Gypsum

A hair dryer is also good for removing patterns (and stickers from cars). Adhesives don't play well with heat and the bonus of a hair dryer is that while it may burn your fingers, it won't burn the wood.

My projects tend to take some time. The time on the Heron was around 50 hours for cutting and The Gatekeeper was around 45. Portraits go a bit faster. Max time on a portrait (4 faces) was about 8 hours. http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12263/normal_Bob_Lung_Heron_Pattern.jpg http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12263/normal_The_Gatekeeper_-_Zaffino.JPG

Jim: One method I have found useful when cutting an area with a thin piece is to not cut the final line first. Cut back leaving a thicker segment if possible. Now use the saw blade (I use spirals so I have no experience with regular blades) as a rasp and thin the remaining wood. This sounds silly but I do it more by sound than sight. You want to maintain a very light contact with the blade to the wood. It generates less pressure on the piece allowing it to be thinned quite a bit. If stack cutting, check table/blade squareness each time you change a blade Work with this using scrap wood to get a feel for the process.

Patterns that fit on regular paper I just print (I usually change the color from black to red which seems easier to see). Patterns where the cutting will be larger than the standard 8 1/2" X 11" paper stock I take to Office Depot. I print the pattern on regular paper, decide what the size of the cutting will be by measuring the largest dimension (length or width). If the longest dimension is 7 1/2" and I want that to be 12" (11" X 14" frame, 1" border), the pattern needs to be enlarged by 160% (use a proportional scale from an art supply store). The cost for B&W is less than $1 here.

I'm not sure where the splintering is occurring. If it is on top of the piece, the blade is in upside down. Run your finger nail up the blade, if it drags, that is the way it should go into the saw. There will be some splintering on the bottom of the piece even if the spiral blade is installed correctly, i.e. fuzzies that the portrait cutters burn off. Since a properly installed blade cuts on the down stroke, fuzzies should be minimal. If the blade is upside down it will be very noticeable on the top of the piece. I use spirals almost exclusively and I have installed them backwards. It happens. Efforts to reduce the fuzzies consist of attaching card stock, waste wood, cardboard, or some other expendable material to the bottom of the piece. I usually use movers tape on the top of the piece for lubrication. As far as speed of the blade, I usually run at 60-75%. What may be more important is the speed at which the piece is fed into the blade. Let the blade cut the wood. By that, I mean there should not be more than 1/8" deflection of the blade as it cuts. More than that usually indicates pushing the piece faster than the blade can cut. Hope that helps.

Excellent work.

My interest is primarily portraits. It interests me and I like to do it.

If you don't have one, I would go to Sears, Woodcraft, etc; and purchase a protractor. Take a 3 X 5 card and draw the line on it. Line the blade up with the line and you should be good. One of the Mags, I think it was ScrollSawer had a gauge that you could photocopy and then cut and fold to make a pretty good tool for blade alignment. I use it all the time. Hope this helps.

Pattern by OldWES http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery ... ?pos=-2238

I have used the Weldbond glue for about 20 years. It works great for me on a variety of materials. I use to be able to buy it in local stores but is seems to have disappeared.

Dale, It took around 46 hours to cut.

The Gatekeeper by Zaffino. http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-1492

Chris: Travis created a tutorial over in the Podcast section. He used Photoshop but it's close enough for government work. http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/ssg/2009/02/create-a-dog-portrait-pattern-in-photoshop-pt-1of7/

Excellent work on the pattern and the cutting.

Greetings from Ohio. I've been scrolling for about 10 years, primarily portraits. I do my own patterns for people portraits. I'm working on developing the skill for landscapes etc. Glad to be aboard.