FrankEV

I found a couple of black and white images of Alligators on-line that I was able to convert into scrollable patterns. I thought they would make for a portrait of something a little different. I knew I was going to hand paint with Artist Acrylics, so I used up a piece of my 5/32” solid core Birch for the cut panel and the positive images were then mounted on 1/4” thick BB ply backer. Although there are some exceedingly small detail cuts, the cutting was easy, using Pegas #2/0 spiral blades, with just over 150 holes to produce the two images. After painting and assembly, the panel was protected with multiple coats of Deft Clear Gloss Spray Lacquer. Now here is the question: Did you know that Alligators are not Green, regardless of what most painted images depict? When I did a Google search for the actual color of Alligators and looked at many photos, I found out that they are most often blackish, with light toned under bodies. Alligator colors can vary with their habitation, and some can be somewhat green but most are not. The Frame is my standard 1 3/4” wide Poplar stained with Minwax Ebony and protected with multiple coats of Minwax clear Gloss Wipe-on-Poly. Comments and critique always welcome. Edit: Corrected the spelling of Alligator and added a camera raw image photo below.

Sures looks good to me.

What is the fun in watching a machine do the cutting for you.? Where is the pleasure you get when you do it yourself? I guess it is a great thing if you are a sign maker or need to make 99 exactly the same. However, IMHO it sure is not scroll saw work. Although I embrace technology, I guess in this instance I'm a purest or traditionalist if you will. Please understand no disrespect is intended here. I'm just not very pleased to see discussion about computer aided cutting in the SSV. I'm sure there are other forums where it would be much more appropriate.

Extreamly nice work. I'm sure your friend will love it. Not intended to be negative at all but you have demonstrated, by your photo, my biggest pet peeve about cutting thick wood and not using a backer. If the piece is viewed from anywhere other than straight on and at eye level, the cutting displays the vertical cut edges which distorts the image. I've done the same thing with a nice dragon image in a beautiful piece of walnut only to be disapointed in the finish piece. I know a lot of scrollers like to cut thick wood and I don't have a problem with that except for this visual thing I get hung up on.

Nice work! So you reduced it to the size of an ornament...are you going to hang it on your Easter Tree?

Very nice work. Great pattern by SG. I did this same piece a while ago and treated it like a Plaque, as suggested by Steve, with a 1/4" thick Oval backer. The cut panel was stained dark Walnut and the backer left the light color natural maple I used as a backer. I sanded and stainded the edges of the Oval to make the plywood edge not too noticable. An option would be to mount your cut panel on a square/rectangular backer of a contrasting color and mount it in a frame. Either way would look great. Here is mine I made for my Lady and hangs on my wall in my home. It was one of my very early work nearly three years ago..

The eyes are Yellow. Not quite as well seen in the photo as when viewed in person. Maybe a little "greener yellow" might be a better color. Thanks.

It has taken me a lot of trying different ways to paint the backer in pieces like "Parrot Pair". I have found that I can print out additional copies of the cutting pattern and cut out the areas of differnt colors to act as a painting stencil. To do this you need to be careful to line up each layer stencil so the colors are in the correct location. This is not a fail safe process but helps to line up the coloring work much more quickly. A lot of checking how the color looks under the cut panel and tweeking of the paint work, is still needed. Coloring often takes longer than cutting!!

I don't really see them as shadows, but the light sourse (mayby a full moon) shining on the trees and ripples on the ground. Maybe, a better title would be "Moonlit Winter Trees", How does that sound?

Yes, the cut panel is mounted on top of the backer as, what I call, a "positive" cutting resuting in a raised image. Both the backer and cutting are painted. Just for comparison, the Parrot Pair is a "negative" cutting where just the backer is painted.

Most of these projects have been cut over the last six or so weeks but the finishing and framing was on hold due to a non-scrolling project that had been occupying my time. Finally got a few days break and was able to do some finishing up. All patterns are conversions of various free images I found online. All cut panels are 5/32” Solid Core Maple, Birch or Walnut affixed to a ¼” BB Ply backer. Coloring was done by various techniques such as: Hand Painting with Artist Acrylic Paints, Painting with rattle can spray paints or Staining. Cutting was mostly completed with small Pegas Spiral blades. After assembly, all panels were protected with multiple coats of Clear Gloss Lacquer. Frames are made from 1 ¾” wide Poplar finished with Stain and Polyurethane or Black Lacquer. Trees in the Night, 10” Diameter panel mounted on a 12” x12” Backer. Parrot Pair (*), 12” x 12” Leo, 11” x 14” Chrysanthemum Bouquet, 11” x 17”. You all know I welcome comments and critiques. (*) I have cut various Parrot Portraits, all of which have been sold, so I had to make another but different one, to replace the latest to be sold. Although I am very happy to sell my work, certain pieces are missed from the display more than others. This is the case with the various Parrots I have made.

Beautifuly done! The freeform live edge backer really makes it a great piece.

Absolutly beautiful. Sometimes simple is better. In this case it is perfect.

Thanks. 4mm converts to 0.15748 inches. So in our terms, it would be considered 5/32". (5/32=.15625). I just assumed 1/6 was a typo as our measurments are displayed in terms of the demoninator as multiples of 64. Ie., 64, 32. 16, 8, 4 ,2. Also, I just thought that Heart Mandela was much too beautiful to lay on a table under something. A nice backer and a frame would make it a very wonderful piece of art to hang on a wall.

Beautiful cutting!. Is that 1/16" or 1/8" ply? Do you plan to add a backer?

