Christmas tree....a little different

Ted Calver

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Yorktown, Virginia
Can't remember if I shared this before or not, apologies if it's a repeat. I made this several years ago as a craft show display fixture, but it has since been re-purposed as a kinetic holiday tree. It hangs over the fireplace and as the heat rises the ornaments dance and gently tap the wall. It has become a family tradition to hang this tree when we put up the real one and we enjoy it long after the real one's been taken down. It folds into a long narrow triangle for storage and you can change the color of the ornaments to suit your fancy.
Made of Wenge strips (7/8"+/- x 1/4"+/-) and 2" Maple mini shaker pegs (5"o.c.) in the accordion style of old fashioned kiddie gates and mug racks. With a forstner bit drill a hole matching the diameter of the peg base all the way through the top strip which acts as the pivot, and half way through the second strip (until the tip of the forstner bit just pokes through). I made a little jig to do this on the drill press. Assemble peg side down on a large flat surface. Coat the inside of the pivot strip hole with paste wax so it will pivot easily. Insert a peg through the strip, add a dab of glue to the hole in the second strip. Then I use a small ring shanked nail from the back of the second strip through that hole into the peg to hold it all together.
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