My 1st puzzle

[Minnesota scroller]

What did you expect, a Carter Johnson? After all, my grandson is only 4 1/2 months old. Eventually he'll graduate and move on to a 5 piece puzzle and I'll be ready for him. I tried a wood burner around the eyes and as you can see, I have no idea what I'm doing. How in the heck can you make a circle on pine with a wood burner? It wants to follow the grain going 1 direction and bounce across it going the other. Guess I'd better stick to scrolling. And to think I spent $12 on my wood burner.

[Gill]

That's a snappy piece, Mike .

There was extensive coverage of woodburning in the magazine a little while ago - if you've got back copies, it might be worth checking them out.

Gill

[Mackem]

hi mike, this might help, use a countersink to make a small hollow, mix up some p.v.a. glue,fine pine sawdust and black acrylic paint fill the hollow area until it is proud of the wood,let it dry then sand back till level, hey presto a perfect round "eye". or try drilling a small hole through a piece of tin/aluminum can and use the hole as a template for your wood burner.

kevin

[Rivari]

Mike, I think you did a fine job there and the youngster will enjoy it. If you want a bit of a hillbilly mini-branding iron rememdy for burning circles of various sizes I have one.

Take a coat hanger and cut it into roughly six inch sections. At one end of each section bend it into a "C" shape (bend it around a bolt of whatever size you need). Heat the end with a propane torch, once one side is done flip the iron the other direction and finish the circle or eye in this case. I have a series of mini-irons in different shapes and sizes though I use them mostly on leather.

[Minnesota scroller]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

By the way Todd, you look a tad chilly.

[PuzzledMoose]

Great croc Mike - or is it an alligator? It's cute anyhow ..

I've usually used a pointed grinding tool in a dremel to "burn" a hole for eyes in puzzles - seems to work ...

Hey shouldn't it have woodburned scales on the body?

[SharonW0111]

I think your ally-ma-gator is adorable-- I can see now that he will get a lot of teething use out of it. No pointy places to cut him on and no small pieces to choke him on --by the way if you want eyes drill a hole and insert a dowel I would round off the dowel and there you have a eye-- I think you will find puzzle making with "little scroller" will be a joy -I have enjoyed making them for my grandaughter when she is here-
Sharon