Not Sure What To Call This

[Scrappile]

Here's the scoop.  I just finished, (yesterday being "just") cutting my first Fiona Kingdon's pattern.  It will not be the last.  I really enjoyed myself.  I am not real ashamed  of the result, but I have done better.  Like some have done her patterns have said, she is not a great pattern maker.  I agree, but not sure I would have enjoyed this cut as much if she was.  Remember she does this stuff free hand, so her patterns are sorta free hand also.  They are a challenge, at least for me.  They keep you on your toes, because there a very fragile areas and there are some islands.  I could not just follow the lines and listen to music... I had to really pay attention.  And, I failed in a couple areas.  Hence, I didn't put this in "Bragging Right".  I made errors and I am going to point them out.  I want to do this because I get the impression there are some here, that want to try more challenging pattern, but are, in my opinion, just two hesitant to get on with it.  My second or third detailed fret work pattern was the Viking Warrior.  I didn't really think I could finish it but, I did.  Took me two tries, but I wanted to do it bad enough I would have continued trying until I made it through.. 

So if you are hesitant, just do it.  It is only time and wood.  If you fail a few times, so what, it will only increase the satisfaction and pride you feel when you do accomplish the task.  Okay I got off on a tangent,  back to my current project.

Like I stated, I find Fiona's patterns a challenge and on this one, (my first one of hers, I have 3 more I want to do) I made some errors.  One I think my save was pretty darn good, the second the save needs saving.

If you look at the picture, I have circled the boo boos and will explain them and my save attempts.  Maybe this will help some new comers. 

Error one and not numbered, I'm just throwing this in without a count.  I definitely think I picked the wrong wood for this or any other scroll project I may try.  This is the first time I have use what I think is quarter sawed red oak.  I think it is quarter sawed, I have never had any sawed like this before.  I liked cutting any other oak I have tried.  If I look at the end wood the grain lines are vertical.  It was the hardest most obstinate  wood I have ever tried to cut.  I would go along and all of a sudden, hit a "wall" like the blade had lost it's teeth, I'd apply some pressure and it would finally advance then take off like it had started cutting basswood.  I use a lot of blades cutting this and I kept trying different one.  I ended up having the best results with FD-PSR #1.  

Okay mistake #1 in the picture.  The flower petal was an island.  Attached to nothing and if I had scroll all the way around it it would have been sucked into my vac.  My fix was to stop and leave it until I got around to cutting the tree branch next to it.  When I did I, free hand scrolled another limb on the branch that grew over and the petal is attached to it.  I felt like Fiona free handing a cut.  I think this was a good save and not noticeable but to anyone that had not seen the pattern to compare.

The mistake #2 was another me not looking ahead and paying attention. What is the dark brown end of a little limb, was very fragile where it connected.  So fragile that (I can not type "fragile" with out thinking of "The Christmas Story), it broke off and did immediately get sucked into vac oblivion.  Okay been there done that.  Save some cut out pieces of scraps and when all through cutting make one to fit and glue it in.  I have had to do this before and it is a good save.  BUT, when I did make the piece I did NOT pay attention to the direction of the grain of the piece I made.  Basic,,,,, pay attention to grain direction or it will holler dummy, dummy, dummy, at you when you get done and especially when you put some finish on it.  At his point I will let it sit a few days and them decide whether to try to fix the limb end and finish the project or have even more fun and start over using some Cherry or other Oak.  I like the look of this oak but I do not like cutting it.  I love the pattern.

There or here it is.  Sorry, this turned out a little long.  My intent was to help some.  If so, great, if not just chalk it up to crazy old Scrappile and move on....

Edited April 15, 2019 by Scrappile

[Rockytime]

I don't think I will live long enough to finish a pattern like that. You did a beautiful job of cutting.

[kmmcrafts]

I think you did a great job on that! also great job on the saves.. I've also been there done that with not paying attention to the grain direction.. but to be honest.. nobody else ever noticed or said anything.. Of coarse I wouldn't sell a piece that I did something like that on but.. have given out many pieces like that.. most of my mess ups end up hanging on my wall of shame as a reminder.. they hang right in my shop.. so I'm reminded every time I look up at the wall... One neighbor comes around and ask if he can have them to make something else with / out of it.. I usually give them to him.. he's always saying " nothing wrong with that it's cool and the flaw gives it character "  Something I've learned is without mistakes you don't learn anything.. I've made a lot of them, LOL

Now, that sure looks like quarter sawn Red Oak to me.. and yeah... it kinda sucks to cut... I cut all 10 of those wedding crosses from quarter sawn red oak.. glad they're done and on their way to Hong Kong tomorrow.. all packaged and ready to get that order outta my head.. Just praying that nothing gets damaged in shipping.. takes quite a big box for all ten of them and a long way to travel.. 

I kinda like cutting a pattern with some challenge like this. not challenge because of how many cuts.. but those challenges where you spot a floater and o a save before you actually do the cut, LOL.. I do them a lot like this.. because I try to make many of my own car clock designs and I only do a half a** drawing because I don't like taking the time to clean up a pattern... print myself out a coloring page and just wing it, LOL some how this helps me understand patterns more so... Big reason I never share any of my designs I make.. because pretty sure most anyone else would just make fire wood and several choice words about my design, LOL 

 

[scrollingforsanity]

great job Paul, How long did that take you.

grizz

[Scrappile]

1 hour ago, scrollingforsanity said:

great job Paul, How long did that take you.

grizz

Not too long.  I worked on it over about a week and a half off and on.

