Guidance needed - cutting small areas...

[new2woodwrk]

I tried to cut the pattern below, but had lost of trouble with the small port windows on the side and aft of the ship

I could use some guidance on you all cut those types of fretwork as it really p'd me off and I threw out the cut.

I was using a MG #1, on speed 2 trying to go very slow but I kept going outside the line of the port, which caused me to cut into the port next to the one I was cutting

For example the 4 little ports towards the rear of the ship

Thanks in advance for reading and your assistance

 

 

 

[WayneMahler]

Nice looking pattern . Looks like there are a lot of smaller delicate cuts in it. Besides the ones you mentioned, the mans legs, the rigging for the sails etc. What are you cutting this out of ? How thick is the wood ? I have done a lot of delicate cutting and there are many ways to correct some of these issues. But for me they differ with the wood and thickness. 

[kmmcrafts]

What material you cutting? I'm going to assume you're using 1/8" BB plywood

When I first started scrolling I had a little trouble with this type of stuff.. what worked well for me is going up to a #3 blade and stack cutting them in a stack of 3-4 pieces.. Those small blades will drift real easy if you push at all to either side etc.. 

[jollyred]

Steve Good made the suggestion at one time that using a slightly dull blade can help.  Haven't tried it myself, YMMV.

Tom

[Rockytime]

Perhaps you would do better with a smaller and less aggressive blade. Hard to say not knowing what material you are cutting. 

[Fish]

Practice makes perfect.  On the site here Travis has some practice Pages for cutting.  I don’t remember where they are but They  always help when you practice cutting thin wood with a very fine blade.  

[new2woodwrk]

Thanks all,

Yes, using 1/8" bb - stack cut 2.

I normally would use a MG #3 for these, but figured they were so small a smaller blade would be better

Thanks again for the direction - greatly appreciated!

[Ctutor]

I cut this pattern without too many problems When I first got started.  I used a #2 and #3 and 14/inch ply. It is tricky but 1/8 I think is going to cause a problem particularly on the up stroke of the blade if the blade is a modified geometry6 or reverse tooth both will give the 1/8 th stuff fits.. 

[cashew]

You could cut a triple stack of 1/8 with a #1 blade with a lot more control than a single 1/8 (#1 modified geometry is my go to blade -- my last couple pieces I cut 3/4 and 1" with it)-- and yes cutting with a duller blade does help with control but not so much at the 1/8 level. You could also try a 2/0 (even those I at least double stack even if I'm just wasting a piece) -- I will usually cut the longer easier cuts until the blade has the edge dulled a bit -- then go in for the delicate ones -- however - slowing the blade speed down doesn't always help with control.  In fact I think I've turned my speed away from maximum twice only.  Both times I turned it back up as soon as the blade dulled a bit.  The thing to control is the speed you feed the wood into the blade.  I have found high speed blade - slow feed into the blade works best for me -- slow is smooth - smooth is fast

Also there is an alternative -- nobody knows what it's supposed to look like so you could always go with round ports there or a pair of rectangular ones  -- change it up to what's possible for you to do rather than fight it until you get better at the control (practice practice practice).  It is a very nice piece but it also has potential to be altered in certain ways that can make it your own instead of a copy and with less frustration

Edited August 27, 2020 by cashew

[John B]

Just an idea, try drilling your entrance holes on either side of the window separators then you will only have to cut along the line. Give yourself a bit of waste then you can sneak up on the line.

 

[amazingkevin]

Excellent cutting skills!!!

[munzieb]

I bought and cut this pattern a few years ago for a friend who is a lighthouse nut. I used 1/4" BBPW on a oak backer. My wife painted the plaque. For detailed and small cuts, I use a 3/0
31 tooth Puzzle blade. I buy them by the gross because the do break and get dull fast, especially on PW but they are the best for control in tight spaces and I always cut on the slowest speed with my EX-16. I thought your cutting looked great and if you hadn't mentioned any issues, I wouldn't have noticed it. 

SHARKTOOTH
Scroll Saw Blades
Superior Puzzle Blades
 

Top Quality Blade for intricate puzzle cutting is one of our best sellers!! The package of 1 dozen blades are size 3/0, 31 teeth per inch and requires drill bit size 68-71. Recommended for cutting woods approximately 1/16" to 1/4" thick

[WayneMahler]

All great advice above. Nothing new I can add other than, using a zero clearance adapter so the really thin cuts don'y blow out the back or break. 

[Fedido]

There are some nice cuts. when I have made an error like that and it is the end of the project, one trick i use is to take a nail and put some wood glue on it. the use the nail to spread the glue. It isnt perfect, but unless someone gets right up to it, no one will know. Just a thought. 

[FrankEV]

As a newbie, I am probably doing something that is NOT correct or proper technique,  so take this with a grain of salt. 

When I have had a similar situation where the cut out is not much bigger than the blade access hole and close to another cut out area, I don't try to cut it out by following the line. I will eat away the material easing up to the pattern line with the tooth edge of the blade, actually gently moving the work side to side.   I have found that little squares like what you have there is easy to do this way.  You do need to use a very gentle touch  when pushing the work into the blade.  Small cut outs like that are easy to clean up afterwards with needle flles.

[Bill WIlson]

Overcutting is a symptom of over aggressiveness.  This could be the saw, the blade or the operator, or any combination of the 3.

What kind of saw do you have?  Excalibur style saws can be adjusted to be more or less aggressive in the cutting stroke.

For delicate stuff like this, I use the smallest blade that is practical.  I also avoid using a fresh, sharp blade for these cuts.  Being a little dull gives you more control. 

Use caution when drilling entry holes, because if they are too close to the line and there is blowout on the back, it will weaken the bridge to the point that giving it the stink eye will cause it to break. 

Cutting thicker stock offers more resistance to the blade and helps provide a little more control.  Also, slowing down both glade speed and feed rate helps.  Finding the right blend of all of these factors is the key to successfully cutting delicate fretwork.

[munzieb]

2 hours ago, FrankEV said:

As a newbie, I am probably doing something that is NOT correct or proper technique,  so take this with a grain of salt. 

When I have had a similar situation where the cut out is not much bigger than the blade access hole and close to another cut out area, I don't try to cut it out by following the line. I will eat away the material easing up to the pattern line with the tooth edge of the blade, actually gently moving the work side to side.   I have found that little squares like what you have there is easy to do this way.  You do need to use a very gentle touch  when pushing the work into the blade.  Small cut outs like that are easy to clean up afterwards with needle flles.

All good stuff Frank. I did a you tube video a while back when I did the '57 Chevy. On very small holes I will grind a point on the tip of the blade end entering the hole. I did a 57 Studebaker and the grill had over 400 holes. I ended up "nibbling" all the holes rather than trying to make turns. This topic has been touched on before also, adjusting the "bite" angle of the blade by rotating the motor may help also.