question about small thin cuts

[cjswoodcrafts]

Hi all, i have been trying to do a portrait of my step daughter, when i got to the small areas like nostil lines, etc i keep messing up, ive tried a stright blade and a spiral, then i got to the mouth and the piece broke. I am about to give up on doing portraits and just do misc cuts.

 

i see these patterns i have dled and i see some really thin lines, how do yall do them, even my smallest blade wich is about the size just big enuf for the blade to go into. and it still drills outside the line.

 

Am i just being inpatient or doing something wrong?

 

Help please

 

Jim

[grampa]

Hang on there Jim don't give up we all get bits breaking off and it usually happens when we are nearly finished, I don't think there is one scroller out there that as not glued a broken piece back in to a portrait at one time or another. When you are cutting a detailed section use a new blade and don't push the wood, feed it let the blade do the work as for thin lines try and incorporate a long tear drop at one end so you can fit your blade through, try different speeds on a scrap piece and use a fine a tooth blade as you can. If you can ,post a pick of the area that broke off..........Paul PS don't even think about giving up or I will be on the next plane over

[NiTay614]

I have had the same experience where The wood broke, for what ever the reason. When I first started using the scroll saw, my family penned the nick name "Tooth pick maker". It was a disaster. That was when I really began to utilize different tecgniques and search for other peoples advice. I even stopped purchaseing lumber from the local lumber yard.

 

I use several tricks that seem to help. First, I stack cut, using 2 pieces that I put box tape over the wood with a small amout tapered over the edge to hold the wood together, and secure the pattern to the tape. The bottom board gives the upper one added strength. I also cut the small areas first using either a #3 or #5 skip tooth blade or which ever blade I find serves the need. I do not use spiral blades because I have a hard time contorlling where they cut and they have a tendency to splinter the wood (personal preference). I have found that when the larger areas are cut it has a tendency to weaken the wood. When drilling the holes, I use a tiny wire bit and place scrap wood beneath to prevent splintering. As for the long thin lines, Generally I cut down one side back the blade out, and then cut down the second side. I do this because sometimes in turning the wood, the blade thickness results in straying off the path. There are times when I am cutting that I find the fibration of the area being removed is vibrating a lot, and I use scotch tape over the cut areas to reduce this. I do so because I have found that the more the wood vibrates, the gerter the opportunity for it to break a weak wall.

 

As grandpa shared, do not push the wood, let the blade do the work. The more one forces the wood the odds of breakage of lumber and blades. Yes, even with these tricks, things brake and I have to glue them.

 

The real trick is to be patient with yourself and the learning experience. The more I try to cut things perfectly, the more stress, and the more strees, the more frustration. Just have fun with it. Try an easier project for a while and come back to the portrait. It will still be there.

 

My two sense!

[cjswoodcrafts]

Granpa and Nitay, Thanks for the reply,

Sad thing is this was my 2nd protrait ive started, first one was a pattern made by frieke of my father in law,

I really do appreciate the advice and will follow the advice, need to print these off tg today is payday, buy ink.

Gonna take another crack at it again in a day or 2, i think what messed me up yesterday is i used packaging tape to cover the wood and then spray adhesive to glue pattern on, thinking of just using carbon paper, may take longer, but when i glue it, pieces of the paper would come undone, and flap around like a fish when getting close to being finished on that one area.

today is another day and its gonna be a good one,

Thanks again

Jim

[grampa]

Some great tips there Nita, Thanks for helping out Jim ..........Paul

[Marshall]

Jim : Grampa is right this same thing has happened to me , things like this will happen if you do it long enough > so just hang in there .......Marshall

[cjswoodcrafts]

nitay, granpa, marshall, thanks for all the advice, will be printing these off today, if can get this printer working

yall are great

 

Jim

[Travis]

...There are times when I am cutting that I find the fibration of the area being removed is vibrating a lot, and I use scotch tape over the cut areas to reduce this...

 

I do the same thing. If you have a delicate areas that flex a lot, add a piece of clear packing tape over that area. That adds support, but you can still see through it to follow your pattern.

 

Another thing to look at is making a zero clearance insert. This will add more support to the bottom of the project. The best one I've made was simply drill a tiny hole in the middle of a piece of BB plywood. Just big enough to feed the blade through. Tighten the blade, then tape the board down to the bed of your saw. This will be the new bed of your saw. When the hole gets chewed up too much, remove the tape, cut a bit into the plywood, and you now have another cleaned up zero-clearance insert.

 

Last thing to look at is the type of wood you're using. You'll need to use cabinet grade baltic birch plywood (Russian or Finnish baltic birch). This is very stable and doesn't have any voids. Very high quality. The birch plywood (or even luan) you find at home centers isn't very good. You can find quality wood online at Wood Deals Online or Sloan's Workshop.

[NiTay614]

I have experienced issue with the spray adhesive as well. I swithch to either Duro or to 3M general purpose. I also apply the pattern while it is wet. I think this affords better adhesion as it dries. If the paper does flop around, I have used pieces of broken blades or a tiny screw drive to keep the paper in place. When doing this you need to watch that the blade does not strike the implimented tool. Hope this helps!!! Do not give up. the more practice and patience the greater your chance for success.

[wood-n-things]

I noticed you said you place packing tape on the wood and then apply the pattern.

 

I suggest applying the pattern to the wood and packing tape over the pattern. When you are done cutting a spray or paint on some mineral spirits and while you are cleaning up it will release the pattern. Usually about 5 minutes will do the trick. I hear others say they prefer to put down the blue or purple painters tape on the wood and then apply the pattern and then the clear packing tape. Why waste the blue (expensive) painters tape? I've been using ms for years to release the glue and have never had a problem.

[cjswoodcrafts]

thanks to everyone, for the advice,

Will take what ive read and use the information

Thanks again

 

Jim

[NiTay614]

This is an example of how I tape a scroll saw portrait as I cut. When I remove the pattern and Packing tape. I will retain these inset pieces and again retape them on the back side until after I have finish sanded the finished product. The tape is utilized to protect those long pieces of eposed and unprotected wood peninsulas. I used blue painter tape so I could demonstrate the concept. Tis is the pattern I have posted int the pattern mentor section if you would like to see the why I chose to protect these areas. Hope this helps!!!

[cjswoodcrafts]

Nitay, yes very muxh that does help me, as with everyone elses comments, i do appreciate all the efforts yall are doing to educamacate (heehee) me. Yall have been great ever since i have found this forum.

 

Thanks again to everyone

 

Jim

[Gypsum]

Jim:

One method I have found useful when cutting an area with a thin piece is to not cut the final line first. Cut back leaving a thicker segment if possible. Now use the saw blade (I use spirals so I have no experience with regular blades) as a rasp and thin the remaining wood. This sounds silly but I do it more by sound than sight. You want to maintain a very light contact with the blade to the wood. It generates less pressure on the piece allowing it to be thinned quite a bit. If stack cutting, check table/blade squareness each time you change a blade

Work with this using scrap wood to get a feel for the process.