FD superior puzzle blades

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Well I started making some of the puzzles I talked about and tried FD superior puzzle blade. Now I am cutting 3/8" BB plywood and sure do not get much life with these blades. They do cut smooth and make following the tabs and other cuts easy but breakage is a problem. Need to find some consistency as to how far I can push them and just change before breaking. Going to be ordering a ton more of these blades I can see. 

[NC Scroller]

I use 1/4" and 1 /8" BB for my puzzles .  The smaller the blade the more critical blade tensioning gets.  You have to find the sweet spot.

[Bill WIlson]

Never used a puzzle blade, but have had similar experience with FD's 3/0 new spirals.  They are great for cutting really fine detail, but I find them to be very fragile.  Perhaps it's just my heavy hand?  I end up using the 2/0 size for the bulk of the cuts and save the 3/0 for the really critical cuts.  Not really an option with puzzles.  

[kmmcrafts]

Yeah they dull quick and do not last long at all.. especially on plywood.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, NC Scroller said:

I use 1/4" and 1 /8" BB for my puzzles .  The smaller the blade the more critical blade tensioning gets.  You have to find the sweet spot.

I may switch to 1/4" to see if that makes a difference. Right now I am basically trying some experimenting. These are taking longer than I envisioned so I may have to jack the final price up. I was hoping to make these as one of those extra gifts people look to buy at Christmas. Make it inexpensive and they can use as a stocking stuffer. Never really made too many puzzles so this is a new area for me. Made a few large puzzles for nephews many years ago but not as many pieces. Will see how it goes.

[Brianr24]

12 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Well I started making some of the puzzles I talked about and tried FD superior puzzle blade. Now I am cutting 3/8" BB plywood and sure do not get much life with these blades. They do cut smooth and make following the tabs and other cuts easy but breakage is a problem. Need to find some consistency as to how far I can push them and just change before breaking. Going to be ordering a ton more of these blades I can see. 

I found the exact same situation with them. Grant it. I only did a couple small projects with them. So I don’t have a ton of experience. I was cutting 3/4 pine. I wanted as little kerf as possible. 

One blade would cut like a dream and last forever and the next could break in seconds. I kind of chalked it up to inconsistencies in production quality due to them being so small probably not much tolerance between a good one and a bad one. Just a guess on my part.

[Jim McDonald]

Not intending to be quick to judge, but 3/4 pine with a puzzle blade is asking for breakage and frustration.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

1 hour ago, Brianr24 said:

I found the exact same situation with them. Grant it. I only did a couple small projects with them. So I don’t have a ton of experience. I was cutting 3/4 pine. I wanted as little kerf as possible. 

One blade would cut like a dream and last forever and the next could break in seconds. I kind of chalked it up to inconsistencies in production quality due to them being so small probably not much tolerance between a good one and a bad one. Just a guess on my part.

Yea they state right on them not intended for 1/2" and up. 

[Brianr24]

28 minutes ago, Jim McDonald said:

Not intending to be quick to judge, but 3/4 pine with a puzzle blade is asking for breakage and frustration.

 

21 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Yea they state right on them not intended for 1/2" and up. 

Yeah both of you are 100 percent correct in ur comment. But I figured I would give it a try and wouldn’t u know the first blade I tried cut like a dream. So I knew it was possible but like I say blades after we’re hit  and miss. But I knew I was pushing that blades limits. Iv also had the same experience cutting thinner stock too. Like I say tho not a lot of experience with them.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 minutes ago, Brianr24 said:

 

Yeah both of you are 100 percent correct in ur comment. But I figured I would give it a try and wouldn’t u know the first blade I tried cut like a dream. So I knew it was possible but like I say blades after we’re hit  and miss. But I knew I was pushing that blades limits. Iv also had the same experience cutting thinner stock too. Like I say tho not a lot of experience with them.

Same reason I am trying 3/8" I am having a hit or miss thing too. Trying to zero in on the sweet spot. They look like they will do what I want. Have to strip the tape off and see if there is fuzzies left on the back. That can be a problem because what I am doing is making a puzzle that is 2 sided. In other words you can get 2 for one with one cutting just by flipping over and may even confuse players more.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Boy I am going to have to try some new things if I want this to work. I may have to try Steve Goods method of wrapping the entire project with clear packing tape. I did not think this would hold all the pieces together as you cut them. I just ordered some super low tack tape and hope this might help because the low tack tape (purple ) I am using is lifting the paper apart. 

