FrankEV

Bragging Rights is the most poular forum to show work that you are proud of and want people to see and comment on. It is a simple task to start a new topic, add a title, write some info about the work, drag a JPG file(s)of the work into the post where it says "Drag files Here", and submit the post. Now, what you write can be simple of detailed. Yes, a lot of us like to know things like the "why, what, where, when and who" details or the things like "wood, blades used, finish, who made for, etc.". The camera images of the work you post should be well done, framed square so the image is not distorted, taken close up to fill the frame and/or cropped. The photo should be taken in front of an uncluttered, clean, plain backdrop. These rules are not gospel but just common sense. Hope this helps. Edit: you can also creat a album of you pics in "Users Gallery"

Most of what I have posted in Bragging Rights, unless specifically noted that I cut it for someone special like "Alucard" that i did for my Grandson, all of my pieces are either on disply or are shown in a portfolio of glossy 8x10 prints on the table in my area. Right now I have about 18 framed pieces hanging as well as a few boxes. I just added the Seahorse lamp I made a few weeks ago. I rotate pieces so the disply does not become stagnent. For my framed pieces I base my prices on complexity and what I deem to be a high desirable piece. The posted prices vary from one to two dollars per square inch of panel size. The curator of the gallery keeps telling me my prices should be higher. However, I 'm happy with this price range and makes my work a little beit more affordable for many of those who frequent the Gallery.

In a prevous post, about two months back, I mentioned I had been accepted to join a local Fine Art Artist Cooperative where I could disply and offer my work for sale. Of course there is a fee to rent the space, but there is no commision taken from any sales other than any credit card sale charges. The Coop takes care of taking sales tax so every thing is simple. Each month the first Saturday of the month is Art Walk night where a lot of locals, as well as tourest, visit the various Art venues in the area, indulge in a little wine and snacks, and maybe buy some Art. Tonight was the third Art Walk Saturday since I joined the Gallery and it is was very well attended. And tonight, I sold two more pieces for a total of five pieces in just a few days more than two months. With these sales, I have covered my first four months rent plus and anything sold hereafter will be on the profit side. More importantly to me is the comments and praise I get from those who take the time to look at my work. Those who actually stop and look at my disply spend a good deal of time scrutenizing the pieces and are amazed at the cratmanship and artistry. Certainly not everyone buys, but compared to the time they spend looking at the fine paintings and other art, they tend to linger at my display for quite a while. When I'm there to answer questions, the positive feedback I get is just awsume. One of the pieces I sold tonight brings with it the potential for some commisioned pieces for this couples home that they have up north. Ask me if I feel good. I'm sure you can guess what my answer wouild be!

My array of Beach/Nautical/Ttropical cuttings is quite extensive. Some are from way back when I had first started up to my more recent work. Most of my latest work is intended to apeal to the Beach Community here along the Atlantic Coast of Central Florida. A lot of what we call beach side home owners love to decorate their high cost homes with a lot of beachy things. This first piece was one of my very early attempts at creating a pattern and then adding color to the finished piece. This last one hangs in my living room and we call it our aquariumn:

Back at you and to all!

I edited the original post to show pics with the hinges. The morticing was not quite as neat as I would have liked, but it worked and is not tooo noticable.

Sneaky...you will be updating this post yearly, I presume.

Glad you answered the What is it question so I did not have to look stupid. Looks great.

Congradulations on a terrific milestone and a great daily reminder. Lets plan on you having to cut many more!

Outstanding job. It will be a chereshed rememberance that will not fade like pictures do. Loose block font are a SPITA to do and glue up. You did a great job on cutting and mountin them.

I did think of adding color, but just did not have the confidence it would work in this case. I wanted in the worse way to at least add color to the eye, but the eye area cutting was just not difinative enough.

I purchased this vector file from Etsy of a cartoon Cockerel by LaserDesignBel. I did not know what a Cockerel was but, after looking it up on Google, I found the it is a British English name for a young Rooster. I though the image was something different and looked like a fun piece to make. I found a number of colored images of a Cartoon version of a Cockerel that I use as an aid to adding the color. Cutting was quite easy even though the pattern was designed for Laser cutting, I used Pegas #2/0 spiral blades throughout. I sized the pattern to fit on an 11” x 17” backer. I cut the image in 5/32” solid core Walnut ply that I enhanced the Walnut color with Minwax Dark Walnut Stain. The cut panel is affixed to a hand painted 1/4” BB Ply Backer using Acrylic Art Paints after which the panel was finished with multiple coats of Clear Gloss Spray Lacquer. The panel is mounted in my usual simple 1 3/4” wide Poplar Frame that was stained with Minwax Aged Oak and finished with two coats of Minwax Satin Wipe-On Poly. After you stop laughing you are welcome to critique my work.

