Non-serious. not very important, but just curious?

[FrankEV]

Imagine you are cutting a fairly large piece that has a number of very large cut-out areas that are quite complcated but not necessarily intricate.  Think something where the area wraps back on itself and/or intermingles with other cut-out areas.  Maybe imagins a "vine", "long branch" or "swirling ribbon". 

Do you PREFER to: 

1.   challenge yourself to make the cut continuous in order to get one big piece of waste material? or,
2.   cut the large area into smaller pieces making it easier to follow the pattern?

I have had to do Number 2 on occasion.  However, most oftern I really want to do Number 1, just to see if I can with out messing up.

Of course there is no right or wrong answers to this query, just curious as towhat otheres generally do. 

[OCtoolguy]

I've done it both ways. But that said, I don't do much fretwork.

[Scrappile]

I do both depending how delicate surroundings are.  4

Edited August 22, 2022 by Scrappile

[TAIrving]

I have done #1 but recently, most of the time I break it into smaller areas.  I sometimes find that, having cut most of a large area, I then have a small, more delicate spot left and do not care to cut that with a large waste area piece hanging on, vibrating with the cut and increasing the chance of breakage.  

[Dan]

Both, depending on how I feel that day.

[Wichman]

I used to do #2 most of the time, but I've stared using #1 more and more. While cutting a larger piece I will use packing tape to stabilize the piece so it won't chatter, I'm finding that the extra support the waste gives is worth the extra effort to use the packing tape.

[preprius]

oh noo... Mark Eason is posting.

I am in the middle of a large project.  I choose #2 for my cuts.

My bowls and hats have cuts that turn back on themselves but I can not do #2.  

My preference is #1 just save a bigger scrap. 

Another thought: Does the blade type does make a difference.?  spiral or flat. 

Thought 3: End result makes a big difference.  When I was cutting at an angle of 45 deg , I really did not want to stop cutting. I wanted a smooth end result. 

 

[Dak0ta52]

Both for me also. I typically use your #1 method unless the cut borders on a delicate area. I've also had larger pieces when cutting the #1 method to break bridges when the cut is complete and the blade catches the loose piece and pulls it out of the work.

[barb.j.enders]

I typically will do #1 because I thought you were alway supposed to follow the line!.  Now that I am older, I will occasionally cut #2.

[Jim Finn]

On 8/16/2022 at 1:13 PM, OCtoolguy said:

I've done it both ways. But that said, I don't do much fretwork.

Oh!  so it is fretwork you are talking about.!  I also do no fretwork.

[preprius]

1)  Here is an example of following the lines to keep bigger scraps.

I whould have cut it in half, but because of the posted question I did the challenge.  AND my arm had the reach.  

[FrankEV]

15 hours ago, Jim Finn said:

Oh!  so it is fretwork you are talking about.!  I also do no fretwork.

I guess I was being a little nieve.  I presumed everyone does some form of fretwork like cutting  Maybe not the traditional "fretwork" of course, but if you cut signs, words in script, multi-layer plaques, scultures, toys, etc., there will be some instances where you may have to cut out a large section. 

My curiosity was only which way do you prefer to do it...countinous in one piece or chop up in smaller pieces.  

As I stated there wasn't a right or wrong answer.  So if you never cut out a large irregular openings, you obviously do not have a preference, and thats OK also. 

[FrankEV]

16 hours ago, preprius said:

1)  Here is an example of following the lines to keep bigger scraps.

I whould have cut it in half, but because of the posted question I did the challenge.  AND my arm had the reach.  

Interesting that you saw this query as a challange, but I'm not quite sure you understood my question.   

I'm currently in the process of cutting a bunch of "Fall Welcome" signs, you know Pumlins and such.  Here is a sample Pattern (about 17 inches long, of one of these signs that has a large continuous area to be removed around the letters "come and swirls" (cutting out white producing a positive image).  1/8" thk BB ply that will be painted and applied to a 1/2" backer as a Plaque for hanging outdoors.

The area could easily be cut up in many pieces, but my preference was to cut it out in one piece.  Why?  I'm  not really sure, but it just says to me do it in one continuous cut.  And BTW, I'm not trying to save the waste material...it goes straight into the trash bin.

However, in another portrait type cutting I recently completed,  I had a very large internal cutout area that had a lot of projected areas that were delicate, so I decided to cut it up in four different sections so the waste woud not hang up on the perimeter projections and break them.  This was simply a practical decision, but I would have actually prefered to do it in one countnuous cut.

Hope this makes my curiosity query a little more understandable.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by FrankEV

[Freddie]

Like you said, there is no right or wrong way. I typically break it up. Right or wrong, I feel like I have more control of the piece doing it that way. I get nervous about a piece snapping off or getting complacent and wandering off the line. This way I can do it in sections and go after the more “delicate “ cut in the sequence I feel more comfortable.  I should also admit, compared to you guys, I am very much an amateur. 

