Jig saw newbie

[tony coleman]

I've been scrolling  for almost  40 years, and finally  decided  too try my hand at making jigsaw, s,as a newbie too this type  of scrolling I know  nothing  about it.

What door I use too attach  the picture too the background, what thickness  of wood  do  I  need, ply or mdf,

What blades do I need

Any help please

[Badgerboy]

Try this video. Steve Good jigsaw puzzles

[Dan]

1/4" bb ply, only the good stuff. I use Aleens tacky glue, attach picture, and get all air bubbles out, I use a J-roller for this. I coat with Triple Thick Glaze from Rustoleum, I think. Let the glue dry over night and give the finish a day to dry. 

[dgman]

Hey Tony, good advice above! As for blades, Flying Dutchman or Niqua have a specific blade for jigsaw puzzles. They basically are an 0/3 skip tooth blade. You don’t want to use a reverse tooth blade as the reverse teeth will leave a ragged edge on the top of the cut piece. Personally for jigsaw puzzles, I use Olson 0/2 skip tooth blades as I can’t control FD 0/2 or 0/3 blades. Good luck and show us you finished project.

P.S., when I cut jigsaw puzzles, I cut them free hand, without a pattern. My icon is my first puzzle I cut several years ago.the picture of a Caviler King Charles Spaniel is from a calendar.

[Millwab]

Tony, my combination is 1/4” poplar ply and 3M77 spray adhesive.  I spray both wood and picture for a good solid bond.  Then coat with Krylon Triple Thick Glaze and give it a day or two to set.  I find the poplar is easier to cut and easier on blades (and the wallet).  If you’re printing your own pictures I’ve found printing on photo paper gives you the best look and doesn’t have paper separation issues.  If you’re using a pre-printed picture (such as a calendar) make sure the paper is heavy enough or the wood grain will show through.  This has worked well for me cutting around 100-150 puzzles/year. 

[Davevand]

It also depends on who your intended user is. I make puzzles for small kids and I use a #3 or #5 so there is plenty of free play for the puzzles to go together,ie easy for kids to put together.