How to make a Beveled Star?

[Gilbert Vega]

A friend of mine was asking how I would go about making a 3D beveled 5 pointed star. The only thing I could come up with is to make it in 10 pieces using a jig to make each half of each point. Has anyone made one in the past? Any pics of how you did it? Thanks.

[Dave Richards]

I haven't made one but your method would be one way. The other would be to carve it from a single piece. Bob Smalser might chime in with that version. I know he's done it.

In the meantime, here is a very quick sketch of the multi-part version for you.

[Gilbert Vega]

In the meantime, here is a very quick sketch of the multi-part version for you.

Thanks for the sketch. This gives me a good idea of how to do this.

[Bob Stegemann]

I'm not sure how large yo want it but I did a 6" star from one piece with chisels. It was really easier than I originally thought that it would be. Sorry I don't have any pictures. It became a bookend. Good luck! Bob

[Gilbert Vega]

I'm not sure how large yo want it but I did a 6" star from one piece with chisels. It was really easier than I originally thought that it would be. Sorry I don't have any pictures. It became a bookend. Good luck! Bob


did you cut out the star first and then carved it? Thanks.

[Norman Hitt]

OK, Gilbert, I'll first say that I have NOT done this myself, but a few years back, I watched a fellow make several stars like the one pictured in the post above, and he did it VERY quickly, I might add. I'll try to describe his procedure, (if I can remember it all).
First he marked and cut out several 5 sided blanks, then proceeded with the following steps.
1. attached a 5 sided blank to a guide board about 2' long and the same width as the blanks were tall, when standing on edge. He attached it with a screw through the center of the board and into the exact CENTER of the back side of a 5 sided blank. (note: draw lines between all the points on the back side to determine the exact center of the blank).
2. he tilted the saw blade to match the angle from the edge of the blank to it's center
3. he then set the fence the proper distance to just let the blade touch the bottom edge at the back side of the blank and held the board and blank snug against his tall fence and ran it through. (this gives the proper bevel from the center of the star to the tips of the star's points, and establishes the ridge line on each leg/point of the star).
4. he rotated the blank so that a new edge was aligned with the bottom edge of the board and ran it through the saw again, and repeated this until all 5 sides were beveled from the edgees up to the center.
6. he then removed the blank from the board and drew out the star and cut the outside shape of the star on a bandsaw.
7. next, he used a dovetail saw and cut a kerf that was angled from the surface at the center down to the very bottom edge, where each of the star's points come together, giving a straight line to chisel to in the "valleys".
8. finally, he chiseled the wood off from the ridge line of each star point down to the edges, and to the kerf line in the valleys.

Note; that fellow was so good, he made about one pass on each surface with a scraper, and it didn't even need sanding.
(I hope I didn't leave anything out):rolleyes: :D

[Mike Kelly]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16703

Look at the star in these pictures. It can be cut out by a friend with a ShopBot in 2 to 3 minutes. The size depends on the thickness of the wood. This was about 3/4" thick wood.

[Bob Stegemann]

did you cut out the star first and then carved it? Thanks.
Yes, I cut it to size and then carved it. Just put lines from point to point for a guide and then carved.
Bob