'Moose' designed by Mike Williams -FINISHED & FRAMED

[Frank Pellow]

Week 1:

I started another Mike Williams pattern this week.  It's the fourth one of Mike's patterns that I have tackled.  Like the others, it's a big challenge.

As I have done with his other patterns, I will keep track of progress here with weekly reports.

Here is a photo of the finished 'Moose' that I found on Mike's web site:

  

I’m cutting this out of 6mm thick mahogany veneer; a material I have never used before.  In this photo, I am making the first cut:

     

The photo below shows the back side of the veneer after about four hours work.  The back side is Ash.

  

I’m spending a lot of time cutting very small holes all over the panel.  This work is very tedious.  I have to use a 3/0 spiral blade for the task and these blades are quite brittle and break frequently.  It takes considerable time, I would say an average of 1.5 minutes per hole, to get things set up and then only about 3 seconds to make the cut. Another problem with these small holes is that one does not see much progress.

I’m using a 2/0 spiral blade for the larger holes, starting at the middle and working outwards.  The 2/0 blades are much stronger, with no breaks so far.  It’s much more satisfying to cut these holes and progress is obvious.  One thing that I am being particularly careful with while doing this cutting is not to leave any long narrow "peninsulas".  With this material, peninsulas are very week and have a high risk of breaking while one forgets about them and cuts something else.  There are lot of peninsulas in the design and I plan to cut them last. 

The photo below shows progress at the end of the week, after 370 holes have been drilled, many of them cut, and 11.25 hours spent on the project:

  

  

 

Edited March 5, 2020 by Frank Pellow

[Scrappile]

You will make it fine.  I did that one about 4 years ago..  I also used the 3/0 New Spiral.  It is a great picture. 

[amazingkevin]

perserverence wins! This is something I would not attempt.Amazing quality detailed workmanship!!!

[Rockytime]

That's coming along splendidly. I would not have the patience for such a project. You are to be commended!

[Bill WIlson]

Nicely done!  And you describe the challenges of these detailed portraits quite well.  I love the control and the detail I can cut with a 3/0 spiral, but agree that they are extremely fragile.  Like you, I typically save them for only the most delicate of cuts and switch to a 2/0 for the others.

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[Scrappile]

Just a note. I use FD 3/0 New Spirals for the most delicate cuts in a project like this.  For the other cuts I switch to a Pegas 2/0 spiral.  I appears to me to be a little smaller diameter than the FD 2/0 New Spiral.  I'd be interested in what others think, if you ever get a chance to try the two 2/0 spiral blades and compare them.

[Frank Pellow]

7 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Just a note. I use FD 3/0 New Spirals for the most delicate cuts in a project like this.  For the other cuts I switch to a Pegas 2/0 spiral.  I appears to me to be a little smaller diameter than the FD 2/0 New Spiral.  I'd be interested in what others think, if you ever get a chance to try the two 2/0 spiral blades and compare them.

Thanks for the tip.  Both my 3/0 and 2/0 blades are Flying Dutchman and I would like to try a blade that is somewhere between the two.  Therefore, I will take your recommendation and purchase some 2/0 Pegas spiral blades.

[Scrappile]

24 minutes ago, Frank Pellow said:

Thanks for the tip.  Both my 3/0 and 2/0 blades are Flying Dutchman and I would like to try a blade that is somewhere between the two.  Therefore, I will take your recommendation and purchase some 2/0 Pegas spiral blades.

I'd love to get your opinion when you do.... Sometimes I'm a wee bit crazy...

[Badgerboy]

I see this and then my head explodes, I cannot even imagine try something like this.  I love the pattern and look forward to watching your progress. You are obviously quite patient and very skilled!

[Frank Pellow]

Week 2:

Here is a photo showing the state of the project after 2 weeks elapsed time, 15.5 hours actual time, and 690 holes drilled:

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Frank Pellow

[New Guy]

This will be very nice when done, but more punishment then I'm up for.

