hi guys

[Dragonkort]

just wanted to stop in and say hi and im finally back in the wood shop!! yea....and everything seems to be working....I started cutting out the gnob bird house from steves patterns and the woodis cutting nice and smoothly...but of course the sand paper broke off my belt sander so im stoped for a little bit at least on that project....the only proublem im having is the same proublem i always have with patterns thats have slots and peaces that slide into the slots....grrrr now this is NOT a hard concept and shouldnt be a problem to do....but no matter how careful i trace the patterns or how careful i am when cutting the peaces out the darn things never fit together like there suppose to!! This one im just doing for me....when i make the next one im going to past thedarn pattern to the wood and see if that helps....im obvsiouly doing something wrong...any one have any hints tips or ideas  

[Scrappile]

Just a suggestion.. When I do a pattern that has slots and tabs, I cut the slot following the outside of the line.  Keeping the blade barely touching the line... I cut the tab on the line or inside the line keeping the blade touching the inside edge of the line. That is how I did the last clock I made and I had great fits, only a minimum of sanding on a couple.. 

[meflick]

Glad you are back in your shop.I see, to have the same problem quite often with tabs and slots. So Paul, @Scrappile thanks for sharing that great tip. I’ll have to try and remember it.

[barb.j.enders]

I find that tracing the pattern is never as accurate as gluing it to the wood.

[don watson]

I would say the best way is to paste the pattern to the wood and then cut as Scrappile has suggested.

[Joe W.]

On 8/6/2022 at 3:16 PM, Scrappile said:

When I do a pattern that has slots and tabs, I cut the slot following the outside of the line.  Keeping the blade barely touching the line... I cut the tab on the line or inside the line keeping the blade touching the inside edge of the line.

I just finished cutting out a stack cut Steve Good Pattern for a bud vase (with ten slots and tabs each top and bottom) using Scrappile's suggestion.  It works.
BTW - did the cutting on my new Pegas Scroll Saw.  Will provide a review after I've put some hours on it.
Initial impressions very positive.