How to sand the back of jigsaw puzzles?

[Eda]

Hello puzzle makers,

I have been experimenting with my new AWFS18 by making little Christmas card puzzles (95mm square cards glued onto 6mm 5-ply birch).

Using the original blade fitted as standard I have managed to cut a fair number of cards into 1 inch squares. These are quite easy to clean up by sanding all edges and trimming anything sticking out with scissors, one piece at a time. So far so good.

I then ventured into cutting large earlets. Still OK to clean each piece individually, but getting tricky.

Then I managed to cut 31 smaller more intricate random pieces, including a star figural that came out rather well. Apart from the fact than I completely chewed up the very last piece (the insert is not flush with the table so I couldn't move the piece freely, it kept getting stuck against the "kerb" :x ), I felt rather proud and optimistic for the future.

BUT, I can't clean up the puzzle. I made it up, put it face down on my desk, hold it together the best I could with my left hand and sanded the back with a sanding block and ordinary fine grade sandpaper. Got rid of the main splinters but it all remained very fuzzy.
I tried one piece at a time, same thing. The cut is too intricate to sand the edges. Or is it what you need to do, go over each piece with a toothpick wrapped up in the finest sand paper?

What am I doing wrong, or not doing?

I gather there are also 2 important parameters at play here:

1- The blade. I don't know how good the blade is for that job (it does cut and is certainly long lasting), but when it breaks I will replace it with a Flying Dutchman Superior Puzzle blade.

2- The wood. It wasn't cheap (almost £20 for a 8'x4' sheet from Harlow's), was said to come from Scandinavia (Norway was mentioned) and looks nice on the outside. However I have come across the occasional small void inside. It splinters easily when cutting and especially sanding, but I have nothing to compare it with apart from the maple that Turtleteaser uses in America for his wonderfully intricate jigsaws where each piece is perfectly formed, dense, smooth and definitely fuzz free.

I would welcome any comment or advice on this cleaning up issue. :idea:

 

[Carter Johnson]

Hi Edna....It may be that your problem starts with the blade you are using. With all my puzzles, cut with the FD Puzzle blades, I usually only have to turn the completed puzzle over when it's finished and run an electric sander over it with a firm hand. That and flapping the puzzle both sides with a damp sponge when the sanding is finished, is plenty to remove any minor fuzzies and dust. With the right blade, most all wood will not leave the kind of splinters you are describing.

With many of my large puzzles, I will sand as I cut: cutting about 30 pieces and then pausing to touch each piece to the electric sander turned upside down.

Good luck and let us know how you proceed.

Carter

 

[chrispuzzle]

The ply is probably just birch-faced at that price rather than all birch, and inner layers are usually poorer quality. B/BB is often as good as you can get. But it's very hard to source absolutely top quality baltic birch!

The finer the blade, the less issue you'll have with tearout. As for sanding, if you have a tray with a neat corner angle, you can push the puzzle against that to hold it steady while you sand.

Being clumsy, I put the pieces into a tray anyway as I cut them, so they are less likely to fall off. And then make up the puzzle as I cut, to minimize the amount of handling the pieces get.

 

[Salmopuzzles]

I reassemble the puzzle as I cut. When done cutting, I flip it over onto a piece of plywood about 24-inches square, it also has edges on two sides (about the thickness of the puzzle). I wedge the puzzle into the corner and use a sanding block with 120 grit down to 400 grit. I then apply a couple of coats of Tung oil or boiled linseed oil to the back, sanding lightly with the finest sandpaper I can find (the auto parts store has 2000 grit.

 

[Eda]

Thank you all for your advice.

I like the idea of making a tray or frame, I'll keep that in mind.

I have tried a few things out to good effects:

:idea: 1- Covering the underside with masking tape when using standard blades (i.e. not FD).
=> It takes a bit of time to remove it but well worth it as it reduces the splintering considerably.

:idea: 2- Using Flying Dutchman Superior Puzzle Blade.
=> Gives a much cleaner cut with only minor splintering.

:idea: 3- Using a sanding block with 400 grade Wet & Dry instead of fine sand paper. I also got some 600 and 1200 but haven't tried these yet.
=> This finer grade abrasive is not aggressive enough to create more splinters. It makes a lot of talcum powder style dust, so wearing a mask is essential. It cleans each piece well and leaves a nicer, smoother finish. I also rolled up a piece of Wet & Dry into a sort of flat cleaning stick I run along the edges of each piece to remove any stubborn fur.

:idea: 4- I still use a pair of scissors to tidy up any dodgy acute point.

I do all this for each piece individually. It takes time, but as I am making small puzzles of about 40 to 50 pieces, it's OK. Also, it gives me the chance to inspect each piece, which is important as I am learning.

 

[scroller frank]

Hi Eda,
I make a few "stand up" puzzles , with largeish pieces ,(for small hands) mainly for the grand children ,
i use 3/4 " b b ply , and i sand it first before i cut it, and then again, each piece separately on a belt sander using about 280 grit .
works well for me !!!!!!!!!!!
i use mainly "saw bird " #5 reverse tooth blades ,and don't get "fuzzies" .
---------hope this of some use --------Frank-----------