Scrollsaw Workshop Community -Please register to enable posting.
General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: Dav on November 16, 2010, 06:15:47 pm
-
lokking for a good desent priced wood to use for animal and word puzzles...any ideas? Anyone use hickory?
-
Hickory is good, but awfully hard if you are talking about 3/4 inch. I make a lot of puzzles using poplar. It's a hardwood with fairly close pores, and less expense than most hardwoods. If you are talking about jigsaw puzzles of 1/4 inch or so, it's a different situation.
-
I had some 3/4 inch hickory that was really tough to cut. Maybe I got a really hard piece, but I wouldn't do a puzzle with it. Personally I wouldn't keep the blade true and would end up cutting at an angle, and that doesn't work for puzzles. You might have better skills then me, or more patience. I have used poplar, pine, cedar and plywood with fairly good results for different types of puzzles.
MrsN
-
I use medium to hard wood for puzzles 3/4" thick and have no problems
Jimbo
-
I have used Alder recently on several stand up puzzles. It cuts easily but is hard enough to withstand abuse. It has a a nice grain and color when oil is applied.
-
where do you get your alder from?
-
I think Bluelucky (Michael) has switched from poplar to aspen lately. He says it takes a stain real well but does scratch rather easily. I'm still using poplar primarily for my puzzles but as soon as I run out of this purchase I'm going to try some alder and see how I like it. I do know I don't like hard maple. Hard to cut and won't take a stain.
-
where do you get your alder from?
It's readily available on the west coast, I don't know about the rest of the world.
-
I birch for my stain puzzles and aspen for the painted kids puzzles
-
I like cutting Walnut. I buy it on ebay. I have gotten some nice deals. It cuts nice and finishes really nice
-
Most of my standup puzzles are out of poplar and walnut. Poplar because it is readily available and inexpensive. Sands and finished well. Walnut just because I love the grain and finishability of it and I get more money from them because they are so pretty.