Compound Cut Christmas Decoration

[Gill]

Here's my first ever scrolled compound cut . It's from a magazine pattern, cut from ash (yes, I do work with wood sometimes :roll: ), and measures approximately 7 cm high. One coat of Danish oil has been applied and it'll get another in a couple of days.

This was great fun to cut, although it took a lot longer than I'd anticipated. The aim is to cut lots more so that by Christmas I'll be able to decorate a tree with them.

Gill

 

[DaveL]

Here's my first ever scrolled compound cut .

Well if you hadn't mentioned it I would not of known. :roll: Looks pretty good to me.

although it took a lot longer than I'd anticipated.

You just need a bit more practise, how long did it take?
Whats the time you had in your head?

The aim is to cut lots more so that by Christmas I'll be able to decorate a tree with them.

Should look good, please post us a picture. 8)

 

[CHJ]

Well done Gill, a "I did it this way" would be appreciated next time round.

Did you scroll all that thickness? or did his Lordship part turn a form for you to work on.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Gill

Very impressive.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Lovely work Gill, that tree will look gorgeous if you can make a few more

 

[Gill]

Thanks for the kind comments .

I thought each decoration would only take half an hour or so, but ash is hard on the blades. My first took a couple of hours.

For my second, I took some WIP piccies but even with the encouragement of having its photograph taken and ensuing fame, the ash refused to let me cut it any quicker. Perhaps it knew I was a rotten photographer.

These decorations start off as a square cut block of wood. The pattern is fastened to it using spray mount adhesive so that the centre of the pattern falls across the corner of the block along a marked central line. The piccy shows it better than I can describe it:

(This pattern isn't the one I used for the rest of this post, not that it matters much. Nobody ever accused me of consistency )

I also drilled pilot holes in the block so that I could pass my blade through to make the piercing cuts which would remove the inner parts of the decoration first. Some turns on the outer cuts are rather tight so I also drilled holes near those locations; it's easier to manoeuvre the wood in a drilled hole rather than having to cut one out as you go along .

The inner parts were cut and removed first, then the outer cuts were made. Cutting and removing the inner parts is quite straight forward - they just drop out. However, after you've made all the outer cuts you'll find the workpiece tends to move about in the centre of the block, so you need to hold it in position. Sellotape seems to work okay for this, so I just wrapped some around the whole block.

Eventually all the cuts were completed and the pattern (plus sellotape) could be removed.

The wooden block was shaken gently and the decoration obligingly fell out of the middle, together with the waste wood that had been supporting the workpiece as it was cut.

This is the raw decoration, freshly cut and awaiting dips into finishing oil.

I hope you can see, Chas, why it wouldn't be possible to prepare a compound cut such as this on the lathe. You need to have a square block of wood throughout the production process to keep everything perfectly square to the blade. Of course, you also need to ensure that the blade is perfectly square to the table; an error of ¼º is noticeable and an error of ½º is fatal.

Gill

 

[CHJ]

Gill you are a star, took me some time to get my head around the 3D relationships of the design and the sequence of cuts.

I thought after I posted that it was not on to try and support a turned form adequately but had not even considered the need to semi support the sections with waste as the cut progressed.

You have also proved a point for me, that it is possible to cut that depth with a good saw and blade, a gentleman at westonbirt was adamant that a bandsaw was essential to tackle that sort of thickness when I suggested otherwise, maybe it was just that time was his master.

 

[wizer]

:tongue9: very clever Gill!

 

[Gill]

Hi Chas

The woodworker at Westonbirt was definitely wrong - I'm speaking from personal experience.

The ash for the Christmas decoration was a little over 1" thick and I used a #5 skip reverse blade but it was still hard work. In the past, I've cut a stack of maple 3" thick with a #5 blade and it was really hard work. I understand that a Diamond saw can cope with wood 4" thick but I wouldn't like to try it with a conventional blade. I think you'd have to use a section of bandsaw blade. What's more, a hard wood like ash would be a non-starter - possibly some of Mr B&Qs finest cotton wool pine might be suitable, though.

One of the problems cutting thick blocks of wood with a scroll saw is that the blade is very thin and is constantly in abrasive contact with the wood. As a result, heat builds up very quickly and you can easily scorch the wood or even find that the blade loses its tempering. All you can do is be patient and keep 'backing off' from the cut.

Gill

 

[DaveL]

Gill,

Thanks for taking the time to do these pictures. I think I will look out the ends from making my ash bench. Its about time I used the SIP scroll saw for a real project. :roll:

 

[CHJ]

Yes, beginning to think I should have taken the opportunity to pick one up at the show when they were off-loading them so cheap.

 

[gwaithcoed]

Gill,
that is absolutely fantastic =D> =D> =D> =D>


Alan.

 

[dedee]

Very nice Gill, I'd been wondering what you were up to.


Andy

 

[wrightclan]

Very nice. =D>

Brad

 

[Gill]

I'd been wondering what you were up to

I've been trying to get the electricity reconnected to my workshop. An emergency electrician was called to look at a different circuit in the house but couldn't work out what was wrong so he decided to disconnect the workshop and give me a £1000 quote for re-wiring it.

Ever tried to get an electrician to correct another electrician's work? I found one in the end who sorted out the household circuit and reconnected the workshop for £30. It took a few months to find him, though.

I'm tending to work almost exclusively with MDF nowadays, which rather limits the projects that are suitable for posting here.

Gill

 

[StevieB]

I'm tending to work almost exclusively with MDF nowadays, which rather limits the projects that are suitable for posting here.

Gill

I disagree, and for one would be interested in seeing what you are producing be it in MDF or otherwise. Just because it is not cut in real timber does not detract from the skill of the cutter!

Steve.

 

[CHJ]

I disagree, and for one would be interested in seeing what you are producing be it in MDF or otherwise. Just because it is not cut in real timber does not detract from the skill of the cutter!

Steve.

Here Here :!:

 

[dedee]

I disagree, and for one would be interested in seeing what you are producing be it in MDF or otherwise. Just because it is not cut in real timber does not detract from the skill of the cutter!

Steve.

Here Here :!:

Here Here Here.

There are no forum rules that say projects in MDF are excluded.

Andy

 

[DaveL]

There are no forum rules that say projects in MDF are excluded.

Good thing too or we would have had to stop Jason posting pictures of that nice looking dresser. :shock:

Gill, we like seeing what your making, it prompts some of us to have a go at different things. I have sorted out squared paper and a compass to try drawing out a decoration, don't hold your breath on me making any soon.

 

[DaveL]

Well I spent some time today abusing some ash with the scroll saw. My conclusion is Gill is a Master Scroller.
Take a look at this and I think you will see what I mean.

I cut the top one and it looked a bit chucky, so I adjusted my pattern and cut the second one. Well I know what happened, the glue on the tape I use to hold the bits together when I turned the blank by 90° melted. :x I had no idea how hot the wood was getting. #-o
Well I have cut a scrap bit of beech to size and wiil give that a go next, I am sure this lot will start the woord burner real quick when needed.