Very clever flat pack!

[Yorkie]

Amazing that other people just ‘shooed’ the young fella away, with his bag over his shoulder, without even any interest or a look. But glad I did, I like clever things and its actually useful.

Just in case David's going to give it a go: the hinge between the bowl and the frame looks like two pins, about 1/8" that are neatly filled with a wood plug that is smoothed off on the outside. The foot hinges on a similar pin and it extends on the inside so that the bottom of the bowl 'plugs' onto it. There has to be a neat (routed) recess that allows the folded spiral to go over it and sit flat.

Gary

I bought a similar wooden basket some years ago (in the shape of an apple with a stalk and two leaves when flat) as a gift for one of my sons. It was from an upmarket gift shop in the UK, made in cherry and cost rather more than eight Euro. I was intrigued by it and did a tracing of the spiral, thinking that if ever I got time, I'd have a go at one, but then I realised just how skilled it was and that the angle of cut of the scrollsaw is critical. Too much of an angle and the basket would be too shallow and not well proportioned, too vertical an angle would cause the spiral to just fall through. I've no doubt that those who make these spiral baskets will do it simply by eye and skill, but if I tried that with no guide lines, the end result would look as though I was wearing boxing gloves to manipulate the wood! I just know that it would end in tears and tantrums before bedtime

There used to be a quite elderly guy who travelled round the woodworking shows demonstrating Hegner scrollsaws. Not only was he highly skilled, he had the 'gift of the gab' and should have been something big in double glazing. I saw several people so enthralled at what he could do on the Hegner that they bought one on the spot. Ludicrous really - it's rather like watching a mandolin player and saying 'I'll have one of those please - I'd like to do that', or watching a plasterer work his magic, then buying a trowel to plaster a wall.

I was so taken by the versatility of the Hegner when I watched him working his magic about six years ago that I bought a far cheaper Rexon scrollsaw at the same show. Still in its box - I've never used it to this day. I dare say that the same will apply to many of those who were seduced by the demo and bought a Hegner.

The one power tool that I bought which I thought would be a white elephant but which on several occasions has proved indespensible is a biscuit jointer. I think that in terms of usefulness for my needs, I sat pillar drill #1, router #2, bandsaw #3. I've got a large(ish) bandsaw with nominally 6" thick capacity, and a smaller Charnwood bandsaw with 4" capacity. The latter has a Union jack on it, implying that it's British made, but I hope it isn't because the quality of the engineering is very poor indeed. The wheels don't run true, and certain components are poorly finished and aren't square. It's adequate for my needs - smaller bandsaws such as that one seem to be made down to a price rather than up to a standard, and aimed at the undiscerning DIY market. Same with pillar drills - I've inherited a nine speed one which originated from Screwfix. Nine speeds is ridiculous anyway, but there's play and backlash in the quill. Adequate - just.