[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Hi, Roger! I am glad you are getting something out of the classes. I will probably have the next lesson up by next weekend. This week was hectic for me and I have some other things going on so I didn't post this week. It seems that there are lots like you that are checking in when they can and that is OK. Keep checking and we will keep moving ahead. I still have a few things that I want to share with everyone.

Sheila

 

[Swede]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

I don't have a decent Scroll Saw at this time but have enjoyed the lessons and the videos.
I have a small Dremel I used when I was in High Cchool back in the early seventies.
Can you tell me some more about the Excalibur Scroll Saw you bought?

 

[JohnGray]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Please tell me more about the Excalibur Saw too? PLEASE!!!

 

[huntter2022]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=J2HhUR7jjHc

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Here is a thread Shelia did on the EX 21

http://lumberjocks.com/scrollgirl/blog/22670

http://lumberjocks.com/scrollgirl/blog/22670

From my experence with the EX 21 it has improved my cutting abilities I cannot say much more then what Shelia has said in her blog .

I got mine though Seyco at a Scrollsaw picnic Ray was very helpful and not just because he was trying to sell me the saw but I have talked to him afterwards . I know anyone that has had a problem with there EX and talked with Ray has been able to solve the problem .

http://www.seyco.com/

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Thank you so much David for re-posting this.

John - I LOVE my Excalibur saw! It really makes a difference to have a good saw like that. It isn't that you can't cut with another saw, but it is just so much easier on something like the Ex. It cuts very smooth and has very little back to front vibration, which means when you turn or maneuver it is very easy to control. I agree with David - look at what I had to say about it on the blogs. And Ray from Seyco is really the best. I find that no matter what questions or issues I may have, he helps out a lot. Even though I am in Canada and he is in Texas, he is very easy to work with and knows the saw like the back of his hand. I don't think you would regret investing in one if you have the money to do so.

Sheila

 

[Cozmo35]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Shelia! I just noticed the "class" tab! I guess that means I don't have any (class). LOL! Awesome video!!

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Thanks, Cozmo. I still have a couple more classes that I want to do, and I will be posting them shortly. I am glad you like them.

Sheila

 

[jake86]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Eureka!

Think I found out why i have been having trouble staying (cutting) on the line. If I stand when cutting, I get a more direct view (down at) the stock. When sitting, I seem to be looking more horizontally askew at the stock which somehow throws me off the line. So stand I shall!

When cutting the bat, I seem to be to far into the waist area when I make my turn, but it works. The bat turned out to be my best SS attempt so far after many, many attempts. This is beginning to be fun!

Live long & prosper

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

That is great to hear John. Once you get the 'feel' of things and start to become more comfortable, then it becomes more and more fun! Keep at it and keep us posted. I think we all learn from each other here.

Sheila

 

[alba]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Sheila that is a neat method
I'm still on my first piece my magnifier lamp has arrived though

Jamie

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

What piece are you cutting Jamie?

Sheila

 

[alba]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

It is one of your Mask patterns but the cut interests me
for a gear cutting project that I have.
This is an awesome set of tutorials
Jamie

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Jaime - The masks can be quite daunting to even a seasoned scroller, so if you are able to pull them off as your first project - Kudos to you! ( I must be a great teacher! LOL)

I always tell my students to look at a project "One hole at a time." Somehow if you can get your head to do that, you are able to tackle just about anything!

Carry on and ask away if you have any questions. Oh - and I expect some pictures of your work!

Sheila

 

[jake86]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Hey Teach, here's my homework assignment. Plus some extra credit work. And now, I really want to say: "I want a Red Rider BB gun". for working so hard!

Live long and Prosper

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

You did a great job! Really and truly those look wonderful! But . . .

YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing the pics!

Sheila

 

[jake86]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Thanks for all my smiles! Today, I attempt lesson #7. Thanks again for such wonderful teaching.

Live long & prosper

 

[byrdman61]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

I am really enjoying your lessons Sheila. I am so glad that I found this site. I will be posting the self framing fretwork cross soon. Thanks Again, Sincerely, Harry.

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

You are welcome Harry. I am happy you are enjoying it. I look forward to seeing your cross plaque.

Sheila

 

[JustJoe]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Sheila - I'm a couple of years late to the class and I'm stuck on this lesson. I've read it and re-read it and it's just not clicking and it seems the videos are no longer there, or I'm not seeing the link. I scroll along until I get to the pointy part of the bat. At that point I don't just twist the board hard around and continue on down the line. That's where I'm stuck. Instead of a hard pivot I do what?
If you get a chance (my saw won't arrive for another 8 days) could you please explain it again in terms my dense head can absorb? Thanks!

 

[scrollgirl]

Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.

Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.

I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.

Hi, Joe:
I know that LJ's had some trouble with videos a while back. I re-entered the link above. It should work now. Just let me know.

Sheila