quality plywood ?

[donwatson]

Hi All,
I am having some success with my new Parkside machine.
I am also happy with the blades I am trying out (Olsen various )
But there seems to be a problem with the plywood I am using. It keeps breaking out on the top surface ? Is there a grade of plywood I should be using. ?
Be careful if you answer this as I will be back with a load more daft questions

take care
Don W

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[DaveyP]

It keeps breaking out on the top surface ?

Turn the blade the other way up.. ?

Or consider using Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse from Mikes Blades

https://www.mikesworkshop.com/blades.htm

 

[beganasatree]

Hi Don,sounds like the blade is upside down.

Peter.

 

[scrimper]

As Brian says above Birch plywood is normally the type to use, you can usually tell if the plywood is decent for Scrolling by looking at the cut edge, in normal good quality plywood all of the separate veneers are the same size whether it is 3 or 5 layers or more, if the plywood has a centre veneer that is thicker than the outside veneers it is usually the cheaper stuff that is not very good for scrolling.
Most of the 'sheds' B&Q etc sell the stuff with a thicker core, it's ok for DIY etc but not much good for intricate fretworking.

BTW it's normally the bottom of the cut that splinters.

 

[Aggrajag]

If you're using good plywood and the Olson reverse/double reverse blades, particularly the PGT, then you'll find the bottom of the cut is as neat as the top and neither side will even need sanding.

I've bought Plywood from 4D Model Shop a couple of times and I've been more than happy with the quality although the price may put some off:
http://modelshop.co.uk/Shop/Raw-Materials/Wood-Sheet/
I got 6 sheets Plywood 6.5mm 600x300 for £33.65 including shipping.

 

[donwatson]

Thanks Guys for all your answers.
I was using the Olson Crown tooth blade on that particular project and it seems to have teeth that point up and down and cuts both ways.
@ scrimper, this particular piece of ply was a cheap buy, the whole sheet (8 x 4) was less than £15. It has one face that is almost white that I use for Pyrography, that is why I bought it. Looking at the layers I see a thick centre piece and the 2 outside faces look paper thin. In fact it looks as if you could sand the faces off without a problem. I have some Asian ply from Great Art that is 3 ply and very evenly divided so I will try a bit of that, a bit more expensive but it looks the real deal.
@Aggrajag, thanks for the link, I will try them when I need some more ply. I have some reverse tooth blades that I will also try.

Again thanks for your help, I will be back.

take care
Don W

 

[scrimper]

@ scrimper, this particular piece of ply was a cheap buy, the whole sheet (8 x 4) was less than £15. It has one face that is almost white that I use for Pyrography, that is why I bought it. Looking at the layers I see a thick centre piece and the 2 outside faces look paper thin. In fact it looks as if you could sand the faces off without a problem.

That stuff is useless for fretwork it's not so much that the inner leaf is thicker but that it is made of softer almost 'piffy' stuff.
A good source of timber is old furniture as long as it's not chipboard or mdf, often the back panel is made from decent plywood and I particularly prize the draw sides sometimes you get oak or beech or an oak lookalike they are all good for fretwork, decent solid timber is better for fretwork but for delicate work plywoods have less chance of breakage.

You can see an example of an item made from both plywood and solid timber near the end of this thread please-don-t-laugh-it-s-my-first-attempt-with-a-camcorder-t97395-15.html

 

[donwatson]

I have just gone to the shed and taken some pictures to see if they are any help.
pic_1b is the Christine Ellenburg pattern I am using.
pic_2b is the middle of the wing showing where the piece has broken out.


@scrimper, I have just finished looking through your videos and they are fabulous, enough detail to keep me interested and very informative. I hope you do more. =D> =D>

 

[scrimper]

Don, Thanks for you kind comment about my videos.

I am not sure whether you are a newcomer to fretwork or not but if you are that is a really hard pattern you have chosen to cut, I have been fret-working for 50 + years and I would have difficulty doing that pattern!

I hope you don't mind me commenting but if you are going to do an intricate pattern like that one you need to get a smaller drill bit to drill for the cutouts, some of the holes are over the cut lines which will make it difficult for you to do a nice clean cut.

 

[NazNomad]

Looks to be 'not very good' ply that's delaminating? Follow Scrimper's advice and repurpose old furniture.

 

[Claymore]

........

 

[scrimper]

Some useful advice there Brian and it is so nice to see someone being so inventive, I just love stuff being made out of things that are not intended to be used for such a purpose, (I hope I have got that right) Charity shops for materials seems a good idea to me, being a scrimper I get given old furniture by my family and friends but I am going to check the local charity shop next time I am about.

