# Compound Cuttings



## Gill (9 Sep 2007)

Not being too sure about how to finish my recently cut chess set, I decided to experiment with different finishes on a couple of Diana Thompson compound cut patterns.

The first is a bookworm (about 5cm tall) cut from pine. After sealing all the elements with a spirit based sealer, I applied water based Liberon teak stain to the book pedestal and water based Liberon antique oak stain to the bookworm. Not a good idea! Actually, the blotchiness wasn't as bad as it could have been but I didn't like the teak colour. So I sprayed it with some of Chestnut's ebonising lacquer which produced a much more pleasing effect. A few dabs of paint and this is the outcome:







The second is a lamp post (about 10 cm tall) also cut from pine. Again, it was sealed with a spirit based sealer but this didn't seem to adversely affect the ebonising lacquer. I decided the lamp post looked a bit lonely so I added a little companion whose right hind leg accidentally got truncated in the cutting - it _was _a genuine accident, honestly  . However, I think it adds to the charm of the project for obvious reasons. The pattern for the dog was taken from a book written by Henry Burns.






Based on the outcomes of these experiments I'm going to leave the 'white' chess pieces untreated other than a bit of sealing and spraying with either a clear acrylic lacquer or a melamine lacquer. The 'black' pieces will get the ebonising lacquer.

Ironically, shortly after completing these two projects I found a large pot of acrylic sanding sealer which I didn't know I had. Typical!

Gill


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## DomValente (9 Sep 2007)

You never fail to raise a smile with your projects Gill, they're lovely.

Dom


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## stevebuk (9 Sep 2007)

hi Gill
once again you do us proud, they are lovely. What blade did you use as it was pine you were cutting, or doesn't that matter. I say this because after attempting diana thompsons candle stick the other night and making a right mess of it, i have been told, (by another forum :wink: ) that i used the wrong blade for it, so just wondered.


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## Gill (9 Sep 2007)

Hi Steve

I used FD SR #9s (8tpi) for the bulk of the work, switching to #3s for the fine details on the dog and the candle. Although established compound cutters say you shouldn't use blades larger than a #5, I've found I can use much larger blades with my unsupported compound cutting (sic  ) technique.

Convention has it that you shouldn't use scroll reverse blades for this sort of work because they slow down the cutting, but I find them very effective indeed. In fact, when cutting pine with the grain there can be a tendency for a sliver of pine on the underside of the wood to peel away and roll up on itself instead of being cut cleanly. This, of course, lifts the block off the saw table and knocks it out of square. I find you don't get so much peeling with scroll reverse blades as you do with other types.

Something else to bear in mind is that FD SRs are skip tooth blades. I tried to use FD XL blades which have neither reverse nor skip teeth when I began compound cutting and found them almost impossible to use. When you're cutting fairly thick blocks of wood with a scroll saw, effective sawdust dispersal is absolutely critical. This is where the skip tooth blades really score. I know some people like using FD Polar blades which are also skip tooth but don't have reverse teeth. Although I haven't used this type of blade myself, they sound like a logical alternative to the SRs.

Finally, don't forget to use some low-tack masking tape on your block of wood. It's surprisingly easy to forget this when you're busy preparing your pattern. Overlooking this important little tweak will certainly lessen the life of your blades, as I've found out to my cost on an embarrassingly high number of occasions  .

Gill


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## stevebuk (9 Sep 2007)

hmm this sounds interesting, on the 'other ' forum, they say do NOT use reverse teeth, as you need to clear the dust quickly, and they do not work with it. It has also been suggested that FDPolar #5 and #7 are the most popular blades used.
I actually started off with scroll reverse teeth and could not cut proporly with them, seemed like they were blunt, but after changing, i almost gave up on it, i just couldn't hold the wood to cut it, i was trying to follow 5 lines the vibration was so bad.
Iroko is quite hard, but i shall try several blades when i next attempt one.
thank you


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## Gill (10 Sep 2007)

You've got me thinking now, Steve. Looking back at the post I made in 2004 about compound cut Christmas decorations, I see that I opted for a scroll reverse blade to cut thick ash. Believe me, that ash was tough and I'm sure I must have tried other blades before settling on a scroll reverse as being the most effective.

I don't understand why scroll reverse blades should work for me but not for you or anyone else! I do tend to work at a blade stroke which is much slower than most other scrollers - could that be the difference? Generally, I'd say I cut at a speed of 600 - 800 strokes per minute, although I've never paid that much attention to it before. 

Gill


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## Mike M (10 Sep 2007)

Steve,
Stay with the experts advice you got on that other forum. Diana Thompson who maybe made (patterns) and cut more compound cuttings then anyone else knows what she is talking about.
Gil might be an exception but PLEASE DO NOT use revers tooth blades.
Mike


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## stevebuk (10 Sep 2007)

Mike M":173y2i3k said:


> Steve,
> Stay with the experts advice you got on that other forum.
> Mike



hi mike
thanks for the advice, but i also deeply value the information from Gill , as i have seen many of the lovely works she has produced and is a very gifted and talented scroller in her own right..


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## Gill (10 Sep 2007)

Awww... thanks Steve... I feel all mushy inside now!

In many ways I agree with Mike and I always value his input. What works for so many other people is probably going to be the best starting point for someone who's in the early stages of mastering a technique. Nevertheless, if we don't try alternative techniques now and again we're never going to advance our craft.

In any case, I'm a cantankerous so-and-so who believes that sacred cows make the tastiest burgers  .

Gill


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## CHJ (10 Sep 2007)

Gill, are you trying to _Worm_ your way into our hearts, or just hoping we see the _Light_.

Great little pieces either way, you are obviously not one of the Flat Earth brigade.


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