I am Puzzled! Can you ID each species of wood?

[rafairchild2]

Like all of us, I have a couple of boxes of cast-off wood, eg. waste wood, from previous projects.  I decided to do a simple 12-piece animal puzzle, using nothing but cast-off pieces.  I am hoping this will be a gift for a young man who used to live with us when he left an abusive home life.  10+ years later, he is now married and successfully in a well-paying career.  His wife is pregnant again (lost 2 previous pregnancies), and I am praying for this child to go full-term. 

Thus the gift will be waiting.

As you can see each piece was done individually, thus it was imperative that I nailed the lines dead center on the cut.  Mainly used FD Ultra Reverse #5, for the 300 Janka pieces I used a Pegas Modified Geometry #5, and then used a spiral blade for the accent cuts such as the ears and mouths.

I decided I wanted to go all-natural color, no paint or stains, thus using 12 different species of wood...  Janka from 400 to nearly 3000... Can you list what wood I used?

I completed the rough cut stage and will next profile the edges, and final fitting.  From there I am going to build a frame and backer.

Below is the loose fit after cutting.

Edit to add: The Octopus is not showing its true color, a hint... it is one of the higher Janka's.
Also, wound up redoing the fish, using Black Limba so it stands out more from the lighter browns. Perfect fit.

Edited September 16, 2023 by rafairchild2

[Charlie E]

Cool!

[barb.j.enders]

Well done.  

[Rolf]

I see purpleheart, yellowheart, sapelle, bubinga?. maple, holly, Oak

Having cut so many of these puzzles. Cutting them as individual pieces from different woods and getting a decent fit is challenging, Well done.!!

Edited September 16, 2023 by Rolf

[rafairchild2]

2 hours ago, Rolf said:

I see purpleheart, yellowheart, sapelle, bubinga?. maple, holly, Oak.....

Thanks Rolf.

Yes, I treat this like Intarsia, I go slow and nail the lines.  I only had to do a little extra sanding on the octopus so it fit a little looser. Everything fit wonderfully. Using a #5, and splitting the lines, the kerf gives me the fit I want.  Not too "sticky" as this is for little kids, and it needs to come apart and put together with easy sliding.

I just finished profiling the edges, mop sanding, and finished with raw linseed oil. 

For that, I take a tin pie plate and put about 1/4 inch of the linseed oil in it.  Then I dip each piece... both sides and use a foam brush to mush oil into the nooks and crannies.  From there I take a cloth and hand rub all the excess oil off and air dry.  After a few days of curing, I will take 3000-grit paper and get the final finish.

I will post another photo with the linseed oil finish shortly.

Edited September 16, 2023 by rafairchild2

[rafairchild2]

And here we are profiled, sanded, and dipped in linseed oil.

[Rolf]

I recently purchased a set of carbide router bits with 3/16 brass pilot bearings. There was a special sale of 3 bits 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4. I use the 1/16 roundover for my puzzle pieces. It saves me a huge amount of time in sanding.  I have it mounted in a router table and made myself a zero clearance insert.  

Edited September 17, 2023 by Rolf

[rafairchild2]

15 minutes ago, Rolf said:

I recently purchased a set of carbide router bits with 3/16 brass pilot bearings. There was a special sale of 3 bits 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4. I use the 1/16 roundover for my puzzle pieces. It saves me a huge amount of time in sanding.  I have it mounted in a router table and made myself a zero clearance insert.  

Rolf

Can you post a photo of your setup?  This sounds like something I should consider.  I am big on profiling my work, and this sounds like a logical next step.

[Rolf]

15 hours ago, rafairchild2 said:

Rolf

Can you post a photo of your setup?  This sounds like something I should consider.  I am big on profiling my work, and this sounds like a logical next step.

I replaced my Craftsman router table a couple of years ago with a complete setup from Infinity. Absolutely love it!!

That said, to answer your question. I made the zero clearance insert(white) it snaps into the standard table insert(red). I have used the Dremel router bits years ago in the Dremel router but it was all a bit flimsy for my liking. I use a MAC mop to soften any end grain tearout.

This is the 1/16 bit.

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by Rolf

[Dak0ta52]

That looks like it would be a bugger to put together. I'm sure it was a butter to cut. You did a great job.

[Peter N White]

Great work on the puzzle a lot of work but sure worth it.

[rafairchild2]

On 9/18/2023 at 2:42 PM, Dak0ta52 said:

That looks like it would be a bugger to put together. I'm sure it was a butter to cut. You did a great job.

Since each piece is cut separate vs a segmentation, the key is going slow so you split the lines perfectly.  this will give you the needed fit.  The regular sanding will loosen the pieces up a bit so the child can play with it.  Additionally, I finished the back side the same way with the profiling of the edges, so they can make a reverse puzzle or just play with the pieces individually. 

[barb.j.enders]

What is the dotted line for on those?

[rafairchild2]

22 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

What is the dotted line for on those?

It seems the designer made the dotted line so you can rough cut on that, and then sand to the solid line. I do not like doing that.  I split the solid line with my #5 Ultra Reverse.

Edited September 21, 2023 by rafairchild2

[BadBob]

The designer often roughs out the pieces with a bandsaw and then uses the scroll saw to finish. You can see this in many of his videos on YouTube.

[namunolie]

Nature coloars are beautiful

I alway see grain direction for young kids puzzle 

they look great~

 

[Rolf]

That seems like a lot of extra work! Then again it depends on what scroll saw the have.

[Scrappile]

Those puzzles are beautiful,  I would frame them and hang them instead of playing with them.  Looking at the pattern (I have not watched the video), I figured the dotted line was to follow with the bandsaw cut.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Scrappile

[rafairchild2]

7 hours ago, Rolf said:

That seems like a lot of extra work! Then again it depends on what scroll saw the have.

I have an Excalibur that I have tuned up really well.  The cutting is not so bad, though I am slow anyway, as I want to be as accurate as possible on all my cuts, it's the hand finishing that takes time.  I sand from about ~100 grit to 1500.  I do a mop sanding at 220, but everything above is by hand.  After the linseed oil/finish cures, I go back at 3000 grit.

These are one-off (or two) gifts, so time is not an issue.  I want to have a well-made and finished product to give.

Edited September 27, 2023 by rafairchild2

[Rolf]

320 is my max on wood projects. The 1500 + comes out when wet sanding body panels on my car.

[rdatelle]

What a great job you did. Came out great. One way to use up that scrap.