Pattern comes up, what am I doing wrong!!

[Cutting Cathy]

I am so frustrated right now!! I don't know what I am doing wrong when I use the spray adhesive! This happens all the time to me. I got the wood ready, sanding it down and wiping it very good of the dust. I spray on Duro adhesive to the back of the pattern. Wait for a few seconds for it to get "tacky" and put it on the wood pressing down firmly. I even put packing tape on this, but it happens even when I don't put tape on. Sure enough I'm sawing along and the patterns comes up in big pieces!!

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So many times it is impossible to hold the pattern down while I finish the cut! I am not very good at guessing where to cut at if the patterns rips off. I do keep a glue stick hand and an old #9 blade so I can get some glue under the pattern piece and stick it back down.

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This has happened with other glues too. Maybe it's just normal and something I have to just get use too, but I wondered if it happens to anyone else and what do they do?? Any ideas??

Cathy in NE

[SharonW0111]

You aren't alone Cathy. The last couple of cans of duro I bought didn't stick very well. Maybe they have changed the formula since I know now it isn't just me. I used it as long as I have been sawing ( and that is a long time ) and I haven't had this much trouble with it before. If my next can doesn't do any better I am going to switch brands.
Sharon

[Gill]

It happens to me with the 3M brand, too. One of these days I intend to use a permanent spray adhesive instead of a temporary adhesive, just making sure that I cover my workpiece with low tack masking tape first.

Gill

[Steviegwood]

I have not had that problem with the Duro although I do coat my pattern a little heavy with spray because I tend to not get a piece all cut at one time. I also do not wait to apply my pattern. I apply it while the spray is wet and rub it with hands for any air bubbles. Steve

[Minnesota scroller]

I used to have that problem until I read the instructions again. I use the 3M brand and it says to wait at least 30 seconds for the glue to get tacky, before applying. Now, I spray it, and while it's getting tackier I apply the tape to the wood, which takes about 30 or 45 seconds. I then apply the pattern to the tape. Ever since I started waiting longer before applying, I haven't had the problem.

[Kevin12]

That's odd. I thought the longer you waited the less the pattern would adhere (although I've always put the pattern directly on the wood).

I have noticed some variability that I've put down to the exact amount I spray, temp and humidity, how much time I wait (I always do something while I wait but they're different somethings, so the time varies) - could be lots of things. For me it's rare when I can just peel the entire pattern right off when I'm done. If it's on too tight, it's not much of a job to use a rag and mineral spirits to dissolve the glue.

But as for the pattern lifting up when I'm cutting, I can usually hold it down with my fingers on both sides of the blade if it's not too bad; usually I get to where it's not lifting up in a very short distance. If it's a big flap that's getting in my way, I usually just rip it off and keep going.

Okay - I'm a daredevil at the scrollsaw! I do, however, use one of those big, round, lighted magnifiers to do anything at the saw, and maybe that's why I've never cut myself holding down the pattern.

[kmonkey]

I used to have the same problem with the Duro and 3M brands. I now spray glue on the wood surface and the pattern back then wait for the glue to get tacky on both surfaces then put them together. I also press and rub the pattern to make sure the entire surface is coated and sticking well. I then wait about ten minutes before I do anything else with the piece (ie: drill the holes or begin cutting), so that the glue has time to completely cure and set before I begin working with it.

[CanadianScroller]

That is a common problem Cathy. Gill posted an idea some time back using a piece of an old blade to hold the pattern down while you finish the cut.

I would like to see a test of all the adhesives people use, with and without taping the wood first.

[Gill]

That is a common problem Cathy. Gill posted an idea some time back using a piece of an old blade to hold the pattern down while you finish the cut.

You mean it's not common practice to use an old blade this way to hold the pattern down when the adhesive fails? I thought it was so obvious as to be not worth mentioning! Sorry folks - I don't mean to be patronising, but... sometimes we do things which don't naturally cross other people's minds; when it's pointed out as being a good idea, we go, "Whaaaat?!?!?!" .

Gill

[Greenfield_Bob]

Duro never worked for me, I now only use 3M and I spray it heavy. I don't know if it matters but I use a little roller to work the pattern down. My patterns don't come off the wood while I'm cutting. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Bob

[PuzzledMoose]

I've only ever had a pattern lift a couple of times early on when I was doing puzzles - with the picture glued directly to the wood. The problem may have been a number of things I guess - not enough glue, wood not cleaned up properly after sanding, air bubbles..

For things other than puzzles I wrap the wood first in painters tape (green seems to work better than blue for me) and then stick the pattern to the taped wood.

I haven't seen Duro round here - I use the 3M super 77.

[Dragon]

Ian
Glad you mention green and blue because that was one of my questions this morning. Went to the store and checked the tape out because a lot of people mention using blue painter's tape.
The blue is $6.89 a roll and the same amount and size in green is $2.49 a roll.
At that price difference I'd rather buy the green but I don't know the difference.

[uk scroller]

Hi Dragon,
The difference is $4:40 lol
sorry couldn't resist: --- can't help you ,i have seen the blue but i haven't heard of green, now i'm also wondering "what's the difference" ??
---------Frank-------

[Dragon]

$4.40 sounds good enough for me to buy the green. LOL

Just happened to be standing in line next to the tape yesterday. Someone will come along and explain, I hope. If not then I will eventually just buy the green.

[Minnesota scroller]

Some stores also have purple, which I understand is easier to remove afterwards.