First intarsia scrolling project completed

[bucephalus]

Hi everyone

I bought one of Toesy's old scroll saws a few weeks ago (what a nice, helpful chap he is by the way) and I've just finished this intarsia project for my sister-in-law to be's 30th birthday. She likes black cats.

The pattern was from Kathy Wise's intarsia book, and the wood is American Black Walnut (started out at 1" thick but ended up about 3/4" after planing and thicknessing) with a ebony stain, on a 4mm plywood backer.

I was using a pinned blade (don't know what number, but it didn't like really tight corners!) and cut most of the parts separately to begin with to get the grain going in the direction the pattern specified. I had to re-cut about four of the smaller parts from one single piece because after sanding the separate ones I had difficulty getting them to fit together properly.

Thoughts and feedback welcome (especially ideas on how to stop tiny parts falling down the blade hole into the machine on the last cut that releases them!).

Cheers

Gavin

 

[bodgerbaz]

That's a nice job there Gavin and nice to hear that toesy's old machine is getting a new lease of life. Very well done.

Barry

 

[jonluv]

Hi Gavin,
Really nice job the I've cut this pattern a good few times and it is good to see that others are in to Intarsia.
To stop small pieces falling down you could make an insert and drill a very small hole for the blade but I find covering the table with "sticky back plastic" and burning a tiny hole in it works better for me,and of course make the table nice and slippy

John

 

[Samfire]

Nice Job, Gavin, a great start. Besides the skilled cutting, I like the contrast between the wood and the eye. I also Like the wood, do you have a source for it?
George

 

[martinka]

I like that, Gavin. Intarsia is something I haven't tried, I always feel I won't have enough patience.

 

[toesy]

Gav, that's lovely mate.

Like Martin, not sure if I would also have the patience

Well done

 

[Bryan Bennett]

Gavin that is stunning and I admire the workmanship that you have done.I may have a try at some later date. :roll:


Bryan

 

[bucephalus]

Thanks for the positive feedback folks, always nice to hear!

To stop small pieces falling down you could make an insert and drill a very small hole for the blade but I find covering the table with "sticky back plastic" and burning a tiny hole in it works better for me

That sounds like a good idea Jonluv, thanks, I'll think about trying that. I also wonder about temporarily supergluing a larger piece to the smaller one, but I suppose there is a good chance it might break when trying to separate them...?

I also Like the wood, do you have a source for it?

I get my wood from Richard Potter's in Nantwich. I'm not a massive fan of the owner's personal attitude to customer service, but the rest of his staff are without exception really helpful and patient with me when I can't make my mind up exactly what I want. They have started carrying a good range of harder to get (in this neck of the woods anyway) hardwoods and some more 'exotic' timbers specifically for turning.

I always feel I won't have enough patience

I'm the same! I do a bit and then have to leave it because I start going too fast... so a little bit every day gets me through it.

Thanks again.

Gavin

 

[ChrisR]

Gavin.

Nice piece of work, I have been scroll sawing for many years, but have never attempted Intarsia work.

Power to your elbow.


Take care.

Chris R.

 

[Alexam]

Hey Gavin, thats a nice cat. Just about to start trying Intarsia myself and have sent off for Kathy Wise book and looking at getting a better scroll saw. How are you getting on with it. Only found your post when I searched for Intarsia books, which I want to buy.

Malcolm

 

[NazNomad]

That looks great.

There is a 'tip' for turning tighter corners with pinned blades, but I've never tried it.

 

[NazNomad]

... and the method I've used to stop small pieces falling into the saw, a piece of thin hardboard with a single line cut in it, double-sided tape it to the saw table for a zero-clearance thingy.

 

[Alexam]

... and the method I've used to stop small pieces falling into the saw, a piece of thin hardboard with a single line cut in it, double-sided tape it to the saw table for a zero-clearance thingy.

Thinking about that Naz, if your machine has an insert around the blade, you could make a new one with just a blade hole, so nothing would drop through?

 

[NazNomad]

It's not so much of a problem with my new saw.

With the old Ferm and SiP saws, the pieces would disappear into the body of the saw and have to be retrieved by taking the side panel off.

 

[martinka]

That looks great.

There is a 'tip' for turning tighter corners with pinned blades, but I've never tried it.

I have a small oilstone that I use on new blades, before I install the blade, that also removes the burr that is on some blades which I think helps the blade cut straighter. Could be wishful thinking on my part. I also round the top of the blade slightly, which makes a BIG difference if you are using tiny drills for internal cuts.

 

[finneyb]

That looks great.

There is a 'tip' for turning tighter corners with pinned blades, but I've never tried it.

It works with bandsaw blades, so I expect it will work with scrollsaw blades.
The problem is that once 'treated' the bandsaw blades are more difficult to control when cutting a straight line.

Brian

 

[Alexam]

That looks great.

There is a 'tip' for turning tighter corners with pinned blades, but I've never tried it.

It can be easier to use the file with a 1" square of soft wood cut half way through and held in place whlst using the file. The file can rest on the wood and it prevents the blade from moving away from the file to much. Same with bandsaw blades but use a larger block of wood.