Question time

[Eplfan2011]

All of you who cut portraits/ landscapes what do you use straight, spiral, both?

Tips and tricks please .. I know I'm not that skilled yet but I want to dive into something complicated, just for the experience and learning curve even if it ends up in the trash. I'm finding out the only way to learn is to do.

 

 

 

 

[Scrappile]

I use both, normally.  when I do veins like in leaves, or feathers, like in bird wings, I will first cut them with a small straight blade then go back over them with a small spiral.. great way to easily in crease the kerf, just enough that it shows better. but not too wide.  And like I said in another post, I I shave to thicvkness things like grass blades, whiskers, small twigs with them. A Flying Dutchman 3/0 or a Pegas 2/0 is  great for this.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Scrappile

[Eplfan2011]

2 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

I use both, normally.  when I do veins like in leaves, or feathers, like in bird wings, I will first cut them with a small straight blade then go back over them with a small spiral.. great way to easily in crease the kerf, just enough that it shows better. but not too wide.

When you say you use both, what's your reason for changing from one to another ?

[Scrappile]

3 minutes ago, Eplfan2011 said:

When you say you use both, what's your reason for changing from one to another ?

For veining It is easier to control a straight blade, so I follow the pattern line with a small straingt blade.  Then go back over it with a small sprial, it s quick because the spiral blade will follow the first cut.  And for the other reasons I went back and edited into my first response.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Scrappile

[Eplfan2011]

3 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

For veining It is easier to control a straight blade, so I follow the pattern line with a small straingt blade.  Then go back over it with a small sprial, it s quick because the spiral blade will follow the first cut.  And for the other reasons I went back and edited into my first response.

Sorry ...I got that the first time ...

What I meant was what makes you choose a spiral or a straight blade or do you only use spirals for widening viens?

[Scrappile]

Hard to answer I guess.  Mood, amount of detail in the picture, what ever I feel I need to use to get the effect I want.  Stupidity, I really do not have a set of rules.  Blade are tools, I use the tool I feel I need at the time. There are things I can do with a spiral I don't think I could do with a straight blade and visa versa.  Someone else could but I know I could not.  I could not have cut this picture with a straight blade. Others maybe able to but not me.  You just have to uses what you feel works for you.  Do not look for rules, it is open to you.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Scrappile

[kmmcrafts]

I use both or either or one or the other,  What makes the decision to use which one? Mood I suppose.. I don't typically use spirals on thick wood for my clocks etc.. not usually for ornaments either.. I do use them on thick wood or ornaments as Paul said for veining, but I do go over the veining first with a flat blade as the spiral will just follow the path of least resistance and that would be a cut already there, LOL

Don't do much portrait work these days sadly so when I do get the opportunity I typically just use spirals because it's a complete change up and I get to keep my spiral skills in check.. Reason for not doing them much is most are hard to sell.. and if I didn't like eating so much I'd do more of them.. 

[Eplfan2011]

17 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Hard to answer I guess.  Mood, amount of detail in the picture, what ever I feel I need to use to get the effect I want.  Stupidity, I really do not have a set of rules.  Blade are tools, I use the tool I feel I need at the time. There are things I can do with a spiral I don't think I could do with a straight blade and visa versa.  Someone else could but I know I could not.  I could not have cut this picture with a straight blade. Others maybe able to but not me.  You just have to uses what you feel works for you.  Do not look for rules, it is open to you.

Thanks Paul, good answer makes sense, I guess it a easier choice when you know what your capable of

[Eplfan2011]

5 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

I use both or either or one or the other,  What makes the decision to use which one? Mood I suppose.. I don't typically use spirals on thick wood for my clocks etc.. not usually for ornaments either.. I do use them on thick wood or ornaments as Paul said for veining, but I do go over the veining first with a flat blade as the spiral will just follow the path of least resistance and that would be a cut already there, LOL

Don't do much portrait work these days sadly so when I do get the opportunity I typically just use spirals because it's a complete change up and I get to keep my spiral skills in check.. Reason for not doing them much is most are hard to sell.. and if I didn't like eating so much I'd do more of them.. 

Thank for your input too Kevin, what you say makes perfect sense for you as well.

 With the amount of sawing you do you could probably knock one out while you're taking a nap

[Hawk]

I've tried

Spiral blades, just can't get a feel for them. Everything I do is with a straight blade. The 2 portraits were done with a 2/0 blade.

[Eplfan2011]

Thanks Hawk, nice portraits and nice to know you can get by with straight blades.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Eplfan2011

[WayneMahler]

I use mainly straight blades. Just a preference. Both have a proper time and place for usage. Best to experiment on scrap wood to get the feel and understanding of each. Depending on what I am doing I swap back and forth between the two types. Experience is the best teacher.

[Dan]

98% straight, 2% spiral. I just like the feel of straight blade cutting. 

[John B]

I'm in the "BOTH" camp as well.
The majority of my cuts are done with a straight blade. For some text, especially if it is near the bottom or top of a cutting, and cursive, I will use a spiral.
I also use spirals for widening features (Veining).
I don't like them on solid timber, as Jarrah is to hard and it takes forever and Pine leaves heaps of "Fuzzies"

[Foxfold]

I have used spirals but to me it feels like skating on ice.  so I tend to use flat blades on everything.  Spirals are brilliant I think but I never persevered with them enough to feel comfortable with them.  I find I can everything with flat blades, usually a #3.

[Gonzo]

Not to hi-Jack this thread, but, WOW! Those are some impressive pieces you folks have shown. 

[Eplfan2011]

I love that you'll all chime in and give advice on how you all do this, you have no idea how helpful this is.

