1st puzzle in years

[rbpuzzles]

Some of you may have read my introduction message stating I use to cut a lot of puzzles but haven't done so in abut 7 years. The scroll saw magazine and finding this forum gave me enough of a boost to get back in the game.

This is my first effort since then. I know it's rather uninspiring, but my main focus right now was to:
1)Get back into cutting without getting in over my head, which would be discouraging.
2)Tune up my saw and test it out.
3)Find out if I still enjoy it (I do, by the way)

The puzzle I chose was glued up probably 10 years ago. It was when I use to cut a lot of puzzles on 1/8" Baltic Birch, as quickies. I figured I better try something simple at first. It took about half way through to start feeling comfortable with "swinging the wood" again.

The puzzle itself measures 8.5" x 11" and contains 143 pcs. The picture, if I remember right, was from a calender.

One thing I discovered right away however, is that the scroll saw table is too small. It's not a slight or knock on the RBI saws, it's just not big enough for my needs. i was actually going to fix this back in the day, just never did. To be fair, I've never seen scroll saw with a table big enough for how I use it. I've always had to add some kind of auxiliary table. This is how I'll spend the rest of my day today.

Anyway, here's the pictures (if I uploaded them correctly).

[Scrolling Days]

I think you did great, Richard! Just like riding a bike, huh?

I'm guessing that you did a freehand strip cut?

[wood-n-things]

Nicely done for just getting back on the horse..

[avapilot]

great job Richard..carter would drool over that image...he is really into color line cutting......Keep cutting and posting pics...

bob

[Powakee]

Yep . . . just like riding a bicycle. . . .

Looks pretty darn nice!

John

[Sally]

Very nicely done!

[rbpuzzles]

Thanks everyone!
I'm also pretty self-critical, which actually had me wanting to give up for good early in my cutting days. So all the positive reinforcement is really appreciated.

Shawn, yes it's sort of a modified strip cutting technique. Most tutorials I've ever seen teach you to cut a row, then cut the pieces apart from that row, and move on to the next row, etc..
I try to keep the puzzle intact when I am cutting. In otherwords, I usually cut the vertical columns first, keeping them attached to each other, then I make the horizontal cuts, all the while keeping the whole puzzle intact on the table. This is why I use a larger, auxiliary table on top of the factory scroll saw table. With the way I cut these, pieces I've already cut have a tendency to fall off the edge of the table if it's not big enough. The table on my Hawk is roughly 14" across, and then a thin "runway" that stretches back into the throat of the saw. That's fine for small things being worked on. I made an auxiliary table earlier today that is 20" square, which should be plenty big enough to swing an 8 x 10 puzzle around and not have pieces falling off the edge.

My next effort in getting back in the game will be a more intricately cut puzzle with at least 1 figural, on 1/4" Birch. Don't know how long it will take me with my current, real world, job schedule, so I may post pictures in progress.

[Dee Rogers]

welcome back!

[Wood Dog]

Welcome back to scrolling, sweeeeeet cuts, and love the photo on your puzzle, glad you found us, and thanks for sharing your photos.

[Carter-Johnson]

Hey, Richard....Welcome back to the forum and to cutting puzzles.

You solved what was going to be my first comment. That's the suggestion to use 1/4" wood. It's more controllable and durable - and I see 1/4" will be your next puzzle project.

As Bob (avapilot) mentioned, I do drool a little over the picture. I can see color-line cuts in all the buildings, boats, people, etc. I think I may have cut that picture way back when. I do recommend you drop the strip cutting. Check my tutorial. It will allow you to insert figurals and adhere to some color lines with ease, and you won't have the problem with your table being too small. Just cut one piece at a time any way you want. They don't have to be the same size or shape.

Great start, Again, welcome. Keep us informed.....

Carter

[rbpuzzles]

Carter, thanks!

Actually when I was heavier into cutting puzzles, they provided suplemental income for me and the strip cut ones were what I would call a
"bread and butter" item. I made and sold many around here. They were inexpensive to make and fairly quick to cut. Unfortunately, it didn't leave me with much time to cut puzzles I wanted to cut. I really got burnt out. Now that I am getting back into it, I've made a promise to myself to be more true to what I want to do, since I already have job as a source of income.

Anyway, yes I started another puzzle today on 1/4" ply, but had some stumbling blocks. I'll expand on this horror story tomorrow, as well as post some pics.