Tribal Kitteh

[martinka]

Tribal Kitteh is the artist's spelling, don't blame me.

4 days and lots of blades to do the top half. A couple of hours and no broken blades to finish it off.
It's a bit rough around the edges, but I am happy enough with it, apart from the top of that ear. I might
paint the ply to hide the mistook.

Martin.

 

[boysie39]

Nice piece of work Martin , looks damned good to me . Thanks for showing. =D> =D>

 

[stevebuk]

Agree with eugene, thats cut really neatly. Its a shame withthe blade breakage thing happening, have you actually put a set square on the tabletop and against the blade and moved the blade by hand up and down to see if it stays straight, just a thought..

 

[martinka]

Thanks guys!

Steve, I don't know if you saw my post elsewhere where I said I'd found the tension rod was slightly bent. Well, I also noticed the table top was bent at one side, so I started wondering if it had been knocked over at some point during its school life. I've been going over it with a proverbial fine tooth comb tonight and I found the threaded part of the top pivot is out of kilter. I don't really think it will make too much difference as the blade still seems to be vertical in the frame, but it won't hurt to get it in the lathe and straighten it, or make a new one - or buy a new one as a last resort.
I checked to see if the blade is square front to back, and it is very slightly out, although that could be accounted for by it being out of line in one or both clamps. I'll take a closer look at that in the morning.

I'm still leaning towards my problems with breaking blades being caused by wrong tension somewhere. As soon as I put a blade in the quick clamp and saw how little force I needed compared to the key, well, I was gobsmacked really. I used less force for the bottom clamp as well and had no more breaks, though I did also go from a #3 blade to a #5 as well.

Time to go sleep on it.

Martin.

 

[mac1012]

I told you it could be over tightening , man I love it when I am right =D> ccasion5: :lol: =D> \/ :tongue9:

 

[mac1012]

joking aside it is quite suprising how small amount of force you need rather than you think you need and with a number 3 you need less as thinner and you not subjecting it to the strain that a 5 or 7 is under

mark

 

[mac1012]

oh and just another thought tension and clamp force are two different things I still don't think it is a tensioning issue by that I mean tension lever , but blade clamp force is a diff matter because you are using quick release clamp you cant give it as much force as clock key.

I just nip the blade and then tighten just a little further on bottom blade clamp kind of like a progressive squeeze but you don't have to give it much welly I will have a look next time I change blade and let you know how much further I tighten clock key once I have nipped together

 

[nadnerb]

Very nice!!
Could I ask you what sort of ply did you use?
Regards
Brendan

 

[martinka]

Sorry Brendan, I have no idea. I have no idea about wood at all, I think I know what pine looks like and that's it. It was some that a pal gave me off his pile of wood for the fire. I can tell you it's pretty rough stuff, and definitely not Baltic Birch.

Mark, better not be too sure about the clamp being the problem just yet, anything could happen. When I finished the cat with no breakages, I didn't realise until this morning that I had the blade in upside down. :mrgreen:

 

[stevebuk]

Mark, better not be too sure about the clamp being the problem just yet, anything could happen. When I finished the cat with no breakages, I didn't realise until this morning that I had the blade in upside down. :mrgreen:

i would have thought the wood would have been trying to jump up on you martin and you would have to exert more pressure to keep it on the table, unless it was a blade with a lot of teeth..

 

[martinka]

Funnily enough, it never jumped at all, otherwise it would have made me stop and think. I'm not sure on the number of teeth without going out to check, but I think it would have been 16.5tpi or 12.5tpi. I did notice the top was 'fuzzy' while I was cutting, but I put it down the pattern paper and the new blade. The missus suggests I cut everything with the blade upside down from now on. Probably the reason the wood didn't jump is because I am so slow.

Martin.

 

[bassethound]

If that works like that with a blade upside down then there must still be hope for me ! #-o

Ted....

 

[boysie39]

Oh woe is Me :shock: :shock: Martin cut a pussycat design with the blade in upside down and it's better than anything Ihave done yet . =D> =D>

You are the *****'s meow ,but I will persevere I will not give up . Upside down blades from now on . :lol: :lol:

 

[boysie39]

Very nice!!
Could I ask you what sort of ply did you use?
Regards
Brendan

Brendan , I think most scrollers use Baltic Ply if they are using ply . I paid 32 euro for a 8' x 4' x 6mm sheet it gets dearer the thicker you buy . Will give you a ring later .

 

[Sawyer]

Nice piece of work, Martin; very striking and captures the essence of the subject beautifully. =D> =D>

 

[martinka]

Here's a pattern if anyone wants it.