Arched Tealight Candle Holders - by Dan Noren

Dan Noren

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
7,984
Location
falcon heights, minnesota
[Originally posted in this thread - VM]

a little while ago, rob asked me to put this together to show how i made those arched tealight candle holders. so, here we go....

first of all, i would glue up a blank, roughly 9" wide (finished largest arch has an outside radius of 4", or 8" from side to side), about 4.5" to 5" high, so that it covers the 4" radius from side to side, and middle to top, with enough so that the pivot hole is surrounded by enough material. then, after getting it out of the clamps, i would draw a line midway across the long dimension, and another line along the long side, with the intersection being the pivot point, and allowing 4"+. then i drill a pivot hole the same size as my pivot pin. this being 1/4", with a 1/4" pivot pin. the jig i use is basically a square of plywood, sawn part way through on the bandsaw, with a line drawn across it, that is sqare with the kerf cut by the blade. then i measure out along the line, from the inside of the kerf, and mark at 1, 2, 3, and 4 inch lengths. those are the points where i have countersunk, and drilled the holes for the pivot pin. after i have done this, i align it on the bandsaw, and mark around the jig for easy repositioning. once the blank has been drilled for the pivot pin, i set up the fence on the bandsaw, and cut where the bottoms of the arches will be, and then nip off the waste parts. with that done, i insert my pivot pin in the outermost hole, to make the outsided cut of the largest arch. then i reposition the jig on the bandsaw, and slide the blank onto the pivot pin, and make the first cut. after that is done, i move the pivot pin inwards, making the second, third, and fourth cuts. after the fourth cut is done, you will have your three arches. one of the reasons i draw the line all the way up in determining the half way point of the blank in an earlier step, is that it makes it easy now to find the topmost part of the arch. i use a small levelling square to make a line across the tops of each arch, and find the halfway point, and tap a small positioning hole at the center point for drilling the hole for the glass cup. the glass cups that i use are from ikea, and are 3/4" tall, and are perfect fits for a 1 7/8" forstner bit (i bought mine at rockler). i then drill the hole for the cup only as deep as the top of the forstner bit. it works out as a good depth. once all three holes have been drilled, i use my belt sander to make sure the bottoms don't wobble, then use my b.o.s.s. sander to smooth them out. i use the 1 1/2" diameter drum for the inside of the smallest arch, and the 3" diameter drum for the insides and outsides of the other arches. then i go over all surfaces with 220 grit so they are nice and smooth. after that, it's the finish of my choice (or what you choose, if you make them), of boiled linseed oil, followed up by 3 coats of clear shellac. once they are finished, i insert the cups and candles, and they are ready to go. now for all the pics....:D:thumb:
 

Attachments

  • 01 blank in clamps.JPG
    01 blank in clamps.JPG
    86.8 KB · Views: 66
  • 10 blank drilled.JPG
    10 blank drilled.JPG
    87.1 KB · Views: 74
  • 09 blank ready to be drilled.JPG
    09 blank ready to be drilled.JPG
    110.1 KB · Views: 62
  • 08 blank with locator.JPG
    08 blank with locator.JPG
    62.1 KB · Views: 60
  • 07 cutting jig in place.JPG
    07 cutting jig in place.JPG
    89.8 KB · Views: 61
  • 06 cutting jig bottom.JPG
    06 cutting jig bottom.JPG
    67.1 KB · Views: 60
  • 05 cutting jig.JPG
    05 cutting jig.JPG
    78.8 KB · Views: 59
  • 04 jig location layout.JPG
    04 jig location layout.JPG
    98.4 KB · Views: 58
  • 03 marking drill point.JPG
    03 marking drill point.JPG
    83.5 KB · Views: 59
  • 02 blank glued up.JPG
    02 blank glued up.JPG
    77 KB · Views: 61
the next set of pics....
 

Attachments

  • 20 ready for last cut.JPG
    20 ready for last cut.JPG
    82 KB · Views: 66
  • 19 third cut made.JPG
    19 third cut made.JPG
    88.7 KB · Views: 65
  • 18 ready for third cut.JPG
    18 ready for third cut.JPG
    89.6 KB · Views: 55
  • 17 second cut made.JPG
    17 second cut made.JPG
    90.2 KB · Views: 64
  • 16 ready for second cut.JPG
    16 ready for second cut.JPG
    78.9 KB · Views: 58
  • 15 first cut made.JPG
    15 first cut made.JPG
    95.5 KB · Views: 60
  • 14 ready for first cut.JPG
    14 ready for first cut.JPG
    89.9 KB · Views: 58
  • 13 waste cut away.JPG
    13 waste cut away.JPG
    95 KB · Views: 57
  • 12 bottoms cut.JPG
    12 bottoms cut.JPG
    95.1 KB · Views: 58
  • 11 cutting bottom of holder.JPG
    11 cutting bottom of holder.JPG
    88.6 KB · Views: 62
final set of pics...
 

Attachments

  • 28 perfect for sanding bottom of arches.JPG
    28 perfect for sanding bottom of arches.JPG
    105.3 KB · Views: 56
  • 27 perfect for sanding arches.JPG
    27 perfect for sanding arches.JPG
    96.2 KB · Views: 53
  • 26 all holes drilled.JPG
    26 all holes drilled.JPG
    79 KB · Views: 54
  • 25 depth i drill for glass cup.JPG
    25 depth i drill for glass cup.JPG
    73.6 KB · Views: 52
  • 24 ready to cut hole for glass cup.JPG
    24 ready to cut hole for glass cup.JPG
    107.3 KB · Views: 55
  • 23 center lines drawn.JPG
    23 center lines drawn.JPG
    79.1 KB · Views: 47
  • 22 arches cut and ready for sanding.JPG
    22 arches cut and ready for sanding.JPG
    82 KB · Views: 47
  • 21 last cut made.JPG
    21 last cut made.JPG
    86.1 KB · Views: 51
  • 29 arches oiled.JPG
    29 arches oiled.JPG
    86.1 KB · Views: 81
Top