What fun it is to Engrave on Glass!

With the Thanksgiving Holiday this week I took some time off to play with my Proxxon Engraver GG12. What a fun tool! I made this cute little candle holder that has snowflakes on it in just a little bit of time.

Supplies Needed for this Project:

Proxxon Engraver GG12

Glass jar

Ribbon

Battery operated tea light

Bowdabra Bow Maker

The Proxxon Engraver GG12 kit comes with all the pieces shown here. 

Instead of using a pattern taped to the inside of the little jar that I was using, I free handed some snowflakes all around the jar with little dots between. 

I thought the snowflakes looked pretty good but decided that the jar needed a little something more. 

So I used my Bowdabra bow maker to create a cute little bow to dress it up. I then placed a battery operated tea light on the inside and voila' a nice little decoration piece! I was a little worried at first using a new tool but this is just so easy! The only thing you always want to remember when using an engraver on glass is to wear a respirator and goggles because when you grind on glass you can get small particles of it in the air. I hope you enjoyed this little project and that you go on over to the Proxxon Tool Site and check out this particular tool. Just think of all of the projects you could create with it!

Please leave me a comment because I read them all. Thanks for looking at this review.

Barbara

Mini Christmas Packages by Steph

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today with a set of mini Christmas packages.  This is a perfect project to create with the kids in mind.

Supplies:

Proxxon Hot Wire Cutter

Plaid Paints

Ribbon

Who doesn't love decorating for Christmas?  Even if you only have a small space to decorate, it's still possible to create a design you will love.

To create my packages, I used the Hot Wire Cutter to cut foam into squares.

Taking only seconds to warm up, you can use the Hot Wire Cutter to cut foam into any size you need.  I cu my foam into several sizes.

Next, I painted the foam blocks with assorted colors of Plaid paint.

Once they dried, I realized I need some smaller blocks so I used the Hot Wire Cutter again to cut the blocks.  Again, the painted foam cut easily; paint was not a hindrance.

Then I simply wrapped ribbons around each block creating a "package".  

How sweet they are!  Whether being used as decorative elements with other decorations or hanging from your tree, these little packages will add a fun element to your Christmas décor.  

Thanks for stopping by.

How to Make a Relish Spear

Making a hardwood relish spear is easy with your Proxxon tools. This project is easy to do, and would make a great holiday gift.

Supplies and Equipment for the Relish Spear

• 9" x 1" x 1/8" length of hardwood (I used bubinga)
• Pattern for the relish spear
• Proxxon MICRO Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Scroll Saw DS 460
• Proxxon Disc Sander TSG 250/E
• Food safe wood oil

Instructions for Making the Relish Spear

1. Print the relish spear pattern.
   
2. Cut out the pattern, and mount onto your wood blank. Or, trace the pattern onto the wood.
   
3. Cut the basic shape using either the band saw or the scroll saw. You can vary the length of your relish spear. My finished relish s[ear is 8½" long.

   

   Cutting the relish spear on the scroll saw

   

   Cutting the relish spear on the band saw

4. Sand the relish spear on the disc sander to perfect the shape and sand as smooth as possible. You'll want a sharp point on one end, and a nice curve on the other.

   

   Shaping the curve

   

   Shaping the point

5. Polish the relish spear with a food safe oil. I used oil made for butcher block tables.
   
6. Serve up your favorite relishes and admire  your work!!
   

Carole

How to make a pretty little bird feeder.

Brrrrr.   It's getting cold!   We had a little bit of snow this week and they predict more is coming!    We still have quite a few birds that stay the winter and I am going to show you how to make a pretty little bird feeder to help them stay full this winter.  This feeder has a  self filling bowl so you don't have to fill it everyday, and that will help YOU stay warm and toasty inside. 👍

Equipment :

Proxxon mini table saw

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

kapro measure mate 313  or tape measure

drill with small drill bits for predrilling

and 2" hole cutting bit

screwdriver

Supplies :

Wood- I used 3/4" pine boards 

base   measures 7 1/4" x 15"

sides   5 1/2" x 14   (x2)

middle 5 1/2" x 7"

roof  1/4" x 8" x 11"  (x2)

middle supports 1/2" x 1/2" x 5 "  (x4)

roof supports 3/4" x 2" x 5"  (x2) cut lengthwise at 45 degrees

90 degree molding 11" long  (optional)

wood screws 1"   (x 16)

1 1/2" bolts with nuts or wing nuts  (3)

electrical connectors  (3)

wood glue

paint brushes

stencils or stamps  (optional)

1 glass bottle with a long neck and

 1 martini glass, margarita glass, bowl....or whatever. (find at thrift shop)

Paint :

Kilz2 latex primer

Plaid paints

I used bimini blue, yellow flame, holly branch, and new shamrock

To get started, measure all your wood pieces (see above) using the kapro measure mate 313.  

 Then cut out all the wood pieces to size. using the proxxon mini table saw  . 

