What is the best material to use to cut portraits?

[JPetrick]

I'm a new scroller and am re  ady to try a few portraits.  The first one I plan to try and cut has quite a bit of detailed cuts.  I started on a 3/32" piece of baltic birch plywood but soon realized all the detail cuts are too much for such soft and thin wood.  I'm thinking of just going to heavier stock like maybe 1/4" baltic birch plywood.  What do those of you with experience cutting portraits use?

Any advice is appreciated.

[DWSudekum]

Most use 1/4 bb ply.  You can sometimes avoid tear outs by sandwiching the work between some sacrificial pieces.  Hope this helps a little.


DW 

[don in brooklin on]

I don't do a lot but I use 1/8 Baltic Birch.  I always stack cut at least one and usually 3.  Gives support to the delicate cuts.  If all goes well you have 2 extra copies but sometimes the back copy will chip on the back.

You have to be careful to keep the blade square and not push too hard around curves. 

Also, you need the real Baltic Birch (5 x 5) sheets.  Mine is graded as BB/BB.  I have bought the sheets at Michaels and had all sorts of problems with chipping out front and back.  Same pattern same blades no problem with BB.

don

[JPetrick]

Thanks a lot guys.  All excellent advice based on good old experience!  I had thought about using thicker 1/4" Baltic Birch but had not thought of the sandwiching idea.  Now I have lots of different approaches.  All will help tremendously.  Thanks so much.

[Danny]

VERY HAPPY YOU ENJOY SCROLLING AND ARE A MEMBER HERE.  GREAT PLACE AND WONDERFUL FAMILY.
Scrolling takes Practice and experimenting with different blades.  My advice for Portraits is to use
1/4" Baltic Birch.   The thinner the board you use the harder it will be to keep that blade on the line.
I always STACK CUT....  Can stack 2 using 1/4"  Would not  go any higher.  Great control for me as
I ALWAYS use the FD-UR #1 blade.  Is the Best in my thoughts for most all Scrolling.  U be the
deciding factor with Experimenting.  Good Luck in your Future Scrolling.  Happy New Year Friend....  Danny  :+}

[dirtrider73068]

PLus side in using a backer or stack cutting no matter what blade you use, is the middle piece will be fuzz free and splinter free from being sandwhich, I think that what most do and use the center cut project as the final. The top one even maybe fuzz, splinter free since it will have a backer as well from the second. Your backer cna be any type of wood, if you plan on chunking the backer anyway get the cheapest stuff since it will may have tear out splinters of alot of fuzz from cutting.

Lowes or Home depot has some cheap venner plywood that cost about 4 bucks for a 2x4 sheet.