Love to Cut, Hate to Prep

[hotshot]

I find it extremely easy and exciting to sit down at a project that has already been prepped drilled and ready to cut, even if I only have a few minutes here and there.  But if things aren't ready to go, I put it off because I have to go find a pattern, print, cut out, find a coin and clean it, then ca glue it, then mark the holes with a punch, oil, then drill . . . . The process is messy, time consuming, and I have to be in "work clothes that I can't ruin" 

So, knowing that I have a lot that I need to cut, and having some spare time this weekend, I hunkered down and prepped 21 coins with various patterns, and they are ready to cut.  Now, in theory, I can set down at the saw and cut away, 30 minutes here, 10 minutes there, whenever I can.  Time will tell how effective that approach is.  At my normal prices, this stack, once cut, is worth over $500 (If I don't give too many away).

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by hotshot

[Scrappile]

Exactly!  I hate to get things ready.  I like to scroll.  I think I should hire someone....

Can't wait to see your coins!

I am going to try cutting soap stone and maybe alabaster .  I have turned it on a lathe. Pretty easy.  Now that I have good dust collection, I want to try to scroll it, like some pendents or something.  When turned, it produces a powder like talcum.  Probably not good for scroll saw bearings.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Scrappile

[hotshot]

27 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

..... Probably not good for scroll saw bearings.

No worries, you can't hurt a Hegner!

:-)

Edited October 15, 2017 by hotshot

[SCROLLSAW703]

Me too! Im anxious to see your coins, too, Randy. And like you guys, prep works bites! Seems like it takes longer to prep the wood than it does to cut it!:( And amongst 49 other things goin' on in the shop, prep work seems time consumin',  but a must for the projects. 

[Phantom Scroller]

I just keep thinking to myself preparation is everything gets me through. Roly

[lawson56]

Same here.But we gotta do it,Then we get to do the fun stuff.

[kmmcrafts]

While I somewhat agree.. My worst thing ever in my process is actually putting  the items on my web site.. While cutting is my favorite..I also do like to prep.. mainly because I like to check out the wood grain and colors and matching them to the project at hand.. so most any of the woodwork portion I like doing.. but coming into the office to work on the web site or any of the computer portion of running my business I put off as long as I can.. So much so that I have approximately 200 new styles of Christmas ornaments that need to get put on the site.. not to mention many portraits and keychains.. I made a lot of keychains about 5 years ago.. had a few of them on my original site and sold quite a few.. just can't get motivated to do the computer part..  Funny though.. If I make a clock.. I'll be excited to get it listed.. so apparently clocks are my favorite thing to make.. and list.. love making ornaments.. but not so much for listing them.. I think the big reason is.. while ornaments sell year round.. I tend to make them in the summer and then get so many new ones to get listed that I just put it off as I get overwhelmed with it..  

[Iguanadon]

I enjoy cutting the outlines of the animals, and the individual pieces.  I dislike the detail inside cutting of closed loop letters, eyes and kerf cuts for fur.  Sometimes I'll do that middle step for a stack of 10 of puzzles just so I can enjoy the puzzle piece cutting for a few hours without having to do the annoying parts.

I don't mind doing the layout... I challenge myself to squeeze as many patterns onto a 6ft board as I can.

[rjweb]

Prep work is what makes a project great, being a painter for 50 years, prep work took longer than doing the painting, but if you didn’t do proper sanding, filling and primer the project would not look as good or hold up. So yes you do need to prep, but I didn’t like it so I had someone do it for me, RJ

[hotshot]

Started with the easiest stuff to warm up.  4 Down, 17 to go.

[MrsN]

Last fall I did this. I spent a bunch of time up front getting a bunch of ornament patterns ready to cut. Anytime that I had a few minutes to spare I could go into the shop and start cutting. 

On the other hand, I do have a project all drilled and ready to go that has been hanging around for maybe 2 years, for some reason I always find something else to cut.

[jollyred]

21 hours ago, Scrappile said:

When turned, it produces a powder like talcum.  Probably not good for scroll saw bearings.

I have seen where some people use talcum powder as a lubricant.  I don't think it would be abrasive enough to harm bearings, but I was wrong once before.

[tonylumps]

On 10/14/2017 at 11:59 PM, hotshot said:

I find it extremely easy and exciting to sit down at a project that has already been prepped drilled and ready to cut, even if I only have a few minutes here and there.  But if things aren't ready to go, I put it off because I have to go find a pattern, print, cut out, find a coin and clean it, then ca glue it, then mark the holes with a punch, oil, then drill . . . . The process is messy, time consuming, and I have to be in "work clothes that I can't ruin" 

So, knowing that I have a lot that I need to cut, and having some spare time this weekend, I hunkered down and prepped 21 coins with various patterns, and they are ready to cut.  Now, in theory, I can set down at the saw and cut away, 30 minutes here, 10 minutes there, whenever I can.  Time will tell how effective that approach is.  At my normal prices, this stack, once cut, is worth over $500 (If I don't give too many away).

 

Hotshot. What is the CA for

[hotshot]

Hey Tony.  Like many scrollers, I was used to using 3M77 to apply my patterns, but for coin cutting, this is a disaster on multiple accounts.  When you scroll small metal, the metal heats up.  With very little heat, 3M77 abandons it's post and sets my patterns free.  Also, oil dissolves 3M77 as easy as mineral spirits, and without oils, it is very difficult to drill holes without messing up my bits.

So CA does a couple of really neat things for me.  With a good amount of CA, it holds the pattern down very well.  My recent discovery, use more CA than you think you should.  Then the second trick, after the CA dries, I apply another coat to the top of the pattern to protect it from getting messed up.  Oil on paper makes it nasty, but CA protects it pretty good.

Here is one last secret that almost no one knows:  CA doesn't really stick to Polyethylene, and Polyethylene disposable gloves are really cheap.  You won't find them in Harbor freight, but is easily found on Amazon.

Then when I'm done, I just toss the coins into a bottle of Acetone, and 20 minutes later, the CA is gone.

 

[tonylumps]

I was wondering about that. I use CA for a finish on all of my wood pens now..I was using a friction polish.But it does not hold up very well.The CA is a lifetime finish and when done right makes a beautiful pen.I verbally tell my customers that the pens are guaranteed for the rest of my life LOL.

[hotshot]

8 minutes ago, tonylumps said:

...I use CA for a finish on all of my wood pens now....

I found out about Polyethylene watching someone finish a pen with CA.  I experimented trying to use CA as a finish on regular wood, with less than ideal results.  I'll probably try again at some point

[amazingkevin]

On 10/15/2017 at 9:43 AM, Iguanadon said:

I enjoy cutting the outlines of the animals, and the individual pieces.  I dislike the detail inside cutting of closed loop letters, eyes and kerf cuts for fur.  Sometimes I'll do that middle step for a stack of 10 of puzzles just so I can enjoy the puzzle piece cutting for a few hours without having to do the annoying parts.

I don't mind doing the layout... I challenge myself to squeeze as many patterns onto a 6ft board as I can.

You sound like me.When little i'd eat the food my mom cooked first and then finish with the good stuff i liked.Same with scrolling ,i'd do all the inside cuts and then the bigger stuff last.