Wooden Necktie

If you want a good conversation starter this is the perfect project for you. Dazzle the other party guests with your unique tie. The wooden tie also makes a good gift.

Step 1: Materials

- Table saw.

- Bandsaw.

- Planer or drum sander.

- Wood of choice.

- Elastic cord.

- Glue.

- Drill.

- Sander & sandpaper.

Step 2: Start the Cutting!

For my tie, I'm using hickory but you can use any wood. Rip the wood of choice about 30" by 3" so you can have enough extra wood to work with. The tie is made up of two halves about 1/8" thick, so rip the board in half. Plane the 2 pieces of wood down to 1/8".

Step 3: Get in the Groove!

Cut a groove with the table saw about 3/4" in from the sides on both pieces of wood. Make sure to cut the groove about two blade widths wide. Make a slot 18-20" down from the top with a drill bit. Then "clean it up" with sandpaper or a file. Glue the two pieces together.

Step 4: Forming the Tie

I used this template from Woodworking for Mere Mortals down below to cut the tie out. Plane the tie down again if you want it to be thinner in thickness.

Step 5: Making It Flexible

The template has marks on it where to cut the tie into smaller pieces.

Step 6: The Necktie Knot

Plane another piece of wood down to 1/8". I used a different type of wood for the knot (cedar). Use the template and trace two pieces. Then cut them out on the bandsaw. Glue the two knot pieces to the top piece of the tie. Glue two small strips of wood to the sides to form a box. Sand all the edges to make them flush.

Step 7: Finishing

Blunt all the edges of the tie and knot. Sand all the pieces to make them smooth. Finally you can put finish on. It worked better to spray the finish on instead of brushing it on. I used rust oleum lacquer clear gloss and it turned out pretty nice. It put a nice "shine" to it.

Step 8: Putting It All Together

Arrange all the pieces in order. String all the pieces of the tie together with any stretchy or elastic cord (string for bracelets work really good). When you get to the end, put the stretchy cord back up the tie through the slot that was drilled out earlier. Pull the two strings tight and tie them. tie a loop for your head to fit in after you tie the first knot. Now you are finished. Happy wearing!