Thread: scrollsaw portrait

Cool, looks great to me
What timber and blade did you use? I'm asking as I want to do some portraits. I'm wondering if I need to use a spiral blade and how difficult they are to use. I have done very little scrollsaw work but have a new Trupro saw which I love.

Marg.

Nice work on the portrait Bob

Originally Posted by Penqueen

... What timber and blade did you use? ...

I have done a couple and use good quality hoop pine plywood (4mm), avoid the cheaper plywoods you can get (you know the place I mean). Just look for the right frames at the cheap shops that will fit the plywood comfortably, unless you plan to make your own frames. If you are planning to just cut them A4 size, then a normal flat blade will work fine, a size 3 or 5 blade should do fine. You can use spiral blades too if you desire, but personally I hate using spiral blades.

hi marg thanks for the kind comments i used 4mm birch ply and a no 4 normal flat blade and cut them a 4 size i get the frames like brett does out of the £ store hope this helps i have never used spiral blades so i cant comment on them bob

Thats great Bob you did a marvelous job on the pattern.

Marg



Marg I have been cutting portraits for years and I have never used a spiral. I always use 3mm or 2.5mm marine ply and #2 blades plus as Brett says you can get some very nice inexpensive A4 or A3 frames. Hope some of this helps.

Marg

Thanks everyone for answering my query, I sure do appreciate it. The main reason I asked about spiral blades was because a lady was using them to do an Elvis portrait at the last Brisbane Wood show. However I have read that spiral blades are best left to scrollers with more experience and that sure is not me......yet.

Marg.

Originally Posted by Penqueen

Thanks everyone for answering my query, I sure do appreciate it. The main reason I asked about spiral blades was because a lady was using them to do an Elvis portrait at the last Brisbane Wood show. However I have read that spiral blades are best left to scrollers with more experience and that sure is not me......yet.

Marg.

Marg,
I have done a lot of portraits and just about every other kind of scroll saw work and I believe spiral blades have their place. When I first tried them several years ago I found them very aggressive to use, but Helen Harris now has a "new"spiral blade in several sizes that is very easy to use, when (if) you order any from her, specify you want the "new"spiral blade. But of course you realise that you can't cut a "square"corner with a spiral!:

Thanks for your valued input DCooper Yes I intend ordering from Helen Harris and I will certainly ask about (and probably order some of ) the 'new' spiral blades. I feel that purchasing my Trupro scrollsaw at the Bris WWWS this year has opened up a whole new world for me and I'm ready to explore.

I use spiral blades quite a bit and love them but prefer to use the flat blades for most work. I prefer solid wood to ply as the glues tend to destroy the sharpness quickly.
With regard to spiral blades I find them best for wood like redgum which doesn't have a defined grain like pine as that can drag the blade along the line of grain. Give them a go and be prepared to practice a bit before putting them to serious use.
Pete

Thank you very much Pete for your input and advice, it's very much appreciated especially the tips about the ply. I asked about thin ply because of the portrait that I wish to make for my eldest son. I thought that a light coloured timber for the cut out parts backed by the ply painted black would look best for what I have in mind. I finally found some decent looking 3mm ply today at a local hobby shop. The blokes were very helpful and wrapped the thin ply in thick cardboard so it would not flap around in the strong wind we had here today. The things that I carry on public transport...

Marg.

Marg,
Whenever I do a portrait or similar, I always back them in black but have found that the black picture mounting board looks much better than painted backing. Also, although it is pretty expensive I always use Baltic (or Finnish) Birch ply. It is very pale coloured, cuts extremely well and there aren't any "gaps"between the ply. You may have to Google Baltic birch or Finnish Birch to find a supplier near you. I know there is a place down the Gold Coast, but I always get mine from a Ply and Veneer supplier at Brendale on the northside of Briz. I've found that the ply you get from "that" hardware store might be OK for building cubby houses, but NOT for scroll saw portraits! Best of luck!

Hey DCooper, thanks for the tip re the black backing board as opposed to painting a piece of ply with black paint. I found some place online in Brisbane northside but thought I would try up here first. These blokes have two shops but the bigger shop had all their stock destroyed on Jan 10th. in the flash flooding and I prefer to buy locally. The place that I bought the ply from also have very thin aeroplane ply. What I have looks like the good stuff. I asked about that hardware store and was told that one really had to pick through their ply. I won't be doing a lot of portraits and my first is a special present to my eldest son.
Thanks again,
Marg.

re the baking board or painted ply.....I have for the last couple years ben using coloured felts A4 size I get from go-lo (crazy clarks type of place) for $1 a sheet so I can play with the various colours for effects
Pete