[Bill WIlson]

When I first read your question, I didn't have a good response, as I really never thought about it quite like that, so I wasn't entirely sure if I had a predisposition to one method or another.  After looking at your sample pattern, I would say that my first cuts would be the internal areas of the letters.  Then I would likely start cutting the center section, left to right, then move on to the top & bottom of the pumpkin, from there.  I would cut that largest waste area in one continuous cut, as it looks to pose little risk of breakage.  Honestly, I can't recall a time when I took a larger, contiguous area and cut it in smaller sections.  I might save that area for last, so as to minimize the amount of handling required after removing the large waste area, but I don't think I consciously break them up into smaller pieces.  It is an interesting concept though.  Sometimes I do drill multiple entry holes into those sort of large waste areas, if I want to change direction and approach delicate areas from different directions.  That is probably a similar strategy to breaking it down into smaller sections.

[barb.j.enders]

23 hours ago, FrankEV said:

And BTW, I'm not trying to save the waste material...it goes straight into the trash bin.

I would probably have saved some of this to use when I need small pieces for gnomes and such.  Hubby keeps telling me to throw it out!  I am getting better at throwing out those smaller pieces

[FrankEV]

1 hour ago, barb.j.enders said:

I would probably have saved some of this to use when I need small pieces for gnomes and such.  Hubby keeps telling me to throw it out!  I am getting better at throwing out those smaller pieces

I don't save much scraps from cut outs, but I have a ton of cut off pieces from the panels I use.  Panels are 12 x 19 or 12 x 24 and most of my work is 11x 14 or 11 x ??.  I wind up with a lot of 12" x 5"  or some slightly larger pieces.  Just never get around to making anything from them except my cube type tissue boxes .  Maybe a subject for another Q&A.

[FrankEV]

2 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

... would say that my first cuts would be the internal areas of the letters.  Then I would likely start cutting the center section, left to right, then move on to the top & bottom of the pumpkin, from there.  I would cut that largest waste area in one continuous cut, as it looks to pose little risk of breakage....

I find your approach to cutting that sample pattern interesting.   I'm mainly a top to bottom cutter and like to do the smallest cutouts first as I go whenever possible. i do,  most often, save certain areas for last. They being the largest areas of a complicated pattern. 

JFYI, for this pattern I cut the openings in the stem and leaf first, then the openings in the top and then the bottom of the pumpkin, leaving the center strip for last, as the overall pattern was kind of weak at the middle touching places.  Only had about a 1/4" of space outside the pattern on each end between the cutting and the panel edge. 

Of course I then did the internals of the letters, then the left side of the "l" and then the right side of the "l", both in continous cuts. 

The final cut was the total perimeter, in a continuous cut which I did starting with a drilled hole near the leaf.  If I remember correct I use a little tape along the way to hold the center and outside together while I completed the cut.  

I think I gotten off the track a little, but just wanted to say thanks for your reply and comments.

 

[Peter N White]

Great cutting am in early stages at the moment and i don't think mine would look as good. One question what blade do you use for the veining cuts.  

Thankyou.

[FrankEV]

Replying to Peter N. White in previous post.

Not sure who or what project you are replying/refering to.

In general, unless the cutting is very small, for vaining I woudl use  a big (maybe #5 or #7) blade (just for thickness) unless the vain is  verry long and possibly intricate.  Spiral blades also produce a wider kerf and can be used for vaining if you have experience with them.  Again, my choice would be #3 spiral in most instances. 

For a question like this, it would be more appropriate to create a NEW QUESTION post in this Q&A forum.    You can also search for answers in previous posts.

Edited August 25, 2022 by FrankEV

[Roberta Moreton]

Looking at the pattern in question, I would start with the “Wel”, then on the right side of the “l”, I would go completely across the top and then immediately tape it back in, to provide stability while cutting the rest of the letters. Yes, I know it’s not completely loose, yet.  It will make the letters easier for me to cut (I hate cutting letters)

Edited August 25, 2022 by Roberta Moreton

[Peter N White]

4 hours ago, FrankEV said:

Replying to Peter N. White in previous post.

Not sure who or what project you are replying/refering to.

In general, unless the cutting is very small, for vaining I woudl use  a big (maybe #5 or #7) blade (just for thickness) unless the vain is  verry long and possibly intricate.  Spiral blades also produce a wider kerf and can be used for vaining if you have experience with them.  Again, my choice would be #3 spiral in most instances. 

For a question like this, it would be more appropriate to create a NEW QUESTION post in this Q&A forum.    You can also search for answers in previous posts.

Thankyou for helpful reply am new here and sorry I posted in wrong section.

[Foxfold]

14 hours ago, Peter N White said:

Thankyou for helpful reply am new here and sorry I posted in wrong section.

I wouldn't worry about it, we were all 'new' at some point and have 'all'  posted in the wrong 'section'.  I've been here 4yrs and I still do it.