Gnome Home :: Part 2 :: Cutting Out Pieces

GNOME HOME TUTORIAL LINKS:

Part 1: Getting Started can be found HERE.

Part 2: Cutting Out Pieces can be found HERE.

Part 3: Assembly can be found HERE.

Building Stairs can be found HERE.

Build A Ladder can be found HERE.

Before beginning, read GNOME HOME :: PART 1 :: GETTING STARTED

Following those directions found in Part 1, design your gnome home and create the full-sized pattern you will be using.

Trace your patterns onto the wood. Using a hand saw or jigsaw, cut out each wood piece on the lines you have drawn. Your cutting does not need to be perfect. Don’t worry if you go off the lines a bit. In the end no one will be the wiser!

Sand the edges. You can do this by hand with a sanding block, with a hand held sander, a belt sander, or a spindle sander. Just get your edges smooth and slightly rounded.

If you would like to stain any of your platforms, do it now. I usually leave mine natural.

You are now ready to cut your branches to length. This may well be the trickiest part.

Begin by looking at the branches. Are there interesting knots or side branches you would like incorporated into the house? Decide where you want to position each branch and label them.

To give the most natural look to your house, plan on using 1 continuous branch for each support. In other words, On Branch A, you will notice there is and interesting knot in the middle of the branch and 2 side branches. For a typical gnome home you will want to cut your branch into 9″ pieces. By making these cuts this branch could support 4 platforms. The bottom floor will have a side branch, the second floor will have a knot, and the third floor will have another side branch.

Each branch will be unique and will require thought before you cut them to size. Mark each branch where you will want to make your cuts.

Cut along your marks. It is very important to make the cuts perpendicular to your branch. If you cut the branches on an angle, the sections will not line up.

NOTE: Because one of my branches had a really neat branch formation on it, I decided I would use this piece on the top of my gnome home creating a “tree”. Here is the branch cut into pieces.