Another Valentine’s Day goes by
I’ve mentioned in previous columns how I make wooden hearts for my kids and wife for Valentine’s Day.
It’s a quick little woodworking gift that brings a smile to everyone’s face and lets them know I’ve been thinking about them.
Usually I take a piece of wood, cut the hearts to size, add some sort of adornment and apply a finish. In past years the adornment has included texture or some sort of a design involving pyrography pens. I set out to do the same thing this year, but after I broke out the piece of cherry for the hearts a different idea popped into my head. I decided to create a cavity and inset a contrasting piece of wood into it, from the back, which would have their initial on it.
This is a technique that works great for a small gift like this, though there’s nothing saying the same sort of approach couldn’t be used in a piece of furniture or an accessory like a mirror, picture frame or kitchen menu board.
Drill it out
First, a bit of planning to see where the edge of each heart would go, and where the circular recess on the back of each heart should be located. This was done on paper. I decided on a 1-1/2″ diameter hole, though if I had a slightly larger Forstner bit, I would have used it. I think 2″ diameter would have been perfect for this specific project. This just meant that the inner heart was going to be on the small side, as it needed to be entirely inside the 1-1/2″ diameter recess.
Once the planning was complete, I flipped the blank over so I could bore the 1-1/2″ diameter recesses from the back. They were bored to about 1/4″ deep. From there, I drilled a 3/8″ hole in the middle of this hole so I could fit a scroll saw blade through the workpiece to cut the hearts out. I just made sure this 3/8″ diameter hole was located so it would be removed after cutting out the heart shape. An important tip here: I first drilled a 1/16″ diameter hole where I wanted the 3/8″ diameter hole to go, so I could bore the 3/8″ hole through the blank face-to-back. I did this to ensure any chipping from the 3/8″ drill bit wouldn’t be on visible face of the hearts. Drilling the small hole through first allowed me to locate the 3/8″ hole very precisely.
Cut the heart out
At this point, the hearts could be cut from the blank. They’re a lot easier to work when they’re a part of a larger blank. Next, some sanding to even up the edges.
Make the inserts
If I had dozens of these to make, and also needed them to be perfect, I would take a much different approach, but drawing the 1-1/2″ diameter inserts on a piece of wood slightly thicker than the recess was deep, cutting them close, then sanding them to fit was good enough. I then added initials with my pyrography pen. Next, a bit of carefully placed glue, to ensure it wasn’t seen from the front, and a clamp to provide a bit of pressure, and I could let them dry for a while.
Finish line
Once the glue was dry, I sanded all the surfaces and broke any sharp edges and applied a few quick coats of shellac. I love shellac for many reasons, but maybe the biggest reason is that it dries fast. And this being late in the day on February 13, I needed every advantage I could get.
Everyone loved their hearts and placed them beside their growing collection. Now I can relax, as I have 364 days to procrastinate before I make another trio of wooden hearts.
My daughter’s Valentine’s Day woodworking project
My daughter wanted to make something special for her boyfriend and her grandmother, so I offered to help her make wooden hearts for them. She thought that was a great idea, so off we went to the shop. I helped her break out some material and gave her a few layout tools so she could take care of the rest. She drew the hearts out, cut them on the scroll saw, gave them a quick sand, listened to my short lecture about how more time and effort spent on sanding would make the finished piece look so much better, spent a bit more time sanding, then used the pyrography pen to add names and pizzazz to the hearts. At this point, I helped her apply a few coats of shellac before we brought the hearts home.
By now, my daughter has been in the shop enough to know a little about a few of the machines and tools, which is fun to see. She enjoys making things for people, which is generally the only way to get her into the shop. I’m certainly not complaining, though. On our trip home she said how great it was to have access to a woodworking shop because she could make some cool, unique gifts. It’s sort of like her secret weapon when gift giving comes around, and I can understand that.
Three Wooden Hearts
Here are the three hearts I made last week, along with a collection of hearts I’ve made over the years.
Flat-Bottomed Holes
I carefully located holes in the back of blank to accept a contrasting wood insert with an initial on its face.
Careful Layout
The heart must be located within the diameter of the hole drilled with the Forstner bit.
Small Holes
Although you can’t see them, the three 1-1/2" diameter insert holes are already bored in the back of this blank. To locate the centre of the 3/8" holes, so you can insert a scroll saw blade, bore 1/16" diameter through holes from the back to use as guides for the larger holes. Drilling the 3/8" holes from the front reduces any chipping on the finished faces of the hearts.
Cut the Hearts
A scroll saw takes care of the inner hearts.
My Daughters Gifts
My daughter finds her way around my shop pretty well these days.
Something to Remember
I’m sure both my mom and my daughter’s boyfriend will remember these hearts fondly for a long time.
Thanks for sharing your story, Paul. It’s great to give kids a chance to learn a bit about tools and techniques. And to make something special for someone is always a lot of fun! Keep up the good work!
The hearts are a great idea. I especially like you training your daughter how to use tools in the shop to make her special gifts. Woodworking is a great skill for boys & girls and it creates great memories and satisfaction of being able to make special things. It makes them proud to make gifts for family & friends.
I am 81 & my wife is 70, and we are raising a 7 year old girl that is no blood kin to us. We held her the night she was born and she still gets to see her mother once every two weeks. She has her own apron, safety glasses, hammer, and hearing protection. Most things we have done so far have been the little kits you can buy. She has her own little workbench. She has taught us a few things too.