Introductions

[tonyuk]

Hello all,

I'm another new member from the UK - Wirral on Merseyside.

I'm 69 and have been woodturning and cabinet making for over 40 years.  About 2 years ago I was asked to do a series of jobs which needed a scrollsaw.  I was uncertain at first whether to invest so bought a cheap JET machine.  Over the last 2 years tendons in my wrists have become sore and caused me to curtail my woodturning activities.  I was happy to find that scrolling hardly affects them so I was able to continue with working in wood.  I'm finding I really do enjoy this, new to me, woodworking activity.

Recently I got really frustrated with the JET machine because of two reasons.  The air blower was next to useless and recently gave up altogether and the blade clamps were of a very poor design.  I was able to partially correct the clamps but in the end I became frustrated.  I decided I wished to carry on with scrollsawing but what machine to get?  I didn't wish to pay out for the excaliber type machine.  It was also bigger than I needed.  I wanted something in the region ?200 to ?300 -  I guess about $300 to $450 approximately.  I found there weren't many to choose from but settled on the Scheppach Deco 405.  It arrived a few days ago and I think I made a good choice.

I've been aware of this site  for over a year and have downloaded several of Steve's designs.  I also purchase his jigsaw pattern book - twice actually because I accidentally deleted the first.  I also made a donation some months back but never got an acknowledgement.  I wasn't upset because I realise people are busy.

I have one question for now.  How the heck do you good people glue photographs to plywood before cutting a jigsaw WITHOUT GETTING GLUE ON THE PHOTOGRAPH?  It's ok for 6 x 4s but 10 x 8s I find quite tricky.  Perhaps it's just practice but I hate having to waste photographic paper.

Regards

Tony Smith

[countryscroller]

Welcome, I'm Dustin from Ohio. Glad to have you with us.

[newfie]

welcome to the forum i'm Todd from NL Canada

[Al W]

G'day Tony, and welcome to the madness and addiction from South Dakota, USA. 

If I am interpreting your question correctly, you are gluing a photo to your wood to cut a portrait or other cutting?  Why? 

I believe most of us glue patterns to the plywood, but I have not known of anyone that glue photographs.  There are several folks here that will take a photo you upload, or send to them, and produce a pattern which is printed off on paper and then applied to the wood, plywood or whatever you are using.  This way you do not damage a photograph, and have a nice clear set of lines to cut with. Yeah, I know, the ole eyes aren't what they used to be.

If I am not making sense here, or I managed to misunderstand your query, let us know, I am sure someone here will have better information that I have provided.

Again, Welcome Aboard, and let us see some of your work.

Al

[tonyuk]

G'day Tony, and welcome to the madness and addiction from South Dakota, USA. 

If I am interpreting your question correctly, you are gluing a photo to your wood to cut a portrait or other cutting?  Why? 

I believe most of us glue patterns to the plywood, but I have not known of anyone that glue photographs.  There are several folks here that will take a photo you upload, or send to them, and produce a pattern which is printed off on paper and then applied to the wood, plywood or whatever you are using.  This way you do not damage a photograph, and have a nice clear set of lines to cut with. Yeah, I know, the ole eyes aren't what they used to be.

If I am not making sense here, or I managed to misunderstand your query, let us know, I am sure someone here will have better information that I have provided.

Again, Welcome Aboard, and let us see some of your work.

Hi Al

Perhaps I'm not making myself clear.  I've made jigsaw puzzles using Steve's patterns of family photographs which have been very well received.  I do them as Steve does in his demo video ie put glue on the plywood and on the back of the photograph. It's the placing of the photograph on the plywood that I find really messy and not easy to do without getting glue on the front of the photographs.

Tony

[Al W]

Ah,  I think I get the picture now ( ).   I personally do not cut jigsaw puzzles, but when I apply a pattern I only use spray glue on the back of the pattern, let it sit for 15 - 30 seconds and then carefully place the glued side on the wood, not touching the face of the pattern except only very slightly.

I really don't know if glue on the wood and the photo is necessary, will let some of the other folks chime in on that part of the puzzle.  (One of those days)

Keep checking back in, I am sure one of the other folks here has an answer to your query.

Have a decent day.

Al

[Toneman]

Welcome! Steve has a good tutorial on puzzles and it is very easy to follow.

Tony,aka,Toneman

[wombatie]

Hi Tony welcome to the site.  I'm Marg from Australia.  Welcome to your addiction of which there is no cure. 

Marg

[EIEIO]

Tony - Steve's glue-up was based on instructions on the spray can - spray one side only if you plan to remove the picture (like gluing a pattern that will be removed after cutting) or spray both sides for a permanent fix like in your puzzles.

You can try a different method if you're up to it. I do some watercolor painting and did a painting that is fairly big (16x20). With a normal mat and frame, it would be too big for our small house. Museums do this mounting now without any frame - just a backboard that the painting is attached to. Instead of glue they use Acrylic Gel. It is spread on the backer, the picture is applied, then a roller used to smooth it out. I've done this and it works well with watercolor paper. I'd think it would work as well for photo paper. Here's a description of the process if you want to try it out.
http://www.ampersandart.com/tips/watercolor_without_glass.html

Here also (a video - ignore the water spray; that's so the watercolor paper won't wrinkle):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_IsNhYLfyA

One more:
http://www.danielsmith.com/content--id-126

If you try it, please post and tell us how it worked.

[julief]

Hi Tony and welcome to the forum.  I'm Julie from Texas.  Glad to have you.

I use a the same spray adhesive that I use to apply patterns to my wood.  The difference is, I spray both the wood and photo.  Let them sit a few minutes until they become tacky and then carefully apply them to the wood.  Then I put my puzzle template on another piece of wood and tape it over the photo.  Cut away!  It's really quite simple.

[Russ C]

Glad you found us. Hi I'm Russ from Florida your local moderator. Welcome to the Scrollsaw Forum. 

[puzzlemaker]

Welcome Tony.

I custom make puzzles. The client emails the picture and I print it out, or they send me a photograph on THIN photo paper. Cut the board (1/4" BB plywood) over size leaving room for the margin around the picture.

After glue up, and drying overnight, trim the picture removing the border. I also spray the adhesive on both the picture and board and roll it with a J-roller (like a wallpaper roller). These last two steps help prevent getting glue on the picture.

I draw the pattern on the back and cut with #3 reverse blade. No taping or removing a pattern and no wasting wood with a second piece of wood on top to glue on pattern.

See the Gwinnett Woodworkers YouTube video on puzzle making at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0t65uSf1CE&list=PLB28CBBF502F5860A It is 1 Hr and 41Min long and well worth the time. Pay particular attention to Karl Tayor.

An excellent book is Making Jigsaw Puzzles by Charles W. Ross, available from amazon.

Pat

[EIEIO]

Hadn't thought of hand drawing the puzzle pieces on the back - I'd used Steve's method of two pieces of wood. Do you get any ripping of the photo, or banging it up on the saw table?

[puzzlemaker]

No problem when I use a reverse blade. I should have mentioned that I spray a lacquer on the picture before I cut to protect the picture. Steve's method works fine, but it takes twice as much wood, and you have to wrap it with package ceiling tape.

[mcartist]

Hi Tony, welcome from Jeff in Arizona