Thought it would be a good idea to try out my new Wen Spindle sander, so I decided to cut another Cat Statue. Number two of the three patterns I had purchased a while ago. I converted the pattern I received in PDF format into an Inkscape SGV file and resized it a little. The statue is just under 13” tall and just under 6” wide. The oval base is 6” long x 1 ¾” wide with the perimeter being tapered about four degrees. I used 3/4” thick Walnut this time. I also added a tenon to the statue and a mortice in the base to accept the tenon. I used Five Minute Epoxy to fix the tenon in the mortice. The cutting was very easy and done using just one Pegas #3 MGT R blade. All edges of the statue and base were eased with a small round-over router bit. I was able to clean up some of the longer cuts with the Spindle Sander (which works good by the way), but some areas were just too small to access so I had to return to the Dremel Drum Sanders and hand sanding to clean up the tight places. I did a one quick wipe on/wipe off coat of Minwax Walnut Gel Stain just to deepen the wood color a little. Then, as usual, multiple coats of Deft Clear Gloss Lacquer. Comments and critique is always welcome. AND JFYI, these few quick and easy statue projects of late, have just been a diversion from making my more Art Portrait type projects. My shop time has been limited due to a non-Scroll Saw project that has taken up much of my time for the past few weeks. That project will be coming to an end soon and I plan to be able to devote more time in the shop when it is done.

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I saw this saying hanging on a wall in my local diner. At my age it is absolutely true!!!! Cut Panel is 5/32" x 15 1/2" x 6" Solid Core Maple affixed to 1/4" BB Ply painted backer. Finished with multple coats of Deft Clear Gloss Lacquer. I created the pattern using UNCONFORM for the Black font and a modified version of Superficious, to make it scrollable, for the Red script font...both can be found found on dafont.com. The Frame is just made from 3/4" x 3/4" pine, finished with Black Lacquer. This is not ART, just a fun piece I made for myself.

There are good and better blades available. I've actually been happy with my Dewalt 80 T thin kerf blade I bough when I purchased my saw. I might try the Diablo when I need to get a new blade.

That is the one I have for my small shop. I works great for a portable contractor type saw. Also the price is good. I like the fact that the rip fence is built in and is very accurate.(*) When I had my big shop in NC, I had a big professional saw with outfeed tables and a very accurate digital set rip fence. Not needed for most of us, but sometimes I wish I stll had it Edit: (*) Accurate as to square. Don't trust the measuring tape on the saw, especially when using a thin kerf blade. Always measure to the tooth of the blade to insure an accurate measurement.

A good table saw with a good quality brand thin kerf min 8o tooth carbide blade is the best tool you can have in your shop. I'd recommend buying the best one you can afford and don't skimp on the quality of the blade. Cutting a frame out of a panel is a waste of good wood! I've seen it done and it just does not look correct.

Nice pattern and very nice cutting. And, yes,the cutting panel grain adds a lot to the overall presentation. I love to see a projects like this but I would love to see the info about the paroject also. Who's Pattern? size?, material?, backer?, blades use?, number of holes? etc.

Sounds like a reasoble idea. I don't usually have a problem with the joint slipping using the Seedy Frame Clamp. However, upon initial tightening, I find I usually have to adjust the corner where the clamp adjusting screw is. The other three square up on there own.

I'll offer a few of my ways of making frames: 1. You need a table saw with a good blade. 2. Ues 3/4 thk material. I like Poplar, but any wood, even Pine will work. 3. I buy 8" or 12" wide boards and rip my frame making sticks 1 3/4" wide. Buying wide boards is more enconomical per frame and less waste then narrower material. Six foot boards will make most frames you will make for 11 or 12" wide frames. 4. I also use my table saw to create the 1/4"wide x 1/2" deep rabbet. Make some test pieces untill you get the precise dims. Keep the final test pece as a jig to future saw set ups. I cut the 1/2" deep cut first and then the 1/4". (you can use a Router with a Rabbeting bit, but I found the table saw does the job easier for me. Cut the Rabbet before you cut your miters. 5. Your frame is only as good as your corner miters. Be as precise as possible. If you decide to make many frames, a miter sled is very helpful. 6. Remember, the frame rails are 3 1/2" plus about an 1/8" longer than your panel. And your miter points are at the vertical face of the 1/2" deep rabbet. Set up stop blocks so the length is repeatable to insure a square frame. 7. Use a strap type clamp to get even pressure during the glue up. I use Titebond glue. After applying the glue I dust the glue joint with some sawdust from the same wood to insure any minor gap is filled. And I use blue tape to protect the frame face from glue squeeze out. I also reinforce the joint with framing "V" nails available from Hobby Lobby. 8. I don't think I need to discuss finishing...just do a good job of sanding no matter what finish you use. 9. I use one drive in small sawtooth hanger on the top rail and framing points to hold the panel into the frame. (Glasier points work as well.) BTW, nice cutting on the Tractor.

For portraits I won't use anything but 1/4" BB ply I get online in the precut 12" x 24" size. I did note the price jumped significantly the last time I ordered it.. I believe, a well done cutting deserves to be mounted on a substaintial permanent backer that I can feel confident won't deteriate over the near or far term. Especially so, as my backers are often painted a solid color using rattle can spray paint, stained and/or hand painted with Artist Acrylics. To me the backer is as important part of a portrait as is the cut panel. The total thickness of the glued-up 5/32" solid core ply and the 1/4" thick BB ply backer is just a tad over 3/8" and works well for mounting in a 1/4" x 1/2" deep rabbet I cut in my 3/4" thick Poplar Frames.