Has anyone done any of Steve Goods puzzles and used his method?? If so how did it go and any do's and don'ts ?? 

[kmmcrafts]

22 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Boy I am going to have to try some new things if I want this to work. I may have to try Steve Goods method of wrapping the entire project with clear packing tape. I did not think this would hold all the pieces together as you cut them. I just ordered some super low tack tape and hope this might help because the low tack tape (purple ) I am using is lifting the paper apart. 

Has anyone done any of Steve Goods puzzles and used his method?? If so how did it go and any do's and don'ts ?? 

I'm not sure what method you're speaking of JT.. I think it was Steve Good site where I got the template from years ago when I did some puzzles.. I glued the photo to the wood.. then I put a layer of paper towel in top of the photo ( after gluing and spraying triple thick glaze over the photo etc ) and then taped the template / pattern waist piece on top of that.. Only issue I had was the bouncing of the pattern board on top of the paper towel did sort of smug the edges of the outer part of the puzzle..( maybe I didn't tape them together tight enough.. I only taped with clear tape just around the edges.. did not wrap in tape..) The blades do tend to leave a very fine and small amount of fuzzys though.. and I don't know how you could really avoid that.. Maybe small enough amount that it's not a very big problem to hand sand a few of the pieces.? 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I have sealed the BB with shellac on both sides. I attached my photo that I want cut both front and back of BB (3/8" may change this to 1/4") with 3M 77 adhesive.  I then sealed the photo with satin lacquer both sides and looks good. I then placed purple (low tack) tape over the front and back to protect the photo from scratching. I then sprayed adhesive to back of pattern sheet and placed on top of photo. I thought the tape would both protect the back and control the fuzzies on the back. Not enough as it turns out and I can not sand because of the print on the back. When I went to pull the pattern off and the tape in the back it pulled the photo paper apart with it in some spots. Not good. 

What Steve says he does is first he is not doing a 2 sided print so that is no big deal. But he attaches print to good BB and the attaches the pattern to a seperate 1/8" piece of BB and then sandwiches them together and wraps clear packing tape and cuts each piece out. I tried to cut rows out and then go back and cut the pieces from each row. To me made it easier this way. I did not think that packing tape would hold the entire puzzle together long enough to get them all cut out because as you cut the sides away there is nothing holding together top and bottom. Thus my method.

Now what I am going to try next is use some very low tack tape used in the musical industry when repairing guitars. Also bought some poster board to use on the back to take up for the fuzzies. Will have to see how this goes. If not then I may have to try his method. Just taping the ends will not work because as I said you cut the center pieces there is nothing holding the sandwich together. His method may work and thus that is why I am asking if anyone has used it and to give me a report. Progress noted.

[kmmcrafts]

I taped all four sides and worked from one end to the next end.. the tape held fine just taping the four sides.. I got a length of packing tape about the same length of the puzzle and taped to the top then stood up and bent tape over the edge and around to the back side.. The very middle piece once you cut off the one taped end does bounce a bit more.. and required more pressure by my fingers.. but it went okay..

3M -77 is strong stuff.. but they do make a stronger adhesive too that says permanent bond.. Can't remember off the top of my head what the stuff is now.. we used both 3M-77 and the stronger one in the body shop biz..

I think a wood glue for bonding the photo is a stronger hold.. I used wood glue on my first  puzzles I made.. first one I got too thick of glue on it and put my thumb print into the photo by picking up the thing before the glue had fully harden.. but boy was that picture stuck good.. the second one I used too little glue and it lifted during cutting.. I also used the 3M-77 with what i thought was just "okay" results.. 

I don't know what to say about the fuzzys though.. my puzzles got the sander on the back side as they was only one sided puzzles.. Be interesting to see how that works out for you..

Sounds like what Steve suggest is what i did.. but i put a paper towel over the photo before taping the top 1/8" sacrificial BB ply to the good piece..  to help against scratches etc.  

