Free Patterns for Scroll Saw – Casserole Dish-Sized Trivets

Use longer blanks to make larger trivets

By Ron Forsyth in Scroll Saw Woodworking Magazine, Fall 2015

When I was having dinner with a neighbor one night, she served a casserole hot from the oven. To protect the table, she positioned two trivets side by side, which inspired me to make trivets large enough to hold a casserole dish. However, without gluing up blanks, it’s difficult to find wood more than 7-3/4″ (197mm) wide. I decided to design patterns that use longer, rather than wider, wood to accommodate casserole dishes. Scroll down below to unlock your free scroll saw trivet patterns!

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Making the Trivets
Cover the wood with blue painter’s tape and attach the pattern to the tape. Drill blade-entry holes and cut the inside frets. I cut the perimeter last, especially if the design has a round outline (see Tip). Use a 1/4″ (6mm)-radius roundover bit in a router or laminate trimmer (a smaller, less expensive version of a router) to round the outside edges of the trivet. Then, sand the trivet and remove the sanding dust. Finally, dip the trivet in an oil finish, such as salad bowl finish, to seal the wood and accentuate the grain.

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Cutting Corners Tip

I usually cut the perimeter of the trivet last, especially if it’s round. If you cut it first, you lose the corners, which are useful for leverage when guiding the wood through the saw blade. When you are cutting, you are usually watching the blade, not where you are grabbing the piece to turn it. If there are no corners, it is easy to grab a fragile part of the design and break it. This is especially true when you are doing nature scenes. I have broken many leaves and flowers when cutting other parts of the trivet.

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