Welcome to The Village Paul! You have chosen a great saw to get you going. Please visit often and share some pictures of you work. Where in Alaska are you?
Awesome work! I've seen a lot of portraits with a lot of details in the face and it didn't look well. You sir, have the perfect amount of detail. Well done!
Thanks for posting this Paul. I use a sanding mop on my puzzles. I've always used it on the drill press. Been thinking g of switching to the lathe for some time. After reading your post I put it on the lathe. For some reason it seems easier to hold the pieces and the lighting is much better.
FDUR blades are 30 cents per dozen cheaper from Hawk than from Wooden Teddy Bear and Mike's site.
http://stores.bushtonhawkstore.com/blades-and-bits/?sort=featured&page=2
https://mikesworkshop.com/collections/blades
http://www.woodenteddybearonline.com/x/home.php?cat=550&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=3