Witch and cat bracket with video

[scrimper]

I have just made a couple of fretwork brackets for my daughters for Christmas. I found a picture in a Hobbies 1938 annual but did not have the actual design so as you can see I have recreated a design for myself from the small image. One is a cat fan and the other likes witches so I have added a witch and bat to the 2nd design.

I have actually recreated and modified many old fretwork designs from old pictures in various old hobbies and Handicrafts publications some over 100yrs old.

If anyone is interested I have made a 7 minute video about making the brackets https://youtu.be/r-AjaQi1SPI


(I should point out I took the pictures before assembly so the overlays don't look square)

 

[NazNomad]

Amazing stuff there. Looking forward to the video.

 

[digerman]

some nice work

 

[scrimper]

Thanks Naz and diger for your kind comments

In case you are interested the video is here.

https://youtu.be/r-AjaQi1SPI

 

[AES]

Thanks for the video scrimper. I was particularly impressed with the drawings you showed at the start. Based on just that small picture from the old Hobbies Annual I think they're really impressive.

The cutting is all very clean and fuzz-free too.

How did you finish the raw edge of the thin ply shelf and its support please?

No need to ask if your daughters liked their presents! =D>

AES

 

[Garno]

They look fantastic.
How long did they take you to do?

 

[scrimper]

Thanks AES.

I have 'created' many old probably long lost old Hobbies and Handicrafts patterns from small pictures. I am no expert at this but I scan the picture then enlarge it and process it using Photoshop.

It is quite a long process because obviously the scanned image is poor especially as it's from a tiny poor quality line drawing from the old book. I have to go around all of the design by hand to get good straight lines to cut but funnily enough I enjoy doing them. I have great admiration for the draughtsmen who drew these old designs out by hand 80+ years ago before the advent of computers and scanners etc.

One advantage of using this method is that I can adapt and alter the patterns to suit, for example before 1939 Hobbies were quite keen on using swastika type designs in their patterns (obviously not much in demand now, but did not mean much then) using Photoshop I take out the swastika's and replace them with a floral pattern of something.

Regarding the finish -: I hate finishing with a passion, I am quite hopeless at it and generally end up spoiling the work, it's one reason I have a drawer full of items that I have produced and are left there unfinished.
In the case of these two items I just used a quick drying water based varnish dispensed from a Wilkinsons tin! I did not do the edges very well either.

 

[scrimper]

They look fantastic.
How long did they take you to do?

Thanks for the kind comment.

Funnily enough not very long, I cut everything out in an afternoon, I did it really quick because it was freezing cold in my workshop and I wanted to get back into the warm house!