Nesting Bandsaw Vessels

Intro: Nesting Bandsaw Vessels

These bandsaw vessels are inspired the irregular shapes of hand formed ceramic pots - like pinch pots. After making one, it was obvious that several more smaller ones could be made with the remaining material creating a set that nest together.

STEP 1: Cut Out Each Vessel

Sketch out an organic shape for the first vessel. Stay about 1/4 inch away from the edge.

Tilt the bandsaw table to 5 degrees. This will give the vessel a slight taper so that it is wider at the top than the bottom.

Begin on the left side of your outline and cut to you line, and then all the way around.

Draw what will be the inside of you vessel. This should be inset between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch.

Tilt the blade to 6 degree before cutting. This will make the walls of the vessel thinner at the lip than at the base.

Repeat and continue this process creating smaller and smaller vessels. Each cut, angle the bandsaw table an additional 1 degree.

• The outside of the largest vessel is cut at 5 degrees. The inside is cut at 6 degrees.
• The outside of the second vessel is cut at 7 degrees. The inside is cut at 8 degrees.
• The outside of the third vessel is cut at 9 degrees. The inside is cut at 10 degrees.

Changing the angle, and therefore the taper for each vessel isn't necessary. All could be cut at the same angle, or even at 90 degrees.

STEP 2: Glue Sides Closed

Glue the sides of each vessel closed with wood glue.

Clamp tight with camps, rubber bands or tape and allow to dry.

Sand the inside of each vessel smooth. A spindle sander makes this step go quicker, but this can be done by hand.

Sand up to 220 grit.

STEP 3: Glue Bottoms On

Rough cut oversized bottoms for each vessel.

I chose a contrasting wood (Walnut).

Glue each bottom on. I used scrap wood to span across the top of each vessel.

STEP 4: Final Details

With the bandsaw table tilted to the appropriate angle, trim up the bottom of each vessel getting as close as you can to the sides.

Sand the bottoms flush with the sides, and sand the outsides. I found using a sanding block with a round edge helped match the contours of each vessel. Sand up to 220.

I finished these with pure Tung Oil. It is easy to apply, and is food safe. Any finish would be suitable.

Comments

[lanleo]

Good questions.
1.I may have been able to hide the glue seem better if I had cut with the grain, but I don't think the overall strength of the glued seem is any different.
2. That could definitely work, and then you would have grain matching throughout each vessel. I guess you would cut each bottom while the table is tilted for the side taper. That would probably also save time compared to trimming and sanding the bases flush the way I did it.
Thanks for the comment, now I'll have to make another version with this in mind!

[HeinrichS]

Great instructable - bandsaw boxes look like fun!
Two questions:
1. Is there any preference pro/con for making the starting cut cross grain or along the grain - from the picture in step 2 it looks like you did cross grain? Doesn't gluing it back work better along grain?
2. Have you considered simply using the same wood as a bottom - i.e. sawing off a slim slice from the bottom of each blank before sawing the insides - then sticking this slice back on? It might be an almost invisible look. But I do like your contrasting different bottom idea as well :-)