. Instead, I used a pilot hole just outside the pattern. I like cutting the perimeter maintaining the surrounding wood, which adds a lot more stability during the cut. Step 6 Here’s our final cutting. I took extra care in getting sharp inside corners. Step 7 I spritz down the pattern with mineral spirits. After a few moments, the pattern practically falls off. Step 8 Cherry burns really easily. Here you can see the burn marks left behind from the scroll saw blade. I should have added a layer of packing tape to the top of the pattern. The tape will lubricate and cool the blade. Step 9 With my spindle sander, I remove the burn marks from the edge. Step 10 I used a round-over bit to soften up the edge of the wood. Be careful at the openings where the wine glass stems go. You have a good chance of blowout in those sections. I also used a chamfer bit on the bottom edge of where the neck of the bottle sits. The chamfer makes it sit on the bottle nicer. It’s not necessary, but it works nice. Step 11 Then it’s back to sanding. I used my random orbital sander to clean up the front and back. I also did some hand sanding in areas that I couldn’t reach. I also softened up some of the edges in the wine glass holders. Step 12 I used a star sander in the drill press to soften up the edges. Step 13 For the finish, I just used a satin clear acrylic spray. I really like Deft Wood Finish. I gave it about 4 coats. Then I sanded it with some 0000 steel wool. Then gave it another coat for a nice smooth finish. Final Project