World Series Souvenirs

[Carter-Johnson]

This is about my fifth puzzle made from a calendar of World Series memorabilia. This type of montage picture is a lot of fun to cut because there are so many different images within it. For the record, it's 329 pieces, made from 1/4" oak plywood, and took a little less than 6 hours total to cut. If you ever discover a calendar or other picture with a display of items that interest you, I urge you to give this kind of puzzle a try.

I've posted pictures of the front and back (flipped horizontally). I do want to point out that the pictures show the cut lines a little exaggerated because I have increased the "sharpness" quite a bit so you can see them better,

Have phun...

Carter

[Mackem]

Another great puzzle Carter.

[MikeDingas]

Nice, but 6 hours? Whew! What size is it?

[Carter-Johnson]

13.5 inches on each side...a little over a square foot. That six hours is spread over about a week....20 minutes or so at a time. That's my regular pace. Perhaps my attention span is short, but I get bored sitting at the saw for more than a half hour at a time........C

[Paul S WI]

Another Kool one Carter.

[Randy Huckeby]

Neat idea Carter!

[miamw]

I think it was a great idea! Here's a dumb question though, how do you cut puzzles? Do you tape the pieces together to hold it together while cutting? Or do you remove the cut pieces?

[PuzzledMoose]

You remove the cut pieces,Mia. I usually cut off about 10 then re-assemble them - makes it a lot easier to do the puzzle that way - and prevents the cat from stealing the pieces to play with ...

[Carter-Johnson]

Mia, each piece is cut individually, one piece at a time, all freehand. I am a color line cutter so the outlines of my pieces follow the color lines in the picture I'm cutting. There is no pattern.

I cut about 35 pieces at a time (unlike Ian, I don't have a cat problem and my 17-year-old dog can't hear the saw anymore). I then stop and, holding a small electric sander with my right hand sanding side up, I touch each piece's bottom to the sander. Then I put those pieces together with those I have previously cut.

Keep your questions coming. I'm happy to help any way I can.

Have phun...Carter

[utbva]

I usually like to cut the outside waste off in one piece, then I tape that to a board and then assemble each piece as I cut it out in the waste piece. Then when it is all cut out and assembled I will put another board over the puzzle so I can turn the whole thing over, take off the first board and then carefully sand the whole puzzle with a small palm sander. Sometimes pieces will jump out while I am sanding so I have to put them back in to finish the job.

[Carter-Johnson]

That's interesting, Bill. I think you'll find that, as your pieces lock more tightly, that you can pick up the completed puzzle by any outside piece and it will hold together. You therefore will not need to use the outside frame (not that it impedes you in any way)......C

[chrispuzzle]

One thing about a frame, it stops the picture side rubbing when you sand the whole puzzle. Otherwise you have to keep a firm grip all the time to avoid scuffing the picture side against whatever your work surface is.

That's if you don't do as Carter does, and sand each piece individually! Lovely puzzle there, Carter. Something to do with 'Murrican Cricket, yes?

Chris

[utbva]

The main reason I like to use the outside frame is to help locate the outside pieces quickly and also if I happen to brush over the puzzle there is less chance of knocking the puzzle pieces on the floor and then having to put the whole thing together again.

[Carter-Johnson]

I guess I'm missing something, because I have neither of the potential problems with sanding you guys have. By the way, I still sand the back of the completed puzzle lightly when it's all together.

but....

While cutting, my puzzles are assmbled on a piece of white foam board. I flip them over and sand them with the foam board as backing. There's never any scratching, and if I hold it down a little, it doesn't move around. The sander I'm using is one of those little hand-held ones with a triangular tip.

The foam board is also handy when I'm transporting completed puzzles. I just put two pieces of foam board togewther with the puzzle in between. A couple of rubber bands secures the package.

Carter

[chrispuzzle]

Eureka! Foam board. Excellent idea. Thanks Carter.

I first sanded on a ply board and that scratched, then on a rubber mat which also scuffed the picture a little (not as much though). Now I push the puzzle into a rigid right-angle frame and the pieces don't move at all.

Chris