Owl Portrait Progress

[ozarkhillbilly]

I thought I'd share with everyone the process and progress of this JZ pattern I'm about to start.

It is 11x14 and is stacked with 3, 1/8 redoak plywood. It has 475 holes but I may have missed a few and will add them when I find them. I used 1/16 and a #71 drill bits. And applied the pattern directly to the wood. I'll be using FD-2/0 spiral blades.

I know everyone has their own method of attack on a project like this, but perhaps this will give those who don't an idea about how at least I go about it. I'll be starting my cutting directly in the center of the picture in the wing area.

I just hope this doesn't turn into designer firewood.

Wish me luck!

[minowevie]

Bill I just love it when someone post, the start to finish project. thats pretty big too. you know, I would love to see how you ;hold your hands while cutting. do you think , your wife could take some pictures of you cutting. now thats something you don't see here. your friend Evie Thanks

[ozarkhillbilly]

O.K. the first picture is of where I started and the 2nd is of what I completed in the 1st hour, I changed blades once, I seem to average one blade every 30-45 min.
I like to work from the center, and paraphrasing something JZ said at his seminar in Branson, look at the pattern in segments, or like a stained glass window. So I did the wing and worked my way up the body and stopped at the head. I have yet to remove any large areas of wood. I like to cut the smaller inside areas within a larger area, this way I am giving those areas the most stability for cutting, and I and then will cut the areas surrounding them last.

Like I said I work from the center out, this also gives me more of a stable area to place my hands while cutting, as more wood is removed, you will loose those areas and will be dependent on the outside edge of the project for strength and a place to place your hands.

Evie, I'll be happy to get some pictures of my hand placement, this really does come into play later on.

[minowevie]

bill thanks for your effort in helping us understan. I would like to give a tip here. not with JZ work of course, but just what i do. do you ever, tape your project after cutting. what i meen is. if you have to remove the pieces. being so small. do you leave them exsposed. or do you tape over them. thats what i do. and it works great for me. i use painters tape. tear it in little pieces. what ever size. stack the tape pieces if need be. and then you have a good fowndation to put your finguers on. or just hold the whole thing together. while cutting. sometimes i tape top and bottom. looking forward to your next post. Evie

[ozarkhillbilly]

For this next set I cut the owls belly then his head, that took about 40 min. I also changed blades twice, once because I bent the blade and it was making my life miserable. Then I cut the large area out which took an other 15 min.
I cut counterclockwise for the large section and did it all in one continuious cut. You can't always do that but I was able to on this cut.

Evie, I have and do use that tape trick, its a good one....

[ozarkhillbilly]

Evie, here's some Hand placement pics for you, all I can say is even though my hands are where they're at in the picture, they get placed else where pretty quickly! I hadn't ever given it any thought as to how much my hands are repositioning themselves during my cutting. One thing I can say there is always at least one finger or two placed on the table top and outer edge of the project.

HEY WE GOT NEW SMILIES!!!!

[Minnesota scroller]

Bill, you're putting me to sleep. Hurry up and finish. Just kidding. I'm just having fun with the new cute smilies. Actually, that's a nice idea to show others your methods for your expert cuts. I pretty much use the same MO except that I never thought of starting in the center and working out. I've just always cut the smallest parts first no matter where they lie. I'm anxiously awaiting the finished piece of art. Looking great so far.

[CanadianScroller]

Hey Bill, on the image with the belly of the owl cut out. Do you remove the big piece, or did you just do that for the photo.
Do you find the picture keeps its strength if you just tape that piece back in till the whole picture is done?

[minowevie]

Cootos for the pictuer taker. how cool. Bill you should right your own book. this is a great thread. I bet lots of folks including me. has never see how it is done . if i would have had pictures on cutting tecneeks ( i know spelling) i could have done much better to beggen with. don't stop know. and yes those new smillies are so cool. now one for me not sawing now. just playing. and all my other bad habits. all this fun is making me well you know your friend Evie

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Bill,

This IS a cool thread, I agree.

Your input will definitely be valuable to some people, beginners and advanced alike, since not everyone has your experience with spiral blades.

It might make them less scary to some.

As for Evie's suggestion for your own book, I disagree: make it a DVD. There are plenty of books out there, but as you said: scrolling is about motion and static pictures cannot correctly convey that.

Keep the posts coming on this thread, I find it instructive. And thanks for taking the time and effort to do this.

Respectfully,
Marcel

[Trout]

nice thread....

I like the detailed pictures...
your right you did miss a couple holes...
I wish my pattern looked that good in the middle of a project...
so that's what the head of a Dewalt saw looks like?

Trout

[minowevie]

Yep Bill Marcel is right again. it would be better in dvd. or cd. what ever. all I know is. you are defenitly going some where. and fast. I will be the first in line to buy your dvd. or book. Daaaaaaaa. if we could just get you off your saw long enouph. no kidding here. I bet Jeff Z is proud of you. and you and he would make a great teem. HUH Jeff. don't you thingk. Evie

[ozarkhillbilly]

Thanks all for the interest, perhaps this will help someone, or maybe someone will see a better way to do it and enlighten me!

I cut for 2 hours and 15 min. tonight, hope the pictures help and I can explain things well enough for all to understand.

The first set shows the tape I applied to hold my previous cutout in place. As Evie mentioned this will give me a little more of a sound surface to place my hands while cutting, and also gives support to those areas during my cutting. I mean to tell you, these pieces are fragile with the cutouts removed. I placed tape on both sides, this keeps the cutout from falling out when I have to move the piece off my table to poke out some of the smaller wood pieces that dont come out on their own.

[minowevie]

Bill ,,,,, do you always take out the pieces ? after cutting. mmm I leave mine in. I find this gives even more suport for the blade as it is cutting the next piece.it has more subtants . not just a big hole on the other side of the fragile briedg. or whatever. Im sure i missed something. did you meen just the very small pieces? your doing great. and your cutting and pictures are wonderful. thank you. Evie

[minowevie]

woops, sorry Bill, I read back more carfully. and that is what you did say. hold the small fragile piece in place while you moved it. sorry. wish i would have learned this trick long ago. thanks. what did you say? Pay attintion. got ya. Evie brain went out of the room ho ho.