Bowl ring question

[cskipper]

Am I the only one who has difficulty with cutting 1/4" x 1/4" rings from anything but plywood and keeping the rings from breaking along the grain somewhere on the ring? I'm working on one of the multiple ring bowls that step up (have gaps between the layers). )Below are the rings all cut (yes I am still not great at free-hand cutting circles on the scroll saw). The smaller rings stay together, but the second and third outer rings broke.



I added in this picture of several of the "spaces" between the ring lines on the patterns just for grins. You can see where I still have difficulty accurately cutting circles by the inconsistency in the "remains"..


I guess I really have this same problem with anything that have places this thin in ornaments, etc... cut from hardwoods. Am I doing something wrong, or is this not unusual?

 

[cskipper]

bump

 

[PeteM]

I find that scrolling perfect circles is really [STRIKE]difficult[/STRIKE] impossible (at least for me).

I haven't tried it but maybe you could work up a small version of a bandsaw circle cutting jig.
Something like this . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H59G5bMrqRo

pete

 

[sawduster]

I've gotten pretty good with the circles but i have the same problem keeping them together and just like you it always happens along the grain :BangHead: I haven't found a solution other than super glue :embaresse
Some woods are more susceptible but I haven't kept any hard records as to which ones . It also happens to me when I'm doing " spiral " cuts like those for collapsible bowls
I think it is just a fact of life , not any wrongdoing on your part :mrgreen:

....that's my story and I'm sticking to it :icon_thum

 

[Mark Stewart]

Cathy I have this pattern to try, my questions are
1. are you starting fron small to lg or other way round
2. what type of blade are you using
3. what speed are you running that henninger at.

I cut a simmilar pattern out of hard maple and it came out fine but I will no more soon.
Thanks Mark

 

[cskipper]

Cathy I have this pattern to try, my questions are
1. are you starting fron small to lg or other way round
2. what type of blade are you using
3. what speed are you running that henninger at.

I cut a simmilar pattern out of hard maple and it came out fine but I will no more soon.
Thanks Mark

1. I cut the outside of the outer ring first, then the inside of the outer ring, the outside of the next ring was next followed by the inside of the third ring...
2. I used PSWood #2 (not reverse tooth).
3. My speed varies depending on the wood, blade and difficulty. Originally I thought going slow would increase my accuracy, but it really does the opposite.

 

[Mark Stewart]

I my self am a darksider and ali ways cut with a spyral blad I dont know hot to use any others. I am wondering if you placed cardboard under to cussion vibrations if maybe that might help. Just thinking out loud btw. Thanks Mark:gar-Bi

 

[cskipper]

The rings don't usually break while cutting them because I don't get that much vibration from the saw. The breaking occurs during sanding/finishing the rings, or during assembly. The risk of having to glue them before applying a finish is the patch being obvious. If you wait until they have the finish applied you risk not having the glue stick. It's more difficult to patch with CA because it leaves an uglier mark if you "overstep" the actual break. I just wondered if I was the only scroller having this problem, or even better - if they had a trick to avoid the problem.

Here is what the bowl looked like before I applied any finish or final assembled:

 

[dlrion]

I made the same bowl.

View image in gallery​

View image in gallery​

View image in gallery​

I think you are doing this the hard way.

I always find that no matter what saw, tiny cuts never work like they are supposed to.

So I cut the outer circle at a high speed. I used a #5 FD skiptooth blade... I love these! I then cheated, and used the disk sander to get to the inner circle. I didn't cut the inner ring with the scrollsaw at all. I figured this out when I cut some gears from the wood gear clock guys plans...



Clayton Boyer!!! I will make a working clock YET!!! *shakes fist*



What kind of sander are you using?

Dan

 

[dlrion]

also, what wood is that?

Dan

 

[cskipper]

I don't have a sander here other than sanding blocks. The disk sander is at home. Life would be easier if it were here and I could somehow get it set-up to really capture most of the dust. I'm currently working in a carpeted bedroom.

The wood in mine is poplar and what appears to have been a walnut burl cut funny. Last Christmas my secret Santa from work was someone who appreciates that a lot of her hubby's scrap wood would be gold to me.

 

[sawduster]

So I cut the outer circle at a high speed. I used a #5 FD skiptooth blade... I love these! I then cheated, and used the disk sander to get to the inner circle. I didn't cut the inner ring with the scrollsaw at all. I figured this out when I cut some gears from the wood gear clock guys plans...

I don't follow you :icon_scra 'splain please :eusa_thin

Cathy I cut cricles at about 3/4 speed ( 7 on a scale of 10 ) I am a nut for the FD ultra reverse as it has a greatly reduce blade bias and i can follow a line much better than other blades. i have worked and practiced really hard on my " pivot process " and can usually do OK as I long as I just do it without slowing down or thinking about it too much :rotflm:

 

[cskipper]

Unless I am cutting plywood I don't tend to use the reverse blades. I've started using FD Pengiun Silver blades if I am using other than 2's or 5's - then I use PSWood blades. I was trying out blades which is why I have the Penguin's. I will probably order the larger sizes in the PSWood blades because I find they track pretty accurately. They do not have a reverse tooth blade, so I'll continue to use FD's UR. I need to ask Mike if he has a blade that is not reverse-toothed that tracks more accurately. I find the reverse teeth annoying if I am stack cutting thicker layers and none are plywood. I really find Mike's blades more economical, and his service is second to none.

I have just started using 7's and 9's - for Barbara's angels. I wish I had tried those earlier. I've been concerned with not being able to get the detail as well as with the smaller blades - which is probably true. I want to start making the 3D ornaments again and am always in a dilemma about what blade can cut that thickness and still preserve the detail.

I'm guessing he was saying that he cuts out all the rings except the center, which would be last if following the instructions for this bowl. Then he "sands to the edge" for the most inside ring.

 

[dlrion]

I don't follow you :icon_scra 'splain please :eusa_thin

I cut the outer circle... this left an inner circle very close to the outer... maybe 1/16 of an inch thick.

Cathy actually cut the inner circle out it seems. I just sanded the 1/16 off all the way around.

I find it very difficult to cut very thin strips... 1/16 thick circle ring is just plain hard.

Does this explain it?

Dan

 

[cskipper]

Yes. I don't have a router here, or a sander either. The challenge of the 1/16th" circles was a challenger to see if I could between the first couple of rings. By the end I just had a very sore shoulder from holding on so tightly to the wood.