MrsN

I have painted a few of my scrolled pieces using watered down acrylic. Some pieces of just need a bit of color.

really nice job! I love the pattern you made and the cutting is great!

I typically run the grain with the long dimension of the piece, although I have done other methods for either art or necessity. What kind of wood are you using?

I have made several projects out of bamboo cutting boards. They make great projects!

Almost any blade will cut copper, but smaller is better. When I cut metal I always sandwich it between two pieces of 1/8" ply. The metal will have a tendency to get caught on the blade and bend if not supported well. A zero clearance table would probably help. I would cut the copper prior to the hammering and shaping. You will want to do something to finish the edges of the finished cut so they are not sharp.

I had to look up what a Pritt Stick was, but it turns out I use that type of glue. I cover the wood in painters tape, then stick the pattern to the tape with regular glue sticks. It is quick and I can do it inside, no getting high! Winters are too long to have to go outside every time I start a new pattern. If you ask 10 scrollers how they do it, you will get at least 12 answers. Katie

for most of my holes I use a dremel in a router base like this I need the base to keep the holes square. I also have a keyless chuck so I can use a variety of drill sizes. I don't remember if it was part of the original dremel or if I bought it separately, but it is awesome for drilling holes. Using the dremel with router base has really helped me from snapping drill bits. Using a cordless drill with small bits I would get a bit of wobble and snap off the small bits. Also happens when pieces are not held down well with a drill press. I also have a 1984 harbor freight bench top drill press, but it mostly collects dust in the garage. It was my dad's, he bought it shortly after I was born, so I am a bit sentimental. I drag it out when I need bigger holes. Almost all of the holes I drill are 1/16". For most of my work I can find a spot to put a 1/16" hole to start a cut, so I don't worry about using the extra tiny bits. I buy a few packs at a time of 10-12 1/16" bits from harbor freight for a few bucks. They work well for me, I still loose more than I dull.

you have talent for both cutting and pattern making! This is a great piece, I love it!

I use Americana paint. I believe it is made by deco-art. The paint brush you use will really help. Spend a bit more on the brushes and you will see great results.

I love this, such a great way to celebrate a wedding.

nice job, I love the detail.

nice job on those!

I like it!

how cute! I love it.

I like it a lot. It did take me a moment to see the words, but I was looking at it sideways and don't know German. You did a fantastic job for your first try! Keep up the good work!

I cut out 200 hearts for a school, twice. Thanks for helping a school I would probably make a smaller stack, 3 or 4. When stack cutting ornaments I often put a nail or staple in the waste area. If there is a little gap where the pieces aren't flat it can cause trouble. When cutting the hearts out, drill a hole and cut it from the inside. (Rather than cutting from the outside to the pattern line) this will keep your stack strong even on the last cut.

I would use some superglue to get the pieces stuck down

I use both. I really recommend trying a few different types, just in case you fall in love. Something that I have done to see what blades do is to cut the same project with a few different blades and compare. Pick something that won't take days to cut, like an ornament. Find one that has some sharp corners and some gradual ones. Keep track of what blade you use on each one and compare.

my 2 cents. If the line I am following is close to a blade width, I cut right down the middle. If the pattern is just a remove the black/white type I cut just to the waste side of the line. The last thing I cut, I had the waste on the left side of the blade

I use acrylic craft paint on my painted projects. You really need to have a flat brush to make a smooth coat of paint. I don't spray anything in my house. I go outside or in the garage, the fumes stick around too much for anything else.

I have a bunch of the sanding belts. I liked the way they worked. Like someone said earlier, as you get better you need them less. Keep practicing and you will join us in the former users club.

If I am going to paint something I spray it with the clear acrylic that I use as a top coat. Rust-Oleum 2x clear gloss Just a quick coat or two sanded smooth, then start painting. I usually paint on BB Ply and it isn't crazy absorbent. If I really need a solid primer coat I would use something like you had, but usually I don't need that much of a primer

I pretty much always have a stack when I cut. The bottom piece is always a bit of a mystery and can tell you a lot about how you were cutting that day. Depending on the blade and speed fuzzies are fairly normal, but chipping sounds a bit different to me. If I see chipping it is usually that I have a dull blade or the blade speed is wrong. The other thing that can cause chipping is when you have delicate pieces in the pattern and the grain of the wood or the direction you cut cause the piece to be weak.

I would use a CA glue for a project like this. I have been buying this CA glue in the thick for gluing stuff lately, I really like it. http://www.rockler.com/quick-set-glue-4-5-oz I had a group of students make a bunch of toys similar to the one you showed. I knew that super glue and teenagers sounded like a mess so we used titebond and a couple of brad nails. The brad nails act as clamps to make sure that the pieces don't move while the glue dries.

I like this, he is really cute!