JANUARY 2016 Project of the Month - The Heart Hand Mirror

[mtylerfl]

Hello,

This project features two-sided machining to create a beautiful wooden hand mirror with a fancy chip-carve style heart design on the backside. It is a very easy project to do and you can make several in a single weekend, if desired. These make a wonderful gift and/or a nice item for sale at craft shows!

The project uses just the 1/16" Carving Bit and the 1/8" Cutting Bit. No other bits are required. The Heart Hand Mirror is about 6" wide x 11" long x 0.7" thick.

Main items you will need:

1) The Project Files (included):
• Heart_Hand_Mirror.mpc

2) Board with the following dimensions: 0.75" x 9" x 19"

NOTE: Do not use boards that are smaller than specified above unless using an appropriate jig. Larger boards are fine in all cases.

3) A 5" round mirror, clear hobby contact cement adhesive (I used E6000 contact cement).
I purchased 5" round craft mirrors from our local JoAnn Fabric & Craft store, but they are commonly available from just about any well-stocked hobby/craft store. The mirrors are sold under various brand names such as “Darice” or “ArtMinds”, depending on the store. For online ordering, visit amazon.com (Darice brand), or michaels.com (ArtMinds brand).

4) Sandpaper, stain and/or paint and clear finish

5) A Dremel-type rotary tool with assorted sanding wheels and bits to sand small details and speed up preparation for finishing.

Apply your choice of finish. Here’s what I used on my sample Heart Hand Mirror made from Select Pine:

• Minwax Gunstock #231 Stain
• Several coats Krylon clear spray (sanding very lightly with 400-grit sandpaper between coats)