Backing

[Kragax]

Hi All, After hanging around here I managed to get my saw tuned in better and got some better blades from Mike's. I want to try some fretwork, but another question has come up. What do you folks use for the backing to make the pattern stand out. I thought about construction paper but don't think it would be durable enough, I hate to paint my plywood black as it's expensive and hard to find here. I just wondered what else  has proved to work well.

[pddesertrat]

I purchased some flat black poster board.  It looks nice. 

[dunk]

You can also use felt squares and foamies from wal-mart.  I also use mahogany luan if I want to paint the backer.

[Dan26]

I use picture frame matting. A full sheet (3' ? 4', I think) goes a long way and it is less prone to fading over time. Great selection of colors too.

[Graywolf]

Most of the time I use a darker stain on the backer board than what the color of the pattern is. Usually on the pattern I just use polyurethane on the pattern it's self.

[BeginnerJerry]

I use black felt from Michaels. It is heavy enough to be stiff for a backer and cuts with scissors. -Jerry

[ChuckD]

I use different colored felt type material found at Wal Mart.  Spot glue it to the back of the cut out.  If is a self frame (where the frame is part of the picture, I will use another piece of the wood for the backing.  Below are some that I did this way.

[Kragax]

Thank you all for the information. I have some good ideas now.

[mlwmerk]

I use one eight inch thick Masonite band hardboard. 

I have lots of left over from a previous project. 

I sand the glossy surface to break the gloss and then glue it carefully to the back of the fret sawn project.  Then I finish the whole project with one or two coats of Minwax brand Tung Oil finish. 

The combination works great and adds stability and durability to the cutout project.  I've even started using the combination on coasters and trivits. 

Did I mention that I have lots of Masonite left over from another project?

[pddesertrat]

I use one eight inch thick Masonite band hardboard. 

I have lots of left over from a previous project. 

I sand the glossy surface to break the gloss and then glue it carefully to the back of the fret sawn project.  Then I finish the whole project with one or two coats of Minwax brand Tung Oil finish. 

The combination works great and adds stability and durability to the cutout project.  I've even started using the combination on coasters and trivits. 

Did I mention that I have lots of Masonite left over from another project?

Is a person still able to still buy Masonite?   I know you stated it was left over from another project but I'm curious if it is still available to buy.  I can get what is called "Hardboard" but it is not as good as the Masonite I use to be able to buy. 

[EIEIO]

Hobby Lobby sells a thin (2mm and 3mm) foam board in different colors. The black sheet is a nice flat black and does not seem to fade. On portraits I like to make a frame frame for the BB Ply cutting and put the foam in loose behind the cutting. That way you can change the backing color to something that better matches the space.

Black or colored felt is another good option.