 

[donwatson]

@ scrimper, yes I am new to the scroll saw as you can see. The pattern I like very much but it is, as you pointed out, a bit ambitious for me. As I said I am trying to get used to the saw and the blades. I have purchased a couple of books and will work my way through them, hopefully picking up the necessary skills along the way.
@ claymore, I have used Corian in my pen making and it turns very well but I don't think I'm ready for cutting it on the scroll saw. Good advice about the charity shops, I will have a look the next time I am out.

I made a zero clearance board and fitted it today. I opened a pack of Olson No 5 reverse tooth and fitted one to try it and it was like night and day. i am very happy with the cuts today. The biggest problem now is getting the blade threaded into the hole.
I think I will get the new books out in the morning and start at the beginning.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I will be back.

 

[Claymore]

...........

 

[donwatson]

Hi,
Its me again, just looking in to say I have a couple of books on scroll sawing and they are showing me some great stuff.
I have cut the first 2 exercises, they recommend a #5 skip tooth , so that is what I used, great stuff, no rough bits on top and very little underneath.
I think I will like this scroll sawing.
Thanks again for your advice guys you really are the tops.

EDIT Maybe I should take some pictures

 

[donwatson]

I'm looking for some help again
I have competed some of the exercises and am beginning to like this lots. Some pictures from what I have done so far I quite liked doing these pieces but have some questions. While cutting round the outline I did not get a smooth cut and the blade kept stopping then jerking forward. You can see that in the pictures. How do I remove the paper that is stuck on ?, I broke the feelers on the butterfly trying to sand it off.

 

[DaveyP]

I did not get a smooth cut and the blade kept stopping then jerking forward

To be honest.... as a learning exercise the woods a 'bit' on the thick side (reduce it by 50 to 75%) or preferably use
something about 1/4" your progress will come on in leaps and bounds

How do I remove the paper that is stuck on ?

Use a better / more suitable glue rather than stuff that's more suited for Formica on worktops, lol
look for Repositionable Adhesive Spray ..... or you could do what I do, and use wide clear tape

 

[scrimper]

I'm looking for some help again
I have competed some of the exercises and am beginning to like this lots. Some pictures from what I have done so far I quite liked doing these pieces but have some questions. While cutting round the outline I did not get a smooth cut and the blade kept stopping then jerking forward. You can see that in the pictures. How do I remove the paper that is stuck on ?, I broke the feelers on the butterfly trying to sand it off.

I will try to offer a little advice if I may.

Firstly I think you are getting on well with your cutting, I especially like the butterfly, well done. As Davey says you are using quite thick wood to begin with. it also looks like softwood which is a lot more difficult to cut properly, you rarely get a smooth cut with softwood and the jerking and stopping you describe is typical of cutting softwood across the grain it often does that especially with Spruce or European redwood (Pine). try to align the pattern with the most delicate parts such as the feelers on the butterfly to run with the grain of the wood rather than across it as you did here.

FWIW don't give up on a project if you break a bit off, just keep a tube of super-glue handy, stick it on and no one will notice.

Removing the pattern depends on how what you used to stick it on with and how delicate the object is. All scrollers use different methods but as I explained in my cat bracket video I use water based gum or paste as it can easily be removed by dampening the paper. The feelers on your butterfly were always going to break off across the grain if not when sanding but later on.

If you can get hold of some hardwood you will find it much easier to cut without the blade wandering of jerking, also the cut edge will be silky smooth. Try to find some old chests of drawers and break it up for some decent timber to use for fretwork.
Your butterfly would be much better cut from some decent plywood.

 

[donwatson]

To be honest.... as a learning exercise the woods a 'bit' on the thick side (reduce it by 50 to 75%) or preferably use
something about 1/4" your progress will come on in leaps and bounds

I only used what the book recommended, in fact it was only 5/8" thick where the book said 3/4". It is a bit of B&Q's best timber. lol

How do I remove the paper that is stuck on ?

Use a better / more suitable glue rather than stuff that's more suited for Formica on worktops, lol
look for Repositionable Adhesive Spray ..... or you could do what I do, and use wide clear tape[/quote]

Yes, the tin says it is for carpets ? lol I will get some Repositionable Adhesive Spray.

@scrimper, thanks again for wise words. I think I will run the exercises again using a better adhesive and better wood. I will also change the blade as I feel happier with a reverse tooth blade. The next exercises are for thinner wood and even paper and cloth ? so I have quite a lot of experimenting to do yet.

take care all
Don W