1/8" or 1/4" or thicker? The Question.... :+}

[danny]

Been a while since I last cut a Portrait pattern....  And I still have plenty that someday it looks like I might

just have to Give Away as they do not sell at my Craft Shows. 

 

Question for ya's....Would you cut 4 stacked of 1/8" BB....  OR>>>>  2 stacked of 1/4" BB.

 

I really want to FRAME them and want to use a GOOD BACKER MATERIAL. 

 

Yes I am open to all and any of your OPINIONS on this Subject,.   Look Forward to reading bunches. 

 

Thanks for your attention to this matter.                Danny  :+}

[jerry1939]

Danny,

 

I do not personally don't have a desire to do portraits, but for fret projects, i.e. Sue Mey, Steve Good, word art, etc, I ALWAYS try to go with 1/8". I feel that with 1/4", you need to look "further back" to see the contrasting backer. Also, the thinner the better if it is looked at from an angle. Have also used 1/16" for interesecting word art for our 2 sons that have desk jobs.

 

Just my 2 cents worth Friend.

 

jerry

Edited May 15, 2016 by jerry1939

[Dan]

I use 1/8". With a thin backer you can get it to fit many store-bought frames. I also like the appearance of it when framed

[TerryD]

I use 1/8 BB for all my portrait style projects but I think it depends on the pattern as well.  If there is a lot of fretwork cuts in it the project 1/8" is the way to go.  If not you may want to add some depth with the 1/4".  I do my cuttings a little different than most I guess.  I stack cut 3 - 1/8" BB but I also sandwich 5 pieces of card stock in between the top and middle layer and 5 pieces of card stock between the middle and bottom layer.  The 10 extra pieces are pretty close to 1/8" thick.  So instead of having 3 or 4 finished projects you have 13.  You can sell the card stock cuttings for 1/2 the price as the wooden ones or if you are like me, give these to family, friends, or fundraisers and still keep your wooden ones to sell at a higher price. I normally use wedding invitation stock because of it's lighter color but you can get bold and use silver, black, grey or whatever color you want to experiment with.  Just a thought.

 

Terry            

[amazingkevin]

Yes 1/8th will let you cut more ,an there's a molding perfect for these at the big box store as a cheap frame.

[Ron Johnson]

When doing portraits I'll stack cut a minimum of 3 and no more than 4 using ⅛" stock. Most times BB. A ⅛" portrait fits very nicely within a frame with mat. In turn when doing box framed portraits ¼" stock is a better choice.

[Lucky2]

Dan, I stack cut 4 layers at a time, I use 1/8" stock. I use 1/8" stock for the backer on these cuttings, because it makes them easier to frame than 1/4" is. Well their all easy enough to frame, but, the extra thickness of the 1/4" makes for a thick fit in most store bought frames.

Len

[Lucky2]

I use 1/8 BB for all my portrait style projects but I think it depends on the pattern as well.  If there is a lot of fretwork cuts in it the project 1/8" is the way to go.  If not you may want to add some depth with the 1/4".  I do my cuttings a little different than most I guess.  I stack cut 3 - 1/8" BB but I also sandwich 5 pieces of card stock in between the top and middle layer and 5 pieces of card stock between the middle and bottom layer.  The 10 extra pieces are pretty close to 1/8" thick.  So instead of having 3 or 4 finished projects you have 13.  You can sell the card stock cuttings for 1/2 the price as the wooden ones or if you are like me, give these to family, friends, or fundraisers and still keep your wooden ones to sell at a higher price. I normally use wedding invitation stock because of it's lighter color but you can get bold and use silver, black, grey or whatever color you want to experiment with.  Just a thought.

 

Terry

Terry, your shooting yourself in the foot, by giving away all of those cardstock cuttings. Yes I give some away to family members, but never to friends unless it's for a gift. Another thing about your habits, is that why would someone buy something made of wood when they can buy the same thing for half price, but in cardstock. You're giving your customers to many choices, it confuses them. I used to do something similar to what your doing, until I had a few potential customers complain about the prices of the wooden items. They couldn't understand why I had to have so much more for a wooden portrait, compared to a cardboard one. The way they looked at it, is that it takes just as long to cut the cardboard ones, as it did to cut the wooden ones. So, they refused to pay my asking price. Needless to say they walked away empty handed, because once I set the price on something it doesn't change.

Len

[NC Scroller]

I also use 1/8" BB for my picture patterns. Depending on the pattern I cut anywhere between 3 and 5. For the backing I use either 1/8" BB painted or stained to the desired color or colored mat board. I also like to add a mat boarder.

[danny]

My Big Thanks to all these Great reply's.  When I started scrolling ALWAYS USED 1/4".  Only got 2, but that was the way I was taught

when cutting Portraits.  That was back 8 years ago.  I will now and forever use the 1/8" with a 1/8" painted backer.  Thanks again  Danny  :+}

[Denny Knappen]

To add, I use both 1/8" and 1/4".  As a framer, I have access to free mat board which I use as a backer, almost always black.