[planeur]

Good progression Frank and a lot of hability and patience.

For drilling your hole , do you take that kind of tool ? And what drill size are you using?

Ouf.....  so much work.....!

Bonne continuation Frank !

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks.

I do have a couple of very small hand drills, similar to the one in your photo and do use them occasionally, but the main way that I drill holes in scroll-saw projects is my Seyco drill press.  Here is a photo:

  

Most of the holes have been drilled with a #63 bit which is .037 of an inch is diameter.

[planeur]

Merci Frank, in a mean  time I'll try to use my Dremmel

 

planeur

[JimErn]

8 hours ago, planeur said:

Merci Frank, in a mean  time I'll try to use my Dremmel

 

planeur

I use the dremel plunger router attachment to drill holes.

and a #62 drill bit (my goto blade is PMG#3)

 

[planeur]

Good idea Jim , I have one so I will try it with my dremmel on it !

Thanks

planeur

[Frank Pellow]

Week 3:

Here is a photo showing the state of the project after 3 weeks elapsed time, about 21 hours actual time, and 810 holes drilled:

  

One of the things that I find to be of great assistance when doing such intricate work is the lighted magnifying lens that I look through when cutting.  This photo should give you some idea of why that helps me:

 

[Scrappile]

Coming along very nicely.  I do not know how one would scroll, at least someone my age, without a lighted magnifying lamp.  I have one on each saw and a place where I can mount one of the two on my work bench...

[Frank Pellow]

15 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Coming along very nicely.  I do not know how one would scroll, at least someone my age, without a lighted magnifying lamp.  I have one on each saw and a place where I can mount one of the two on my work bench...

I am still able to cut accurately without the lighted magnifying lamp, but at a slower pace.

[Frank Pellow]

Week 4:

Here is a photo showing the state of the project after 4 weeks elapsed time, about 28.5 hours actual time, and 900 holes drilled:

        

That is almost all the holes drilled.  I hope to finish all the cutting next week.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Frank Pellow

[Scrappile]

Really coming along nice.  What your are showing is the back of the picture, right.  I have the one I did hanging on my wall and it looks quite different and at this point in your cut I was not sure it is the same pattern.  But after staring at them I finally go myself orientated and realize it is the same or maybe I framed my wrong.....

[Frank Pellow]

4 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Really coming along nice.  What your are showing is the back of the picture, right.  I have the one I did hanging on my wall and it looks quite different and at this point in your cut I was not sure it is the same pattern.  But after staring at them I finally go myself orientated and realize it is the same or maybe I framed my wrong.....

Yes, It's the back that I am showing in the photos.  I find that I can see progress batter looking at the back than I can looking at the pattern on the front.  The veneer layer on the back is light Ash. The front veneer layer is much darker Mahogany.

[Frank Pellow]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 9:29 AM, Frank Pellow said:

Thanks for the tip.  Both my 3/0 and 2/0 blades are Flying Dutchman and I would like to try a blade that is somewhere between the two.  Therefore, I will take your recommendation and purchase some 2/0 Pegas spiral blades.

Paul, I obtained some 2/0 Pegas blades today and I agree with you that they seem to be a little smaller in diameter than the Flying Dutchman 2/0 blades.  I used one of them for about three hours today and I quite like it.  I plan to finish the rest of the piece using the Pegas blade.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Frank Pellow

[Frank Pellow]

Week 5:

The total actual time spent drilling and cutting this was about 38 hours and about 920 holes were drilled.

The last thing that I cut was a number of long peninsulas and this cutting can be very tricky because the material at this point is very weak.  Here is a photo of one such peninsula being cut:

    

Here is a photo of the cut piece sitting on a stained piece of the same material that was used in the foreground:

  

I still need to clean up the piece a bit, glue on a piece with I accidently broke off while move things around, glue the foreground to the background, spray varnish it, make a frame, and frame the work.  I hope to have all that done some time in the next week.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Frank Pellow

[JimErn]

Beautiful work