tis the season

[thumbs]

to get frustrated over the way your slotted ornaments don't fit together--is it just me or can some tell me how to cut the slots so that they actually fit together?  Richard

[scrollgirl]

Slots are hard to get perfect (or even to fit sometimes). I think the biggest problem that I find with getting slots to fit is the thickness of the wood can vary slightly, which will change the width of the slot. As a designer, I am used to adjusting things as I go, but I do realize that many people may not be able to do this. Even using a sharp or mechanical pencil to trace the thickness of the wood isn't always accurate - you usually have to cut slightly inside your line and it is a process of trial and error as to getting good fits.

On some ornaments, you can use small dowels or even toothpicks instead of slots. Again though - you need to drill very accurately to make them align. 

I will be interested in what others do when cutting slots, and I will certainly consider their thoughts for my next designs that may include slots. I hope we all find some great "ah haaa!" moments!!

Sheila

[Dan26]

I center the edge of the wood I'm using on the pattern slot and trace the outline. I cut to the inside of the line I drew and test fit the wood. Usually it's pretty close but needs a little sanding.

[Rapid Roger]

Depending on the thickness of the wood, a test cut should always be made. Either in the first part of the project or on a scrap, cut a slot that more than likely will be a bit tight. Then either file, sand or widen the slot with the saw until it just slips over the thickness of  another piece of the same material. Then use the first slot to trace any additional slots in their respective places.
Like everything else, it just takes practice.   

Rog

[scrollgirl]

Another thing I thought of - save your sawdust from cutting the pieces.  You could mix some with some clear-drying wood glue and use it for 'joint filler' if there is a little more gap than you want. The dust will match your wood perfectly and gives you the best chance of making it look the least obvious.

Sheila

[thumbs]

Another thing I thought of - save your sawdust from cutting the pieces.  You could mix some with some clear-drying wood glue and use it for 'joint filler' if there is a little more gap than you want. The dust will match your wood perfectly and gives you the best chance of making it look the least obvious.

Sheila
maybe I could just not cut the groves, cut one section in half and glue to the other whole section--I have never sold any ornatemts  and I also thought that they needed to come apart for storage . maybe I'll work at that one.  Richard

[scrollgirl]

Were these my ornaments you are working on, Richard?  I know they can be fussy.  Yes. Cutting them would work. Please let me know how you do.

Sheila

[Rover2]

I usually take a scrap piece of wood that I will be cutting the ornament from and line it up with the slot on the pattern.  From that I can tell whether I need to cut inside or outside the pattern line or even draw my own line with a fine pointed pencil.  I also have a small scrap piece of the same wood at the saw so that I can test the fit when I cut the slot out.  If it needs some fine tuning, I can usually do this by carefully making the slot wider by scraping the sides with the saw blade.  If the slot ends up to big on the first try, then there is not a lot that you can do other then try to hide it with wood filler.  I have never tried it but Sheila's idea of saving some of the sawdust and mixing with clear drying wood glue should work if the slot is to big. Hope this helps.

Al

[Danny]

This is only my Opinion.  Have cut MANY Slotted Patterns.  Mostly they call for the designated type of wood like 1/8 or 1/4 normally.  Determine the Pattern is the size of what your gonna cut.  To me it doesn't much matter as I always cut inside the line and YES means more cutting, but I keep a test piece and keep trying it as I trim using the scroll saw.  Just a few cents worth.  Have always had Good Results with a Tight fit.  Just my 13 cents worth...........Danny  :+}

[Ray]

I know it sounds like the same old simple answer, but Practice!

I've noticed in my own cutting the difference a few years can make. Even on basic stuff. Just the other day I wanted a small box for something and decided on a modified smaller version of Steve's round Yin Yang box. I remembered having the pattern in my files, printed a copy, went to my shop and knocked it out in no time at all. When I finished I was thinking about how a few years ago I would have had to give each step some thought, and that each step would've taken twice as long. Plus, the pieces probably wouldn't have fit together so perfectly without adjustment. It was a gratifying though that I basically whipped it out on auto pilot.

Anyway, sorry for the long digression. My slotted items fit much better now than they used to and I think it's just time and repetition. In a perfect cut for slotted items, intarsia, or anything that needs a tight accurate fit, the cutting would split exactly half way into each line.

Many people cut right to the edge of the line, or sand to the line after cutting. That's fine for cutting any single piece. However, once you start fitting pieces together, if you leave the full line on both pieces, you in effect increase the size of the two pieces together by the amount equal to the width of the line. The fatter the printed lines, the greater the effect is. That's also why when I make a pattern I use the thinnest hairline lines that I can. especially for intarsia or fitting one piece into another.

Ray

[PigsFly]

Not from experience but just wondering from the other e-mails - if you need to widen the slot by only a small amount, I would probably be thinking about whether a gentle touch with a 2/0 or 3/0 spiral would work.  I work almost exclusively with spirals and they would seem like a good way to gently remove a little wood in a uniform manner.

[Danny]

Never got good with spirals, but my opinion is fine tune the slot using a FD-UR #1 blade.  Danny  :+}

[tdub4ever]

I always cut my slots outside the line, and they usually are only a hair from fitting so I use a wood file and take just a little off each side till they fit snug.