The center piece will need a hole cut in the middle that the long neck of the bottle can slip through.  The center is easy to find using the kapro measure mate.  Just use the centering side and lay it on the diagonal across the wood.  The zero will mark center.  Cut the hole size you need according to your bottle.   Mine was 2".

Next, I drilled 3 holes in the base piece of wood to surround the base of my margarita glass so that I can secure it firmly to the wood yet still remove it for cleaning when I want.  I found that 3 electrical connectors would hold it well and the rubber protects the glass.

Next measure up the sides to where you will need the center support.  Make sure the long neck bottle top will sit above the bottom of the glass but not higher than the rim.  This will allow the seeds to fall as the seed level drops due to hungry birds.  

I used a margarita glass and a vinegar bottle.  Add the little "supports" you cut as well as screws to  to hold the middle securely.

Add the roof supports to each side and secure with screws and/ or wood glue.   

Where the roof meets at the top, place the molding edge and secure it to the 2 roof sides with glue.  I added some small screws for strength as this will be outdoors.  Set the roof on the supports being sure to center it then screw it onto the supports.  Ta Daaaa….It's basically done now.

Time to paint.

First I used Kilz2 primer on all the wood surfaces.  Then I used Plaid paints to make it pretty.  A stamp made doing the checkerboard easy!    You ought to visit the Plaid website, it is so full of fun ideas!

There you have it.  The over -hanging roof will keep the seeds dry and the birds still have ample room to feed.  

Thanks for visiting.   Hope you had fun, I did.   Thanks Proxxon, Plaid, Kapro, and Terri our guru.  

catch ya next time.    Carol

It's all about the Tools!

My post this time around is all about the Proxxon Micromot Tools that I use in making Gourd Art. I do use them with wood but this is to show you how they can be used with gourds.

Jig Saw #28534 is ideal for gourd carving.

This very lightweight and powerful 12 volts machine is ideal for curved cuts in wood up to 3/8" (10mm), circuit boards up to 7/64" (3mm) and non-ferrous metals up to 3/32" (2.5mm) thickness. Its weight makes it easy to handle and thus allows for precise control of the cutting action. The specially balanced powerful permanent magnet motor with electronic speed control ensures variable speeds between 2,000 - 5,000 strokes/ min., stroke: 15/64" (6mm). With the flat plate removed and the additional, rounded foot for cuts installed it will easily make cuts over rounded surfaces and clean interior cuts. Ideal for gourd carving. It's a great tool for making gourd bowls and also for doing any curved cuts that you need on gourds. The blade is heavy enough to cut even very thick gourds. This is the tool you want to get the job done.

Yep this saw is what I use to do all of my cuts with a machine.

 Belt Sander

 Delta Sander

 Pen Sander

Sanders # 28594, 38536, & 38520 are all awesome tools! The Proxxon Pen Sander is used primarily for fine touch ups and small spaces and hard to get in cut outs that other Sanders can't reach.

The Proxxon Belt Sander is cute but powerful enough to tackle jobs where a lot of material needs to be removed, from leveling the bottom of the gourd to smoothing the top.

The Proxxon Delta Sander is great for removing the hard skin/shell of a gourd and sanding off blemishes.

 Professional Rotary

 Rotary

 Drill

The Rotary Tools # 28500, 28510 & 38481 are great for drilling, removing shell/skin and using a varied assortment of drill bits, burrs, and sanding drums to create all sorts of techniques on a gourd. With the correct burr you can even do amazing filigree work. Light weight and easy to use.  Rotary Tools # 28512 and 38472 are basically the same and do the same job as the ones above but offer the ease of a keyless chuck for quick change of the bits and tools used with them. 

The Flexshafts # 28620 and 28622 can be used with any of the rotary tools or drills. I consider either of the Flexshafts a must on my rotary tool, as they are very lightweight, little vibration and the pen shaped end that you hold onto is just awesome. This is my favorite Flexshaft by far.

Here is another must on my list of gourd tools, the Foot Switch. When you use it with either the Jig Saw, Rotary tool or Sander it gives you a lot better use of the tool that you're using. Takes the worry out of turning your tool off when you have it and the gourd in each hand. The Foot Switch can be used flat on the floor or mounted on a table leg to give knee control. If you sew then you know how it's used. Foot down, tool on, foot off, tool off.

 Large Power Supply

 Smaller Power Supply

Most of the Proxxon Tools that you use have to be plugged into a 12 Volt DC power source like the ones above. You can plug up to three tools into the large one and one into the smaller one. I personally have both sizes. I started out with the larger one and then got the smaller one to use. The smaller one is much lighter and easier to carry than the large one and it's great for taking to classes.

The tools that I've shown you here today are all terrific for using with your gourds in many different ways. If you have any questions about them don't hesitate to ask. I love my Proxxon tools and would recommend their use to anyone, but the tools that I use on gourds are extra special to me. I have attended eight Gourd Festivals in seven states this year and have demonstrated the use of these tools on gourds at them all. I hope to be able to show even more people next year what great tools they really are. Go on over to www.proxxon.com and check out the tools that they have to offer for the Artist, Hobbyist and Craftsperson, you'll be glad that you did.

Barbara