Technical Details

Woods Used: Redheart and maple
Size: 5x2x0.5in
Finish: 400grit followed by hardwax oil (Rubio Monocoat)

Project Challenges and Lessons Learned:
If you have seen my post on the bear bowtie you may be wondering what is going on here. Well, it is because we decided to have a second wedding in Poland (Magdalena is from Poland) so we could celebrate with our family and friends, and have a crazy European experience! This meant I needed to make another bowtie.

The Polish flag is red and white so it was a clear choice on the design. I simply made two full bowties, one from each wood, and then carefully cut them down the middle by hand with a miter saw and a little guide block. It was not a perfectly square cut, so I fixed it up on the ole' Wen table top disc sander. Glued it together, waited a day or two, and then went back to the disc sander for final shaping and got it down to the thickness I wanted.

Given how small the bow tie is, there really is no excuse for poor sanding. I spent a good amount of time inspecting under a high power light and sanding until it was perfect. The edges were rounded over with the router rather than sanded by hand for the cleanest look. We engraved our names and date on the back with a laser cutter and did finishing with the usual Rubio Monocoat. I did not end up using any ceramic top coat on this, but probably could have for a bit more sheen. Maybe next time.

For the wedding I had a suit made from a small store, Franco Uomo. It is an absolutely terrific store and I highly recommend. This is actually my second suit from them. Anyway, I had light blue trousers with a contrasting dark blue suit jacket. Magda and I got the idea to use the same light blue fabric as the trousers to connect the whole outfit together. We requested an extra material sample and they were happy to provide.

All and all a simple but fun project for an amazing occasion!