I purchased this vector file from Etsy of a Horse by DuglyGraphics. I had looked at this image for a long time and finally decided to cut it. The image was a little different and is intended for laser cutting, making it a little challenging to cut with a scroll saw. I’m kind of thinking the Image that was used on Etsy was a photo rendering as the final cut image does not quite look the same or, IMO, as nice as what was advertised. Here is the image that was shown on-line: I sized the pattern to fit on an 11” x 15” backer. I cut the image in 5/32” solid core ply that I painted Black. The cut panel is affixed to a 1/4” BB Ply Backer left natural. The panel was finished with multiple coats of Clear Gloss Spray Lacquer. The panel is mounted in my usual simple 1 3/4” wide Poplar Frame that was stained with Minwax Ebony and finished with two coats of Minwax Satin Wipe-On Poly. Now the Photo of my cut: Critique is always welcome and appreciated.

I totally agree. However, 1/8" thk solid Red Oak is not available locally and 1/4" backers would have made it too heavy and they were being painted. Since I was lining it with felt, I did not feel the cost and effort to order solid 1/8" on-line was worth it. Yes, the tray would hve looked better in solid material, but again not sure it would have been worth the price and effort in as much as I already had the Red Oak solid core ply. Thank you for the query. I will consider what materials I use more closely for any future project of this type.

Looks good. Gaurenteed to score a few points!!!

Very nice cuting. AND, the color adds a lot! I added color to a lot of the work I've done for quite a while now. I enjoy scrolling and really like it when I can add color. It can really make a so-so piece turn into a much nicer finished project. Keep it up.

I bought one of those and still haven't used it. Added a small AC unit that did not cost much more than the personal cooler, and gladI did. Now, I can work even when the temps get fairly high outside. You might take want to take a idea from new2woodwrk. Read his post above. Sectioning off a smaller area and adding an AC unit is much more practicle and not a very expensive ordeal.

Seems like you did a nice job on the cutting. Hard to see detail in the pic. Need to get closer and frame the picture as a landscape. Wondering why you chose a dark cut panel on a light backer? My brain has trouble seeing the image.

I moved to Florida and bought a home on a very small piece of property so I don't have to do much house and yard maintenance. Like Les (rockytime), I have a yard service and I only have to deal with some of my potted plants and keeping the weeds from growing between the pavers in my walk and patio. I can still manage to spray a little bit of Roundup every once in a while. I also have a small AC unit and a small heater for my very small shop, so, like some others, I could scroll 24-7-365 but don't. I do it when I want, usually 2-4 hours in early mornings when it does not interfere with my afternoon nap time.

The box walls were 1/4" solid Red Oak with an applied backer. Only the top and the horizontal bottom piece was 3/4". The bottom piece I planed down to 1/2" thick and the top I rabbeted the bottom side so It appears to be 1/2" thick. The scroll work was squite easy. Ordered hinges. Should be here this week. Thanks

You are correct, see below. wichman's example is not quite what I was refering to, but as a plaque it is a "Negative" Image within a "Positive" image that is acting as the background.. I should have include the following examples of what I was refering to in my original post. My recent Bragging Rights post "Alucard...: is a good example of what I call a "Negative" Image. The wood removed from the cut panel revealed the Image and the cut panel itself creates the background . It is important to note that the images has many gaps/bridges in the image perimeter and the image is made up of many small cut out areas. An earliier post, my "Chinese Dragon" is a good example of a what I call a "Positive" Image. The Removal of the surounding wood reveals the image and the backer becomes the background. In this cutting the entire perimeter of the image is continuous and even if not mounted on a backer the image would be recognizable. Going way back, my piece called "Pretty Kitty - Jaguar" is and example of what I see as are somewhat the combination of both. Although the image is actually a "Positive" image, because there are many gaps in the "Image" perimeter itself, it needs the eye to see the image as a continuous subject like a "Negative" image does. Hope this clears up my original post, especially for octoolguy!!!

I agree with Dick (heppnerguy), very nice cutting. Great job using spiral blades. Spriral are pretty much all I use. The largest spirial I would have used would have been an #0 or #1. I don't even own anything larger. I like the detail you can achieve with small blades...especially the sharp pointy peaks and valleys.

First let me provide "my" definetion or these terms. In scroll saw fret work we cut away areas in a wood panel to expose a recognizable image to the human eye/brain. In some patterns we cut away the wood around the image - with or without an inclusive cut frame - where the cut panel is a "positive" image (my definition) and the background is just that, a background. The image is a projection above the backer. In other patterns the wood that is cut away creates the image, where the cut panel is a "negative':, again my definition, with the backer providing a contrasting color that produces what the human sees as an image. In this type of cutting the image is only perceived and alwasy has a lot of gaps that are filled in by the brain to form the image. BTW, there is also another version where both positive and negative is done on the same piece...I've don a few like that. I'm hope my definitions are making sense and y'all understand the difference I'm describing. There are no real Q&A here. Maybe just a little discussion, comments, opinions, likes, dislikes about these different methods of image creation. Or maybe a better discusion is, which kind of "positive" of "negative" image creation is found to be more appealing to those who view, and/or comment on our. work? I'm not really considering Plaques or multiple layer pieces for this discussion altough there may be some revelance there also. In this virtual meeting of the membership the floor is hereby open for discussion.

Great job, but especially great wisker cutting!!

Wonderful plaque. He will be blown away...gauarenteed. Nice clean cutting of the font.