compound cutting (1st attempt)

[rljohn56]

several questions to those out there that r experts in this form of scroll sawing.  the pattern is from "Big Book of Scroll Saw Woodworking"  there wasn't an after picture so i wasn't sure if this was how it was suppose to look first of all.  pretty cool even if it isn't, at least to me.  It mentioned using the biggest blade possible so i went with a #7, but there is no way i can make all those intricate cuts for the corral side.  Can you use a thinner blade even though the wood is basically 2" thick?  also is it normal for the block to get hot near the ends?  and my last question is in regards to the block jumping a lot during the cutting process.  i didn't think i was cutting that fast but i'm assuming it was because of that? any tips for the future would help.  I really like this type of cutting!  very fascinating to see the end results.  thanks again gang for any and all inputs.  ray 

VID_20170607_134025124.mp4

[rljohn56]

i don't think the video came thru so here is pictures of the final product.

[BeerBrewer]

Wow.....very interesting!  I'm impressed!

[Denny Knappen]

Ray, that looks very good, especially for a first try.  As for blades, I use FD Polar #7 or #9.  Making those turns with a thick blade is difficult, but with practice can be done.  I would not go to a thinner blade on 2" stock.  The 'Hot Wood' is from friction with the blade on wood. I use packing tape to hold the project together and lubricate the blade.  Not sure about the jumping, but a reverse blade might cause the jumping,  also if you are using a clamping system, clamping too tight van be a problem.

[rljohn56]

Actually i was using a #7 reverse.  i was very nervous about straying too far off line during the cuts because i wasn't sure how it would affect the overall finished product since i was also cutting from another side as well.  call me a dummy, but i'm still not sure how this type of cutting produces such an effect.  the whole time i'm cutting the second side i'm thinking i have got to be cross cutting into the 1st side and thus screwing the whole thing up and yet when done....  I have found my projects for this year's Christmas presents to my family!!!

[Scrappile]

I am so glad you did one of those.  I have a book of them but have not tried one yet.  Like you don't see how it works, but it does??  Great job.  I have just got to get around  to trying some.

[Lucky2]

Nice job Ray, especially as how this is your first one. I generally use a #5 blade, and I cut at a slower rate then normal. I find that by cutting at a slower rate, that the blade does a better job on details in the piece. A reverse tooth blade would be the reason for the piece to keep jumping around on you, you would be better off using a different type of blade. The wood getting hot is normal, it's from the friction. I find that it is better to have the blank that is a bit longer then the pattern, I like to have at least 1/4" of wood above the uppermost cut line. For the base, I like to have the blank bottom be the bottom of the project, so make sure it is cut true.

Len

[daveww1]

very nice

[CharleyL]

That is very impressive, especially for a first try at it. If I remember correctly, those double image patterns require 1 3/4 square blocks of wood. It's been a while since I cut any of them. I tend to prefer making compound cut patterns that produce the front and side views of just one animal, chess piece, etc. 

Since you are just beginning to compound cut, my only suggestion is to try many different kinds of compound cut patterns. More like your first one, and then others. I don't know where you got the pattern for this first project, but it is in a book  called "128 Compound Scroll Saw Patterns" by Sam Keener. I've also enjoyed cutting compound cut patterns from any of the books written by Diana Thompson.  Her book "3-D Patterns for the Scroll Saw" has a bunch of characters that look like she was inspired by Dr Zeuss children's books and all that I've tried from this book have been fun. Quite challenging is the rural mailbox on the stand with vines around the stand that's in this book.  She has another book full of Compound Cut Christmas Ornaments that I have very much enjoyed cutting, but this book is out in my shop right now, so I can't give you the exact name of it. Any books by Diana Thompson are great and she has published about 5 of them. I'm less impressed with the book bout 3D Scroll Saw patterns by Frank Pozzgai. Several patterns in this book were apparently never cut out before publishing them because the face and side views don't cut properly and the end result is not good. A cat with ears in the side view but not in the face view is one of them.

Since cutting out my first compound cut patterns about 25 years ago I rarely cut any 2 D patterns since. They just don't offer the interest and challenge for me. For the past 9 years I've been cutting out 3-D Reindeer, now in 4 sizes, from a pattern that's on Mathias Wandel's website www.woodgears.ca. Wach year I have made more of them than the previous year and I give them away during the Christmas Season from Thanksgiving to New Years, to any woman (most men don't appreciate them) who in some way helps or does something for me. Any woman waitress, sales clerk, cashier, nurse, doctor, etc. .who waits on me, helps me choose a gift, takes care of my health needs, etc. is offered one. I usually hold one in the palm of my hand with my palm down, so it can't be seen and at the end of our transaction I hold my hand out toward them and wish them ""A Very Merry Christmas". When they reach out toward me I drop the reindeer into their hand. I'm always thanked, sometimes hugged, and occasionally kissed on the cheek, which is significant in improving my "Christmas Spirit" and theirs as well. Last year I made and gave away 428 of these little reindeer. The largest approx 3"  tall are the easiest to cut and I'm down to about 6 minutes a piece for them. The two middle size usually get a jewelry pin glued to one side of their body. The smallest (about 1" tall) get a hole drilled through their heads just under their antlers and I add a gold or silver ring through this hole and the top end of the ring gets an ear ring hook attached. I make these in pairs, place teach pair in small jewelry boxes, and give them to special women friends. My doctor is one of these "special friends". All together since starting this reindeer project I have cut out well over 2500 of these little reindeer. Now, if you go to any restaurant that I frequent  near where I live, you can find tiny herds of them in a high place, usually near the checkout desk.

Charley