Easter Table Centerpiece
Here is the original article from the
March - April 1958 Deltagram
ROCKWELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY - A DELTACRAFT PULICATION

Enhance your Easter table setting with this rabbit cart centerpiece. It also makes an attractive Easter basket for the youngsters. In fact, a string can be fastened to the front crosspiece of the yoke to make it into a pull toy. With the exception of the basket handle, the entire project is made of 1/4-inch plywood, preferably pine. The wagon box sides and ends are made to look like basket weave by cutting a series of slots with a 1/8inch outside cutter of the dado head. The slots are spaced 1/2-inch apart with the blade set to cut 5/32 inches deep (Photo No. 2). After taper cutting the sides, glue and nail these to the end pieces. The bottom of the basket is slightly beveled on the ends and fitted inside the basket from the top. The basket box handle is made from a strip of veneer stock or cut from a I-inch wide piece of stock, 1/16 of an inch thick. This handle measures about 15-3/4 inches long. It is glued and nailed to the basket sides. Two wheels are cut from 1/4-inch plywood, 3 inches in diameter. These me tacked together and cut out on the scroll saw with the scroll design as shown in the quarter section, Fig. No. 3 and Photo No. 3. Drill a 1/16 inch hole in the center of each wheel. This is for a No. 18 x l-inch brad that fastens the wheels to the 1/4-inch by 3/8-inch wheel axle. The wagon yoke is also made of 1/4-inch by 3/8-inch stock with a short front cross piece. The two rabbits are made of 1/4-inch plywood tacked together and cut out on the scroll saw, Photo No. 4. Use the squares method for drawing the outline of the rabbits as well as the details, Fig. No. 1. Use a sharp hard pencil for making the detail lines which will show up even after painting. Break all sharp corners with garnet paper. Apply a thin coat of shellac as a sealer. When dry, paint with a coat of white undercoat, followed with a coat of white satin finish or enamel paint. Detail lines can be painted with a fine brush and flat black paint. Wheels and basket handle can be painted pink or yellow for color contrast.

Photo 2 - For a basket weave effect the sides and ends are cut on the circular saw using the outside cutter of the dodo head. The cut should be 5/32-inch deep with grooves made 1/2-inch apart. Photo 3 - The four tulip scroll designs on the wheels are cut on the scroll saw using the No. 59 blade with the saw running at the highest speed or 1750 rpm. Tack both pieces of wheel stock together and cut them out at one time. Photo 4 - Squares method is used in drawing the rabbit onto two pieces of 1/4" plywood tacked together and then cut on the scroll saw.

BILL OF MATERIALS No. of Pieces Name Size 2 Basket Sides 1/4 x 3-3/4 x 8-3/8 2 Basket Ends 1/4 x 3-3/4 x 4-1/2 1 Basket Bottom 1/4 x 4-1/2 x 6-1/2 1 Basket Handle 1/16 x 7/8 x 16-1/4 2 Rabbits 1/4 x 5-1/2 x 5-3/4 No. of Pieces Name Size 2 Wheels 1/4 x 3 x 3 1 Wheel Axle 1/4 x 3/8 x 5-1/4 2 Wagon Yokes 1/4 x 3/8 x 7-1/2 1 Wagon Yoke Separator 1/4 x 2-1/4 x 3/8 2 Wire Brads No. 18 x 1

*********** WARNING***********
Read my page on safety before building this item.