GARNET - Stewart Coffin

[Canuck]

Okay, obviously this is for you Coffin fans...I've been wanting to turn a 'Garnet' into a ball for quite some time, but here's my dilemma, I don't have a clue how to cut one, any ideas, drawings, sketches...I think I'll be able to handle the actual turning of the puzzle but I've never made a garnet so need to start there?  I've seen the description and technique in Stewart's literature but...wondering if I could make a special jig to cut the pieces on my 'chopsaw' (a la Chinnomotto!)

Anyone???

[Roby]

I would be easy to pop out on a radial arm saw, but do we really want to get back into that discussion.  Still, I say just drill two holes in the bottom of your chop saw and hold the piece down with wire. 

[Canuck]

I finally got rid of my 'radial arm saw', just wasn't using it and wouldn't you know it gave me enough room to put yet another lathe in my tiny workshop

[Roby]

Ok, I will leave the lathe thing alone for now, but I know how to make your jig.  First make the cut freehand as best you can.  Then take that piece and glue it to a board so that the 30 degree angle part makes a little cave,  In other words, the piece should be glued so that logest part of the piece is on the top. 

Now take the beam that you cut the original part from and butt it up agains the piece that you have glued to the board.  Surround this on both sides by idential board pieces and glue those into place. 

What you are left with is a perfect slot to put your board in that will also hold it in place.  The 30 degree angel will hold down the pieces as you cut them off.  The only thing is that for each new board that you start, the first piece will have to be tossed away because it won't have the 30 degree angle.  After that, you should get 10 or so idential pieces from each board.  If you need to do 30 angle degree cuts in two different directions, then just flip the jig around.

[Canuck]

Can I make one suggestion to you?  You need to start making Stewart Coffin puzzles!!  I like your idea, sounds like it will work.  Now I just need to make the necessary 30/60/90 degree sticks???   

[Roby]

Do the same thing with the 30 60 90 degree stick when you cut them.  Take the left over sections you get after running a square plank through the table saw and use those as the lengthwise supports for your jig.  That will hold done the pieces even better.  Sometimes, to get the inverse for use in a jig, you have to them onto regualar square planks. 

[Canuck]

Okay, so now that we're on the same page can you send me 30 completed puzzles so all I have to do is turn them into balls on the lathe?  Oh and use some nice exotic woods as well, except for cocobolo, that stuff gave me a rash the last time!  Can you give me a timeline on that as well, I'd like to have them ready for the next update on the website



Here's a pic of what the finished puzzle should look like, some guy named Mark ?? made them

[MarkMc]

Well that was how I made them 10 years ago.  I've improved that process a little since.  They look a bit better now.

To make the 30-60-90 sticks, I use a planer jig.  I take an MDF board and use my dado blade set at exactly 30 degrees at least 3/4 of an inch in width, and cut a 30-60-90 slot in the MDF board.  Glue a stop in at one end.  Next, I either put square stick I've already made, or rip some new sticks with a rip blade set at 30 degrees.  Run these sticks through the planer jig.  The important thing is that you want all of the sticks to have the same dimension along the short side of the triangle (which will be the top you see when the individual pieces are cut and glued).  Check the angles for accuracy, you want them as close to 30-60 and 90 as possible, they can be pretty picky. Sticks should be relatively the same length.  I usually use a short side of the triangle distance of about .600 inches.

Next you'll need the jig Stewart shows for cutting triangular sticks on the table saw.  Not the one you posted, but the other one in the back of the book.  Basically it is an equilateral triangular slot set at a 54.75 degree angle to the saw blade.  Saw blade set at 90 degrees to the table top.

Now take two 30-60-90 sticks and tape two of them together, so you make a 60-60-60 stick.  Now start cutting pryamid pieces, that makes two of the pieces you will need for the puzzle.  Use the saw jig and a stop. Adjust the stop or use automotive feeler gauges to adjust the length of the pyramids.  The pyramid pieces need to have all of the sides the same length.  Measure with a good caliper.  Get as close as you can, I try for about .003 inches or less.

Each puzzle needs 24 half pyramids to be complete.  For the first one use tape and rubber bands to glue up the pieces, or use another Garnet puzzle as the jig.  With this particular puzzle, each subsequent iteration of using the previous Garnet as the gluing jig, gets you closer to the most accurate fit.  The assembled puzzle held tightly with rubber bands will do nicely if you pop it into the microwave for 20 seconds or so.  That seems to tighten it up a little.

Then you would be ready to start your lathe work to turn it into a ball.





[attachment deleted by admin]

[Canuck]

Thanks for dropping in Mark!!  I knew Robert's jig description was likely driving you nuts

When you get chance check out some of the incredible pens posted throughout the forum, some of the most talented pen artists are on this forum....also go look at Dawn's website and click on the gallery section to see some of Steven Jackson's amazing pen creations, you'll be amazed, guaranteed!! http://www.exoticblanks.com/   

[MarkMc]

I'll let you try to follow Robert's description, if you can.  It's easier for me to go with the way I know.  I may have some leftover pieces you could glue up and practice on.  I still need to get your package in the mail.  I bought some beautiful camatillo (mexican kingwood) and was waiting for it to come in so I could send you a 'sample'. 

Will check out the pens soon.  I could get myself into trouble hanging out over here....You know that, don't you? >

[Canuck]

Okay I know which jig you're talking about, I had no idea that was used to cut the 'garnet' pieces!  Do you think I should start out with thicker stock to leave enough size for the ultimate rounding of the puzzle?

[Canuck]

Can you send me some of your pics to my email, I can't access any of them from you know where?  You can put pics directly on this forum (without the link) but you need to have them hosted on a website and copy and paste them in....I recently opened a 'photobucket' account so I could host my pics there.

[MarkMc]

Depends on how big you want your final puzzle to be, but probably so. The one I describe would likely make something along the lines of a 2 inch ball.  If you'll give me an idea of what size you want your final puzzle to be, I could calculate the side length you would probably need...approximately.  Umm, no guarantees.  

[MarkMc]

Will send you some pics directly.

[Canuck]

Okay here's the one Garnet you put a link to ;