Rocking Chair Jigsaw Puzzle

[Carter-Johnson]

I don't think I have ever posted one of my full-size jigsaw puzzles to this forum, so here goes. I'll put up a photo of the front with this posting and the back with the next one.

This is typical of my puzzles in that it has many small images to use as pieces. Thus it lends itself well to my style of freehand line cutting.

The wood is 5-ply poplar from Wildwood Designs. The blades are 2/0 Puzzle Blades from Flying Dutchman (Mike). My saw is a DeWalt.

This is about my 450th full-size puzzle. It has 386 pieces. The picture is from a calendar. The total time to cut it was about seven hours.

As you may know, I don't sell my puzzles, but rather loan them out for free to families I know well who enjoy putting them together.

I do like to help others get started and become successful in this style of cutting, so please feel free to ask questions on the forum and to e-mail me at any time.

So.....Here's the front.

Carter

[Carter-Johnson]

And here's the back....

[3_M]

Carter, you just amaze me what you can do with a puzzle. I heard from some who saw you at the Midwest scroller picnic and they were very impressed how you cut it all free hand without a pattern.
Mike M

[Greenfield_Bob]

Hi Carter, your puzzle is great like always. I hope you keep posting your puzzles, maybe I will get the hang of the way you cut them.
I like it when you show the front and back, it helps me.
Thanks for posting.

Bob

[Neal Moore]

Puzzle

Carter....That's one fine piece of work!!! I'm gonna try one of those if I ever get caught up. I'll be looking you up for advice and tips when I start the first one. I want to try my hand at a few shadow portraits first. I'm working on one now that really has me wrapped around the axle!!

[CanadianScroller]

Awesome work

I like the style of puzzles you have come up with.!
Great work!

[Gill]

It's always a delight to see your work, Carter. When Christmas comes along again and I get the chance to buy greetings cards in bulk, I'm going to have a go at making some jigsaws myself. You're quite inspirational!

Gill

[SharonW0111]

I took a close look at your puzzle and man youre smart for thinking that out -Ihad to look twice at the back to figure it out tho - but I like it -- now what do you do to hold the picture down permently and what finish do you use -I always use calanders for jigsaws but I do them on my computer - never thought about a wooden one done ..it gives my brain ideas for presents for a couple of people that are hard ( if not impossible ) to buy for .

[pedrofret]

Fantastic. What else can I say.

Fantastic. What else can I say.

[Carter-Johnson]

To answer your questions, Sharon, I glue the picture down on 1/4" plywood with Tacky Glue or Carpenters Glue, spread evenly and thin. After cutting the edges, I spray the picture with any "Triple-Thick Glaze" spray. and let it dry for a couple of days.

There isn't much planning. I just start cutting pieces, one piece at a time, making sure that each piece has locks that make it tight with adjacent pieces and that the images within the picture form the bases for the lines between pieces. When completed and together, you can usually pick up the puzzle by holding any edge pieces and have it hang together as you wave it like a placemat.

If you're looking for Christmas projects, all our Christmas cards are puzzles ( about 35 pieces) and have been so for 8 years. For '05, I have 67 puzzles cut and plan on making a total of 75 or more.

Great phun...

Carter

[SharonW0111]

Carter you make it sound simple but looking at it closly I can see a lot of brain power and a lot of time goes into your work..all I can say is I am in awe of your work--simply amazing....


Sharon

[scrollworks]

Excellent piece of work. Great idea about puzzles for Christmas cards, something different and entertaining at the same time.

________________
Chuck...

[heavykevy]

Using photo paper

Carter,
First of I must say that is just amazing. I have a digital photo of my sister-in-law dancing with her son on his wedding day and had thought of doing it up for her for x-mas. do you think I could print it off my computer? I have a good photo printer or should I have it put on regular photo paper.


Kevin

[Carter-Johnson]

Kevin, your computer-produced photo should work just fine. I assume it's printed on photo paper. I've made quite a few puzzles from such printouts.

The only problem is that I don't know any coating you can spray on to protect them from the elements. As a result, even a drop of fluid can cause damage.

In the past couple of weeks, I have made two puzzles of roughly 140 pieces each for 50th wedding anniversary celebrations. In one case it was a recent photo and in the other it was an original wedding picture. Both were computer prinouts and were roughly 5 x 7.

Sometime in the next month I'll start a thread on this board with a good picture of the front and back of my Christmas cards for this year - hopefully to give you some ideas..

Any more questions, post 'em or drop me an e-mail at [email protected]

Have phun...

Carter

[Little flower]

Great puzzling

Great to see your puzzles on line Carter. You really have inspired me... again. I look forward to seeing many more.