I own a scroll saw, but have only ever used it to cut out simple shapes drawn free-hand. Seeing all the great projects in this section, I'd like to try my hand at one or two. How does one get the pattern onto the wood? I still have a stash of carbon paper, but that seems a bit messy, to say the least. Copy the pattern and glue it on? With what? Any help would be appreciated.

John

John, if you have a laser printer, print your pattern in reverse and using an iron, transfer it to the wood. There are numerous YouTube vids on the subject.

Thanks, Gene. I'll try to find someone with a laser printer.

John

I will try to find someone with an iron,

Herb

John, you can transfer ink jet prints, too. But its a different pocess. Involves acetone, I think.

If you have access to a print shop, you could have your ink jet prints copied with a laser. A couple Loonies would get you a bunch, I'd bet. And, they'd likely be able to resize, too.

Just now, Dadio said:

I will try to find someone with an iron,

Herb

I know someone, but I gotta be real sneaky.

1 hour ago, HARO50 said:

I own a scroll saw, but have only ever used it to cut out simple shapes drawn free-hand. Seeing all the great projects in this section, I'd like to try my hand at one or two. How does one get the pattern onto the wood? I still have a stash of carbon paper, but that seems a bit messy, to say the least. Copy the pattern and glue it on? With what? Any help would be appreciated.

John according to Barb on Router Forums Wintergreen oil works better than acetone, (order off the internet).

Here is her procedure:            http://www.routerforums.com/sign-making/43338-transfering-patterns-wood-using-wintergreen-oil.html

Edited December 21, 20169 yr by Dadio

Herb, I don't think wintergreen oil will work with ink jet ink. 

What are we talking about here. Why not do this the old fasion way. Use some blue painters tape on top of the wood. Copy your pattern on a copier, any copier and make a few copies so you have for later times. Buy some spray adhesive. Spray back of pattern and glue to the taped wood and drill entry holes and scroll away. Unless I am missing something here that is the simpliest way of adhering a pattern to a board. Good luck and welcome to the world of scrolling.

2 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Herb, I don't think wintergreen oil will work with ink jet ink. 

You are right I thought we were talking about laser printing.

This one is for inkjet.   

 

@jttheclockman

I agree with what you posted, that is the way I have always heard to do it., but I am not a scroller  all I could do is break blades and try to keep the work from jumping up and down, so gave my scroll saw to someone else, it was a 18" Hagner. Never could get the hang of it. Now I have a DEWalt and it seems better.

Herb

 

 

We also have some free patterns you can start out with too!

http://thepatriotwoodworker.com/files/category/34-scroll-saw-patterns/

I use clear shelving/drawer paper.  It has one side which has a small amount of adhesive.  Just tape or glue you patter to the paper, pull the backing sheet off the paper and stick it to your wood.

Danl

11 hours ago, jttheclockman said:

What are we talking about here. Why not do this the old fasion way. Use some blue painters tape on top of the wood. Copy your pattern on a copier, any copier and make a few copies so you have for later times. Buy some spray adhesive. Spray back of pattern and glue to the taped wood and drill entry holes and scroll away. Unless I am missing something here that is the simpliest way of adhering a pattern to a board. Good luck and welcome to the world of scrolling.

This is the way I've always done it. With the toy cars I have a wood pattern that I trace around because when I make 50 at a time the other way is just too much.

 

Lots of ways to go about it. A printer is a must to go with the computer. Also we installed Rapid resizer  This will let you size the pattern larger or smaller which most of the ones I enlarge. Taking and storing a picture off of google or anywhere else it is always way too small to glue on wood to cut out with the scrollsaw.

Right now I use a HP Photosmart c4640 printer. Around 40-60 dollar.

  The way I affix a pattern on to wood is with clear packing tape and spray adhesive, wife quilts so I steal her cans of stickum.The ten dollar can is no better than the cheap yellow top can in the picture.

  Quicker and easier and less messy. Apply two inch wide packing tape onto the wood, take it and a can of spray glue out side and spray a good coat onto the packing tape. take it back in a apply the pattern . Some one said reverse the pattern????? why.  The pattern will be cut like you see it so??

 Start sawing. When through cutting out the pattern. Pull all the tape off and there is no sticky to have to worry about, its gone in the trash.

   But first, so you won't pull your hair out, if you got any, figure out a system of numbering the pieces cause with the pattern off the wood it is just a bunch of small pieces. 

  The reason I use clear packing tape is it is wider and faster than blue painters tape and not as many overlaps to make hills on the flat wood.

  Get the spray glue at wallmart or hobby lobby and wallmart is cheaper.

I scan a picture to rapid sizer on the computer then enlarge it as needed. Then tell the printer to make copies. If I want to make some larger, no problem.

Look on google for stained glass patterns, lots of free and I can get them in color or just the lines which is better and more accurate for the saw.

 And if you buy a pattern never use that pattern, make copies and store the original for later use.

After I cut out all the pieces I start at one end and down on the bottom edge of the wood I number the pieces, all on the same bottom left side and make sure the markings will be hid when the pieces are back together.

 Like of the horse picture, I always make a box out of the outside of the picture for the pieces to be reconstructed into.. I do use a very small toothed blade so the line cut out is very small, making for more broken blades but notice the two strips of wood inserted on the left and top sides to remove the extra gap. The extra strips will be made smaller so not to show.  

  The reason I started using glass patterns, mostly they contain larger pieces and easier to make but some are not  a good rendition of the subjects. The large copies will contain lots of type writer pages which will have to be clear taped together, no problem. This indian is a good picture to make with the saw.

  Got to go get a new water heater for the motor home, will discuss this later if anyone wants..

I I save anything I might want to make on the scrollsaw. My computer is bulging with junk. 

Thanks for all the help, everyone. I DO have a printer (HP Photosmart C4680), and have already printed a few of the patterns from this site, but for any further advances with a computer, I have to ask my grandkids. I will definitely be investigating the laser/reverse/wintergreen idea, as well as the inkjet one, but for the present I think I'll go with JT and Harry's idea (simple-- like me!) Picked up a rattlecan of Elmer's Spray Adhesive when I dropped the LOML off at work, and will give it a try. BTW, as an upholsterer, my only experience with spray adhesive was the stuff used to stick foam rubber to wood or styrofoam shells, and that stuff is one royal PITA!! That's why I thought I'd toss the question out there. Thanks again to everyone.

John

Ps... Thanks for the tutorial, Jess. (Jesse?) I'm afraid I'll need a LOT of practice to get up to your level! I AM stubborn though (as my wife will attest), so maybe in the future.

Edited December 22, 20169 yr by HARO50

 John, when drilling your cut holes try drilling near a corner or point then cut into the corner from two directions. This leaves you with a clean corner and then turn the piece around and cut out of the corner.

 Its just tracing with a saw blade, once you peel the pattern no one will know you drifted from the line. 

Nice work! I HAVE done some small decorations in the past, and am aware of the trick with drilling in corners, but I've always just drawn something right on the wood, then cut it out. I think I used carbon paper once, but the purple ink stained the wood, and bled through any finish I tried. Hope to have some time over the holidays to try the spray glue.

John

The easiest way I have found is to cover the wood with tape. I use clear box tape and others use blue painters tape. Cover the tape with spray adhesive and stick your pattern to that. It works very well and is quick and easy.

Just make a copy of the pattern with a printer and use a spray adhesive. I find a good quality of spray adhesive is the way to go. Holds the pattern well and fairly easy to remove. Mineral spirits or lacquer thinner works well removing it and does a good job removing any residue and  allows your finish to adhere well.