Travis Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 I was playing around with spiral blades this weekend. Lots of fun, but they create a lot of fuzzies. What do you do to remove the fuzzies on the back of your cuttings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Travis I'm just learning to scroll so I mostly have relied on what I've read on the different forums. I've also fallen in love with spirals..........I can't seem to make anything but designer firewood with other blades but the spirals are a dream. I've heard some say to use a torch...........that's too scary for me lol. I either sandwich my wood between layers of thin cardboard or just sand. I enjoy the sanding but I haven't done anything very fragile yet either. I have also seen the new sanding blades for scrollsaws and am wondering if anyone has tried them. Seems like a great idea to me............sorta like a mini drum sander I guess. Christina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The MediaBoy Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Travis, I use spiral blades almost exclusively in all my scrolled pieces (see here), and yes, fuzzies are almost unavoidable. In fact, it's been so long since I've used a standard blade that I'm not sure I remember how to feed from just the front to the back of the saw. As scary as it seems, I use the torch torch method to burn most of the fuzzies away. The keys are: (1.) having the piece face DOWN on a larger board to prevent the flame from going thru the cuts. (2.) Setting the torch on a low setting, and (3.) Always keeping the torch moving. Move it too slow and you're sure to scorch the piece. The bad news is that you've scorched it, but the good news is that unless you REALLY scorched it, at least it is on the BACK. You'll find that this will get rid of most of the fuzzies and those left behind become crisp and are pretty easily removed with a light sanding. I've read of several other methods, such as layering the piece with posterboard, but since I generally stack cut 4-5 pieces at a time that extra thickness becomes a factor. The torch method is what works the best for me. -- The MediaBoy -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 you have some real nice work there, mediaboy. i'm not sure where i'd start on those designs you have on your website. i usually just grab a little sandpaper and work away at it. i'll have to try out the torch method. sounds like it works real good. thanks for the tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The MediaBoy Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Thanks Gray, appreciate the kind words. And don't be intimidated by the complexity of some of the patterns. If you're patient and force yourself to not get in a hurry you'll be surprised what you can do. Me.., well I like to push the envelope now and then. If it ain't challenging, it ain't fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blame Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 WOW!!! media boy those are some great pieces do you stack cut them? and are you using 1/8" ply or smaller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The MediaBoy Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 WOW!!! media boy those are some great pieces do you stack cut them? and are you using 1/8" ply or smaller? Thanks Blame. Appreciate the kind words. Yeah, I most often stack cut 4 at a time. And yes, using 1/8" plywood -- usually A grade plywood. Ply is probably about the only thing that will support most of the smaller cuts. I haven't tried solid hardwood but suspect that some of the longer veining with the grain would pose some breakage problems. I haven't tried stacking 5 yet but I suspect the trade-off on time and making blade changes wouldn't make it worthwhile. 2/0 spirals don't last very long as it is with stacks of 4. With stacks of 2 the blades are still too agressive. I figure on average that cutting a stack of 4 takes me about 20% longer to cut than would a single piece, so it's a no-brainer. Give it a try! I just align the edges on the stack. Place a heavy weight on top of it to press out any warps or bows, and then tape the stacks around all the edges with 1" Blue painter's tape. Cover the top side with with 2 or 3" Blue painters tape. Then use spray glue (cheap "Duro" brand from Lowes) to spray both the wood stack and the pattern. I rarely have a case where the pattern lifts and the painter's tape makes it easy to remove the pattern when I'm done. Well..., by easy I mean that it comes off easy leaving little to no residue. But some of the patterns I've used have over 1,200 cuts, so picking off all of the smaller pieces of tape can take a while. That's all part of the "patience" I mentioned in an earlier post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I use a torch and a mini furniture scrapper. I hate sanding. edgar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted January 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I use a torch and a mini furniture scrapper. I hate sanding. edgar I've never thought of a furniture scrapper. Does it pull too much on the fretwork? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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