Understanding How to Cut Patterns

[oldhudson]

I am sure most of you can look at a pattern and see immediatly how it should be cut out, but I can't. (Too many wild nights as a young person no doubt.) Now that's not to say that I never see it but sometimes I get confused. I guess it's deciding what should be cut out and what should be left.

 

Recently Steve Good did this small vase that I thought was attractive. But I wanted it to be more 'mine' if you know what I mean - so I wanted another flower or something different for the scroll pattern.

 

Years ago I lived next to a fella who did some scroll work. At the time I was just starting to learn woodworking. We were pretty good buddies and when he passed his sister, whom he lived with him, gave me some tools and a folder with patterns, mostly from magazines like Popular Mechanics or something like that. So I looked through that folder today and thought he had some stuff that would make and interesting scroll pattern. But as I say I'm not sure what to cut out and what to leave.

 

So if one of you could kick me in the right general direction (remembering I'm a slow study) I'll owe you a beer.

 

Geeze I hope you can see???? I've never attached anything but a pic here before.....

 

Thanks for reading.   

 

ArtNoveauScrollPattern.pdf

[amazingkevin]

Well Berry these are delicate cuts and i would chose springy wood to keep them from breaking. enlarge the patterns greatly to make them thicker to avoid  breakage. They're nicely detailed project just to look at.Go for it.

[DonR]

They are not intended to be scroll saw patterns but you could cut them as free standing pieces if you cut them very carefully. They will be very delicate. I have shaded the first one and if you cut out the white parts you will have a very fragile design. This wouldn't work for your vase, they would need to be redesigned to use them in the vase. Hope this helps. Don't need the beer but a nice hot coffee would be great, it's cold in Tennessee today!!!

Don R

Edited July 29, 2014 by DonR

[DonR]

Not very pretty but it should work for your vase. Cut the black

Don R

[Fish]

I wish I could patterns as fast as you do. Nice work.

[jerry1939]

OLDHUDSON,

 

Re: What to cut and what not to cut.

 

At times, I still do 1 or both of these;

 

A. Take a pen or pencil and scribble on what NOT to cut out.

 

B. Use a highlighter on the pattern for the cuts you want to make before starting.

 

jerry

[LarryEA]

It's these situations where I would really like to do pyrography.

Have a good wood burner. Add more anchors/bridges and use the burner to

mimic a cut on the bridge.

Plan well, cut slow, use new sharp blades.

I wish you the best.