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Every point of this star is built from two pieces glued at a compound angle, so the two miter saw settings in step one matter more than anything else in the build: first a 30° bevel cutting five 13" boards with parallel ends, then a 24° bevel cutting each of those boards into a shorter and a longer piece. Get those two angles right and the five points close up into a clean star on their own; get one wrong and every joint after it inherits the error.
Build and glue all five points as separate two-piece units first, then join the points together into the full star — trying to align all ten pieces at once invites drift. Trace the assembled star onto the plywood back rather than cutting the backer to a fixed size first, since hand-built compound-angle joints rarely come out at exactly the same size twice.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 1x2, 6 ft |
| 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood, 19 in x 19 in | 1 each |
| 1-1/4" and 3/4" brad nails | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 oz |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Star point boardsPine, 1x2, 6 ftBoth ends cut at a 30° bevel, ends parallel. Each board is further cut in two at a 24° bevel to form the star's 10 point segments. | 5 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 13" |
| Backer panel1/4" plywood, 19 in x 19 inTraced from the assembled star and cut to fit; 19" x 19" is a starting size. | 1 | 1/4" × 19" × 19" |
Buy 2 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Set the miter saw to a 30° bevel and cut five 1x2s, with ends parallel, to 13" overall length (long point to short point). Then set the miter saw to a 24° bevel and cut each 13" piece into two smaller pieces as shown in the diagram, giving 10 point segments total.
Glue one shorter and one longer segment together to form each of the five star points. Hot glue works well, but regular wood glue is fine too — just let it dry. Nailing the joints adds extra strength, though nailing at this angle is a little tricky.
Nail and glue the five point sections together to form the complete star.
Place the assembled star on the plywood backer and trace the outline. Cut out the shape with a jigsaw. Glue and nail the backer to the back of the star with shorter nails.
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