Dak0ta52

This is a pattern I made and cut on 1/4-inch Maple ply. The face of the plywood delaminated in a couple areas so I decided to paint the piece. The paint is water color. I finished with a Minwax natural stain and 4-coats of Polyacrylic with light sanding with 600 grit sandpaper between coats. I cut the frame from picture frame stock I had on hand. The piece is 13X14. The pattern is in the Village library.

Beautiful piece, Don. I'm sure you didn't knock that out in an afternoon.

Wow! That turned out great. I almost looks like emeralds. Great job!

I think you are doing mighty fine, Dick. Coming up with the rope around the frame in my opinion is genius. The covering the ends of the rope with the anchor was also a smart move. The cutting, in my opinion, is flawless. Like Scrappile said, changing the windows may alter the entire feel of the pattern.

Great idea Charlie.

Glad you found out what was bothering you and get you on the road to recovery. Great job on Sam Elliot, one of my favorite actors. Considering how the pattern is laid out, I'd say leave it unframed. I actually think framing it would distract from the cutting unless you went with a very rustic frame.

Nice job all around Tbow. I'm sure your work put a smile on her face.

I have a set like pictured but I use the small ones from Harbour Freight. You can get a set of 4 at less than $5, an on sale for less than that. The ones from Harbour Freight have a little thicker probe. I use the ones like you have pictured to clear cut-out pieces that are being temperamental about dropping out after I've made the cut.

I do similar to some of the others but not with a counter sink drill bit. I simply use a dental probe and dimple the hole on the bottom side to make sure the burrs are gone and provide a little recess. A lot of times the pieces I work with, the pilot holes are less than 1/4 inch apart. I've found it easiest to line the hole I'm seeking directly in the line of site and I only have to remove the blade from the previous cut and move it either straight towards or away from my eyes to find the hole.

Very cute project. I'm sure your neighbor will love it.

Great job on the word plaques, Tbow. I'm happy you family is safe from the storms. We were fortunate in that they had pretty much exhausted themselves before they reached NC.

Nice work, Colin. Is that two separate pieces or is it the same piece, one with the pattern on and the other with the pattern off?

Great combination. That pattern with that walnut. Can't find wood like that around here.

Adorable piece, Dick. I can see why you fell for this when you saw the pattern.

Awesome job, Barb. I'm sure you didn't knock that out at one sitting!

Beautiful piece. Love the contrast in the wood.

Very nice, Judy. I really like to look of the Hickory. Excellent choice in wood for the project.

Go ahead and start working on another one, Pete. She's already got that one filled up. Great job.

Nice cutting. I would suggest Boiled Linseed Oil and Polyurethane 50/50 mix. Let it soak about 10 minutes, let it drip for about 45 minutes and wipe it down good. Give it a good buffing. For a little more sheen, apply a little paste wax and buff it out again.

So Kevin, how much is shipping these days??? Another great score! Oh, and you suck!

I'm agreeing with Dick. You got the art of scrolling down pat. Awesome job.

I think you did a great job on both, Dick. The kleenex box look great and should receive your full attention as far as finishing. The cross, as well as it turned out, should nave never laid on a shelf collecting dust. I feel the cut and finish turned out beautifully.

I think the commenters here have summed it up pretty well. You have to gain experience to find out what you, specifically, prefer. Me, I tend to lean toward the smaller blades when possible. The #2/0, #0 and #1 are usually what is affixed to my saw rather it be spiral or straight. My preferred brand is Pegas. If I'm cutting fretwork on a piece that is dimensional (straight lines, circles, etc) I prefer a straight blade. If it is a line that is critical and could make or break a piece, I'll use a skip or double skip blade which cuts a little slower, in my opinion, than a MGT blade which is what I normally use. For portraits that are erratic (various sizes cuts, random locations) I'll us a spiral. I can't give you any preferences towards puzzles, segmentations, etc, because I haven't cut those. The more professionals here at the Village will have to comment on those. I'm usually cutting 1/4-inch ply that is stacked, 2-layers. I have cut 3/4 and even 1 1/4 material. The only issue I had was with the 1 1/4 material where the blade deflection from pushing the material into the blade. The top of the material where the pattern was located was true to the pattern. However, the bottom of the material was cut off and broke through some of the thinner frets because of the bending of the blade. Good luck on your quest!

A very neat project. The finish on the piece is superb!

Nice job. Did you use epoxy?