Scrappile

I quit using tape of any kind. I use spray adhiesive on the pattern and put it directly to the wood. Remove the pattern with mineral spirits. I just could not see an advantage to the tape. I have never had any burning when using spiral blades. That is what works for me. At least now. I'll always willing to try new things.

I think it looks great overall. I think her right eye is a little off but I can't tell you why. I hesitate to even say that mucj because I could not do nearly as well as youe did.

Dick, didn't you tell me you had 7 kids living in Heppner??? Just kidding my friend. Congratulations! That is great. I have never heard of Facebook having a classified. How did you find it?

Thank you. Have not applied a finish yet. I am a procrastinator about finishing and framing. I have a stack of 18 now to finish and frame. Maybe I will get some done one of these days. Not my favorite thing... I'm sure I put in 40+ hours on it. Some of that time was sitting a deciding what to cut next. It is the first thing I have cut that you kinda have to worry about the sequience you cut in to give as much support to some of the brush and twigs as you can, while you cut around them.

Thank you.. He has a note on his home page that he does, you just have to send him a note requesting it. I had him send me paper because I was afraid that I would not get a good enough print off my printer. I also thought that patterns as complex as his would be hard to print and tape together to make a larger pattern. Maybe not.

When I started I purchased Mike's (Mike's Workshop) varity pack. It gave an idea of how different blades cut. They are all #5 but you can still get a good idea from them. Then I would order the ones I liked best in different sizes. For portrait type cutting, which is what I have done mostly I use the 3/0 Spiral. I have tried other sizes, but always go back to that one. I have done very little word type cutting so I really do not know what the commons ones for that are. From the looks of your picture you are starting out fine. Just keep expermenting and you will hit the blades you prefer.

Great looking name plates. I would like to give that a try. Love the guitar. Nice work, all of it.

Finally finished cutting "The Moose" today. This is my first Mike Williams pattern. Certainly will not be I last. Very challenging for me and I enjoyed it. 14' X 11" 1/4" BB. 3/0 Spirals. The pattern came off pretty neat:

When are you coming to visit? I do not live far from Dick and if you guys don't let me know...... well..... by the way, as I understand it Dick has a "guest house" , yep that's correct, a guest house??????!!!!!!

Congratulations to you and your wife, for sure. You are members of a rear group these days. Me and wifie are not far behind. It will be 48 this year, if she comes back.... Been gone to some quilting thing for several days, least that is what she told me..

Well I could take teeth and clamp them in the vice with the hemostat in the teeth..... Actually glad it didn't work for me, and maybe I just didn't do it correctly, but it picked another blade up for me a few minutes ago.

Great idea, in my opinion. I'm thinking you are going to be a very busy man. May have to go to a larger audience than downtown Heppner, but hey... You also realize this will work for colleges also..... Yep you are going to be a busy man.

Well I tried what Larry suggested, and, no joy. I is still magnetized, which is okay because I used it to pick up a 3/0 blade off the floor a few minutes ago. Do not know how it got there, I just happened to notice it. Must have been the cats!

Cool! I was wondering what she did with all those.

Thanks Larry, might try that for fun. I can always re-magnetize it if I decide I want on that is magnetized. Like you say there could be uses far it. I have 4 hemostats so I haven't worried about it. I'll let you know if it works.

I just read a pretty good tip on another forum about making copies of patterns. Before coping the pattern make a copies of a 6" ruler sitting both ways and check it against the ruler to double check the copy size..

Okay, here is another related tip: do NOT put your hemostats close to a magnet! I have a magnet attached to my work station to hold things for me that I use often. I thought it was a great place to put the hemostat. The hemostat became madnetised and when I'd try to grab the tiny 3/0 blade, it would attach to the outside of the jaws of the hemostat. Duh!! I finally grabbed another hemostat. Lucky I have several of them,

Thanks for a great thread. Lots of good info here. I was looking at some thin wood at the HD yesterday, and it was all pretty "cupped". I passed on it and some of the popular was really pretty stuff. I may have to rethink a couple of the prettier pieces. Is there a chance it would crack from using a heat gun? Like drying it to quickly with the heat?

That would be much fun, Dick, but I would have to bring a wild dog and 2 cats. I am pet sitting. It must be a new model, it came that way. The dust collection was pretty much worthless. It picked up a little dust, but made it harder to change blades, and cutout pieces were hanging up in it. It was remove within two weeks after I got the saw. That is a Mike Williams pattern. I have seven of his patterns now. They are somewhat more detailed than most of Charles'. Great patterns, but take a while for me to cut. I am slow to begin with, and really slow with these.

Looks mighty good, Dick. Been many years since I have been to the Penleton Round-up. My kids were little tykes, they are in their 40's now. Yep pardner, been a while since I been yonder.

I have not done the extension on the table top yet. and thank you, I hope the picture holds together.

Thanks Jerry, I also do only a few holes at a time for the reasons you stated and because you or someone suggested this here before. I have a tool for #2 although not an awl. This kind of info helped me, that is why I posted what I did. Hopefully I can help someone a little also.

Oh, I am sure she left instructions, I ahhh have not found them yet!

Home alone for almost a week!!! :razz: :D Wife is gone, I've been scrolling. Actually I have been working on this picture for over a week and have not hit the halfway point yet. But I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying it..... I learn three thing that are a help to me over the last couple days and thought I would share them just in case they may be of interest and a help to someone else. Nothing earth shattering but here goes. 1. I am a bottom feeder most of the time. Because of the small holes I have to feed the small blade through (3/0 spiral), it is just easier for me to bottom feed. I know, I know, I have tried top feeding many times and with larger stiffer blades, bigger holes I can do it but not with these blades. A lot of times when I get the blade started up through the hole and start lowering the wood, I and not directly over the table hole. This causes me to crimp the blade, some times which mean it is going to break within the next few times of use. I found this helped me. I took a thin felt pen and made intersecting lines on the table to, judge where the hole is, sorta like "cross hairs" . This has really helped me orientate them board to the proper place as I lower it. I think I have saved many blades with this simple crutch. 2. To start the blade into those tiny holes closer to the middle of the picture is very difficult with the low angle the board has to be. Doing it with my arthritic hands is especially difficult. Today I tried holding the blade with hemostats to get it started in the hole. What a difference. Much easier. I do not lock the hemostat on the blade, that would crimp the blade, but use the hemostat like a light weight long pair of needle nose pliers. This is a BIG help for me. 3. The pin. In a pattern this detailed, the drilled holes sometimes get lost among all the holes on the back side. I have been using this little pin to stick through from the front, pattern side, to show me where that &*%^ little hole is on the back side. There you have it. I can finish this little highball ( Seagram's VO, and go back to work) Forgive me if I tarnished my image Seriously I hope this is helpful to someone.

Travis, could you explain the Amazon thing a little more. I read about it but I don't see what I am suppose to click on. I shop Amazon once in a while. Be glad to do your way.