First Ornament / First Fretwork Attempt - Fail!

[SonOfMartin]

Ok - so I tried to make an ornament - my first ever. I selected what I thought was an easy fretwork ornament of a fly fisherman.

It didn't turn out so great - yep stuck my thumb straight through it.

I think I'll go back to doing 'easy' patterns as this one kicked my ...

I know, try again, make more firewood, try again....

[wood-n-things]

That looks like mdf. Try your hand with some Baltic birch ply and stack cut it to give it some rigidity.
Slow down your saw speed and take your time.

Cut the more fragile areas first and if you are at all nervous about an area replace the waste piece and tape it in place.

Give it a go and I hope it goes better next time.

The subject matter does not really matter, after all it is still one cut at a time. Some more advanced patterns may be advisable to wait, as they can be intimidating but they too are still one cut at a time.

[Tango]

Looks pretty good too me - Good Job. I also learned scroll sawing by cutting ornaments. By the time I had gifts for all of my family, I had learned the basics of scroll sawing. Just keep selecting patterns that you like and keep cutting. It will get easier.

[marshall]

Son I'd agree with Mike try some Baltic Birch and I think you'll even like the final product better also , now I've never tryed the MDF before when it comes to ornaments - been told that it paints good .........good luck .....

[SonOfMartin]

Thank you for the comments and suggestions.

It is BB - 1/8". Maybe I should try 1/4"?

I really like the stack cutting suggestion - that may help..never thought of it.

I also read somewhere about people using the cardboard off of cereal boxes - would that do the same as stacking another piece behind it?

Oh - one thing I did learn - the BB I used came from an arts / crafts store. I've since bought another piece of BB from Wood Craft and the quality of the wood appears to be much better - I'm sure that may make a difference...oh this is so new.

[wood-n-things]

When cutting a single layer of 1/8" stock you will find it pretty fragile if you are on a budget or just hate wasting wood while still learning, yes you can use the cardboard as a throw away backer. Yes there are different grades of BB.

[Danny]

Nothing you cut will be a failure. You will always learn something.

[marshall]

Thank you for the comments and suggestions.

It is BB - 1/8". Maybe I should try 1/4"?

I really like the stack cutting suggestion - that may help..never thought of it.

I also read somewhere about people using the cardboard off of cereal boxes - would that do the same as stacking another piece behind it?

Oh - one thing I did learn - the BB I used came from an arts / crafts store. I've since bought another piece of BB from Wood Craft and the quality of the wood appears to be much better - I'm sure that may make a difference...oh this is so new.

I cut a lot of 1/8" BB material and I stack cut at least 5 layers when I'm cutting this thin stuff and it has always turned out great at cutting 5 of this thickness .......M..

[shadowfx97]

A single layer of 1/8 " BB gives almost no resistance to the blade; the cut is consequently very difficult to control since any tiny movement of the blade is instantly seen in the cut. It can be done, but it's not a good way for a beginner to learn. 1/4 " MDF cuts well (though it's hard on blades) and is relatively cheap. It also takes paint beautifully, so if you cut something that you're happy with, you can spray paint it and keep it.

[tagordy]

hi there friend…at least you’re on the right site….you’re gettin the best advice you’l ever find….i like callin’em my friends, but *sshhhhh* don’t tell, i think they’re truly a bunch of pros, which ain’t a bad deal either way…i fully understand your frustrations in cuttin, i’ve been there, and actually am still there…your cut looked good to me as well, you’ll learn from every cut you make, just like the others say…ok, shuttin up now, startin to ramble

[brianrickman]

I do a lot with 1/8" BB plywood, mostly becasue I got a large box of it on ebay at a low price. The trick for me is to feed the wood slowly and carefully. It doesn't take much pressure to feed it into the blade. Cutting past the point where you want to make a turn is a sign that you're feeding too fast. The narrow sections breaking can be alleviated by supporting the piece more securely. Stack cutting is one way to provide support. Another is to use a "zero clearance" secondary table, i.e. cut a slot up to the center of an extra piece of BB plywood so that it covers your saw's table and that big hole in the center around the blade. Use double sided tape to stick this secondary table in place.

[lucky788scroller]

Like the others said, stack cut, take your time, and just take it one cut at a time. I would suggest you stack cut about 4 or 5 layers of the 1/8th inch stuff, and go with a flat blade (with reverse teeth on the bottom)no bigger than a #5, and dont be in a rush, or tense. Relax, take your time, and let the blade do the work, your just there to steer the wood (and cuss occasionally) . Your off to a good start. And asking questions here is a great way to gain knowledge.

[tgiro]

You never fail - you just find ways not to do something.

[scott312]

Ok - so I tried to make an ornament - my first ever. I...

I just did my first scroll try last nite with new saw. It was not too pretty.