[Foxfold]

Magnificent, I wouldn't have noticed the mistakes at all.    Please may I ask what you mean by 'pay attention to the grain direction? It looks perfect to me.?

[lawson56]

WOW!! I have done some Highly Detailed cutting,but that is just some kinda Awesome!!!

[Scrolling Steve]

Paul, you are being a little tough on yourself....that is a fine project and the Oak is not easy to cut with that much detail..I cut that pattern in poplar and it was easier to work with....I do like the Oak ! 

[stoney]

Paul nice save on the flower petal.  Just curious, I wonder if you were to darken the perimeter the No. 2 boo boo would not even be noticeable.   Like others have said you are to hard on yourself but I would be the same way. LOL     

Edited April 15, 2019 by stoney

[Scrappile]

6 hours ago, Foxfold said:

Magnificent, I wouldn't have noticed the mistakes at all.    Please may I ask what you mean by 'pay attention to the grain direction? It looks perfect to me.?

The piece I put in has the grain running horizontal, and the rest of the piece the grain is vertical.  I should have made the boo boo replacement piece with the grain going vertical.  This is important especially on wood with pronounced grain.  But even if the grain is not real prominent, the light will reflect off it differently, making it more noticeable.  That is why the end of the branch that I glued in looks to be a different shade of brown although it is not.

[Scrappile]

16 minutes ago, stoney said:

Paul nice save on the flower petal.  Just curious, I wonder if you were to darken the perimeter the No. 2 boo boo would not even be noticeable.   Like others have said you are to hard on yourself but I would be the same way. LOL     

That may have been a good solution,,,, where were you before I put finish on it??! 

[OCtoolguy]

Paul, you are just like me in that we both think we are perfect so our projects must also be perfect. I hate to make anything that I'm not proud to put my name on. That's why there are not too many things out there with my name on them. LOL. Anyway, you did a fantastic job and like someone else stated, had you not pointed out your errors, most folks would never know. My wife and I used do a lot of wallpapering. We'd make mistakes and mend them the best we could. We know in our minds nobody would ever see them. BUT, whenever we would show off our handiwork, we'd always have to point out our screwups. We definitely do learn from our mistakes and we all make them.

On another side subject, could you tell me how you were able to add the circles and numbers to your picture? I have never learned that art.

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by octoolguy

[Scrappile]

@octoolguy, I use free Photoscape for Mac.  They also have it for WIndows, I like Windows version better, but have grown accustom to the Mac now.  It is a photo editor, and it allows you to do all sorts of photo editing.  I can not remember the steps with Windows but I have learned it on both platforms just by fooling around with if. There are good instructions on the internet also.  Pretty, simple like on the Mac there is a "Insert" option which has options to insert text, arrows, lines. circles, etc. all of which you can select text fonts, size and color, same with the arrows, circles and such.  You can resize, darken, brighten, improve clarity, add border, invert, make negative.. the list of on....great free software.

http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php

Believe me, my wife lets me know I am not perfect,,,, almost daily!!    I don't normally point out my mistakes, but I guess last night I felt some one might benefit from my errors... Besides @Scrolling Steve knew I was cutting this and I knew he would catch my errors... so I confessed....

Edited April 15, 2019 by Scrappile

[OCtoolguy]

Thanks Paul, I just downloaded that program and I will mess around with it. And, no matter what your wife says, you are "darned near perfect". By the way, did you get your wood yet?

 

[stoney]

8 hours ago, Scrappile said:

That may have been a good solution,,,, where were you before I put finish on it??! 

Oh for crying out loud Paul just lightly sand the perimeter and apply some wipe on darkening poly stain.   Really it just might work!!    But if it doesn't  don't blame me it's just a suggestion. LOL    

Edited April 15, 2019 by stoney

[Scrappile]

47 minutes ago, stoney said:

Oh for crying out loud Paul just lightly sand the perimeter and apply some wipe on darkening poly stain.   Really it just might work!!    But if it doesn't  don't blame me it's just a suggestion. LOL    

I'd rather re-cut than sand,,,, any day!

[Gonzo]

Looks great! What size/type blade did you use?

[Scrappile]

45 minutes ago, Gonzo said:

Looks great! What size/type blade did you use?

I tried many of different sizes.  From #0/2 to #5 Flying Dutchman and Pegas.  The one that worked best was a FD-PSR #1 on my Hegner.  Not sure why, but it was the one that felt the most comfortable to me. And I went through quite a few blades... will probably not cut quarter sawed Red Oak again on the scroll saws.  The wood from H...L 

Edited April 16, 2019 by Scrappile

[crupiea]

This is a great looking piece.  No need to beat yourself up because you see slight imperfections.  Every artist in history feels the same way about their work. 

Michelangelo, Leonardo, all of them. 

This is a great looking piece and its nice you learned a lot while doing it.