Edited July 7, 2019 by kmmcrafts

[NC Scroller]

On 7/7/2019 at 12:53 AM, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I have sealed the BB with shellac on both sides. I attached my photo that I want cut both front and back of BB (3/8" may change this to 1/4") with 3M 77 adhesive.  I then sealed the photo with satin lacquer both sides and looks good. I then placed purple (low tack) tape over the front and back to protect the photo from scratching. I then sprayed adhesive to back of pattern sheet and placed on top of photo. I thought the tape would both protect the back and control the fuzzies on the back. Not enough as it turns out and I can not sand because of the print on the back. When I went to pull the pattern off and the tape in the back it pulled the photo paper apart with it in some spots. Not good. 

What Steve says he does is first he is not doing a 2 sided print so that is no big deal. But he attaches print to good BB and the attaches the pattern to a seperate 1/8" piece of BB and then sandwiches them together and wraps clear packing tape and cuts each piece out. I tried to cut rows out and then go back and cut the pieces from each row. To me made it easier this way. I did not think that packing tape would hold the entire puzzle together long enough to get them all cut out because as you cut the sides away there is nothing holding together top and bottom. Thus my method.

Now what I am going to try next is use some very low tack tape used in the musical industry when repairing guitars. Also bought some poster board to use on the back to take up for the fuzzies. Will have to see how this goes. If not then I may have to try his method. Just taping the ends will not work because as I said you cut the center pieces there is nothing holding the sandwich together. His method may work and thus that is why I am asking if anyone has used it and to give me a report. Progress noted.

I have done a number of picture puzzles. See if this helps.  First for all my picture puzzles I use pictures on heavy stock like card stock.  I attach the picture to the wood with 3M 77.  I spray BOTH the wood and the back of the picture.  After waiting 5 minutes or so for the glue to dry I spray the picture with rattle can shellac.  Wait 30 minutes and then cut.  

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

6 minutes ago, NC Scroller said:

I have done a number of picture puzzles. See if this helps.  First for all my picture puzzles I use pictures on heavy stock like card stock.  I attach the picture to the wood with 3M 77.  I spray BOTH the wood and the back of the picture.  After waiting 5 minutes or so for the glue to dry I spray the picture with rattle can shellac.  Wait 30 minutes and then cut.  

That is the basic start of what I am doing. What comes into play next is the pattern I want to use which is a Steve Good pattern. Getting that on there requires some thinking. 

[Tomanydogs]

I’ve made some puzzles with three tiers giving it a 3D effect. I wrap the end of the three blanks together (the extra board that won’t be cut with the puzzle) or you could use a couple of bolts and nuts. Then I glue the puzzle picture on the top board. I make an extra black and white copy of the puzzle picture and draw the pieces I want to cut, I do this because I’m not good at cutting the pieces on the fly, but I want to be strategic where I cut the puzzle. Then I place the black and white copy exactly on top of the colour puzzle picture and use clear packing tape and wrap it around all the boards. It’s not a perfect solution but it works for me, I start on one side and cut toward the end with the extra board. 

Irene

[barb.j.enders]

There is a member of the Gwinette club that glues the photo to the wood, sprays with a finish (don't remember what)) then glues the pattern to the back of the wood. Cuts with the photo on the table side.  The key to having it work is to turn the blade  upside down.   I have been stack cutting two at a time, but having issues with the piece of paper, that I sandwich between the photos, sticking to one side or the other.  I think that as I cut the glue warms up and seeps out a bit so it sticks to the paper.  It does rub off with a damp cloth but that can get very time consuming.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

There is a member of the Gwinette club that glues the photo to the wood, sprays with a finish (don't remember what)) then glues the pattern to the back of the wood. Cuts with the photo on the table side.  The key to having it work is to turn the blade  upside down.   I have been stack cutting two at a time, but having issues with the piece of paper, that I sandwich between the photos, sticking to one side or the other.  I think that as I cut the glue warms up and seeps out a bit so it sticks to the paper.  It does rub off with a damp cloth but that can get very time consuming.

The puzzles I am making have a photo on both sides so it would be like getting 2 puzzles in one and also makes it a little harder to do if they just dump the pieces on the table to figure which side is which. I agree with the time consuming part because for me I have to take the tape off each small piece and it was lifting the photo but it was separating the photo layers not lifting off the board. I will work something out. Had to put on hold I have had a few orders come in that i need to take care of. Will get back to it for sure. Thanks.