Well, going by some of the so-called "art" in some of my wood books, it's art anyway. It sure looks better than most of the stuff that's supposed to be "art".
Actually, it's a further adaptation of the octaon cutting jig/bandsaw sled I'd made a week or so ago. If it was put in a gallery it'd probably be listed as an abstract wood piece. The people in the real world would say it was a piece of 1/4: plywood, about 9"X9", with a few randoml glued pieces of short and narrow peces of 1/4" plywood glued on. In its own way, it is sort of art, in that it's totally functional, and serves a useful purpose.
It originally started with a three pieces glued on so as to hold a
1 7/8" square in place so one corner could be lopped off with the bandsaw, then the piece turned so another corner, and so on, until it wound up as an octagon. Worked nicely.But how to cut the squaes was an unanswered question. After numerous thoughts, decided to adapt the original jig/bandsaw sled. Started by gluing a strip across the back, so I could square the end of a piece of scrap plywood - all I need is one corner at a precise 90 dgree angle, which this will give. Then on the front (would need to rotate the jig to present this side to the blade), glued two pieces in place, to hold a piece in place, then slice one side, then another, so wind up with a square. This will let me make a square out of any suitable sized scrap plywood, as long as it has one corner with 90 degree angles, then I can store them until I have a need. Some will be made into octagons, for use as chess piece bases, some as spacers, or whatever else I can think of. Oh yeah, octagon checkers too.
I'll drill a hole in one corner of it, then drive a nail into one of the rafters to hold it when I don't need it. Maybe the best part is that now I won'd even need to think to make my squares, then octagons, just lay the wood in place, and cut. Oh yeah, for each cutting posisiton I put a small block of layered pieces as a holdonto, so none of my fingers will stray into the blade - I try to do something like that on all my jigs/sleds. Gods above, woodworking at it's finest.
JOAT You'll never get anywhere if you believe what you "hear". What do you "know"?.
- Granny Weatherwax