 Here's a glimpse into my thought process. I've no where near mastered a straight blade but I can muddle along and cut something passable, and I figured I'd try spirals before the straight blade got too ingrained into my process and just became automatically my choice.

Probably because I'm a inexperienced sawer I did not find spirals difficult to use as many have said, to be honest it feels like cheating. That said, with what I cut once the patterns off your not going to know how well I did as the whole is just made of abstract shapes, unlike lettering where one small mistake will stand out as they are predetermined shapes we are all familiar with.

 Overall spirals were fun to use for me but there's also a lot of cons too, they're messy  and I don't get the clean lines I do with a straight blade, as for the fuzzies I found if you go round the cut using the blade as a sander you can keep them down to a minimum.

[Eplfan2011]

2 minutes ago, Gonzo said:

Not to hi-Jack this thread, but, WOW! Those are some impressive pieces you folks have shown. 

Yeah ... I agree!

This is what drives me to be better, TBH I'm a little ADD and I've been known to jump between hobbies like a Kangaroo.

I'm enjoying this hobby, mainly because of the "customer support" here, there's always someone who's willing to offer support and it's always positive and helpful... You all need to get together and write a scrollsaw book there's so many talented and experienced people here.

There's even people here with a sense of humour!

Anyway keep doing what you're doing cause you're all doing it right!

[Fish]

I use both. It depends on what I'm cutting, mainly a cut in rivers etc. or one I can mess up and you'd not be able to tell.  Otherwise the rest is done with flat blades for letters etc.  I have used spiral on letters in a piece that is way to big to turn on the saw.   You just have to make sure and stand back far enough to not really see how crooked the cut is.  Like on the other side of the room. 

[kmmcrafts]

18 minutes ago, Eplfan2011 said:

I love that you'll all chime in and give advice on how you all do this, you have no idea how helpful this is.

 Here's a glimpse into my thought process. I've no where near mastered a straight blade but I can muddle along and cut something passable, and I figured I'd try spirals before the straight blade got too ingrained into my process and just became automatically my choice.

Probably because I'm a inexperienced sawer I did not find spirals difficult to use as many have said, to be honest it feels like cheating. That said, with what I cut once the patterns off your not going to know how well I did as the whole is just made of abstract shapes, unlike lettering where one small mistake will stand out as they are predetermined shapes we are all familiar with.

 Overall spirals were fun to use for me but there's also a lot of cons too, they're messy  and I don't get the clean lines I do with a straight blade, as for the fuzzies I found if you go round the cut using the blade as a sander you can keep them down to a minimum.

Right, once the pattern is off who would know if it's good cut or not.. This piece has quite a big chunk around the whiskers on the left side that broke out.. I didn't bother gluing the piece back in.. One of my first more intricate cuts.. still looks okay without that piece in there.. 

[Eplfan2011]

10 minutes ago, Fish said:

I use both. It depends on what I'm cutting, mainly a cut in rivers etc. or one I can mess up and you'd not be able to tell.  Otherwise the rest is done with flat blades for letters etc.  I have used spiral on letters in a piece that is way to big to turn on the saw.   You just have to make sure and stand back far enough to not really see how crooked the cut is.  Like on the other side of the room. 

Yes yes ...I've had to learn to step back. I've made some cuts that look awful under the light and looking through the glass, stepping back and seeing the whole piece you wonder what the drama was about

Edited November 19, 2022 by Eplfan2011

[Eplfan2011]

11 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Right, once the pattern is off who would know if it's good cut or not.. This piece has quite a big chunk around the whiskers on the left side that broke out.. I didn't bother gluing the piece back in.. One of my first more intricate cuts.. still looks okay without that piece in there.. 

Nice work Kevin and I wouldn't have noticed if you had not pointed it out.

But if that had been a letter with a chunk missing it would be in the trash, funny how that works 

 

[Roberta Moreton]

I use both as well.  It depends on the size of the pattern too. 
I also use spiral blades on vinyl records. I can not use flat blades on them.
 

[meflick]

I tried spirals at least once maybe twice. I had trouble with control as I recall.  I will try again at some point probably. I don’t cut a lot. Of fretwork, especially large detailed patterns and I think that is what va lot of folks use them for. As I recall seeing, a lot of folks who use them use them on large patterns where it would be difficult if not Impossible to be able to turn the wood as needed with a flat blade. There are some people I have seen that learned with and only use spiral blades no matter what they cut. I believe it is definitely a “learned” touch.

Edited November 19, 2022 by meflick
Typo 🙃

[Scrappile]

21 minutes ago, meflick said:

I tried spirals at least once maybe twice. I had trouble with control as I recall.  I will try again at some point probably. I don’t cut a clot. Of fretwork, especially large detailed patterns and I think that is what va lot of folks use them for. As I recall seeing, a lot of folks who use them use them on large patterns where it would be difficult if not Impossible to be able to turn the wood as needed with a flat blade. There are some people I have seen that learned with and only use spiral blades no matter what they cut. I believe it is definitely a “learned” touch.

Okay now, be fair, you did not learn control with straight blades with just one or two tries either.  I think I started with spirals because when I first started I wanted do do detailed pictures and Charles Dearing was who I admired and watched.  He had never used a straight blade.  I love doing the detail pictures but no one told me no one would want them.. They look at them and hoo and ahhh, I say if you want it you can have it,  and they put it down and walk on...  Now I us straight blades the most.  They one thing in scrolling I never have been able to learn is top feeding.  Don't worry about it anymore because I only have one saw and it is bottom feed only.