WOOD PREPARATION
Cut the wood to the approximate size required for your pattern. Sand
the wood before applying the pattern, using a palm sander or orbital
sander. This reduces the amount of hand sanding to be done later as
well as the risk of breaking fragile pieces when sanding after cutting.
Work from 50 grit (roughest), then 80 grit, on to 120 grit and 180 grit
through to 320 grit sandpaper (finest). If the wood is planed and has
no mill marks or blemishes, the sanding stages with very rough
sandpaper are not necessary. Remove sanding dust with a clean
paint brush, lint free cloth or air compressor.
APPLY THE PATTERN
Photocopy the pattern, enlarging or
reducing it to the desired size. Use scissors to remove the excess
paper to within about 1/8” / 3 mm of the actual pattern. Cover the
surface of the work piece with masking tape or clear packaging tape, to
allow for easy removal of the pattern after cutting. Apply
temporary bond spray adhesive – simply spray a very light mist onto the
back of the pattern copy (do not spray it on the wood). Wait 10 to 30
seconds and hand-press the pattern to the surface of the wood. It
should maintain contact during sawing. Glue stick does not hold the
pattern as well as spray glue, but can be used for more simple patterns
without many inside cuts. Alternatively use carbon paper and a stylus
(or old ballpoint pen) to transfer simple patterns without a lot of
detail onto the wood. Attach one end of the pattern to the wood with
masking tape to keep it from moving during transfer. To prevent
tear-out underneath when cutting a project, attach some carton paper
with thin double sided tape in a few places. Cover the carton with
brown packaging tape.
DRILLING
Some projects require making
inside cuts. Simply drill small holes through the work piece in the
areas indicated on the pattern. Thread the blade through the hole in
the work piece and reattach it to the saw. In a large waste area it is
best to drill the starter hole close to a corner, rather than in the
middle, as it will take less time for the blade to reach the pattern
line. Always use a piece of off-cut wood underneath the work piece to
drill into – this also prevents tear-out at the bottom of the project.
Remove burrs created by drilling the holes – use a scraper blade along
the grain of the work piece at a slight angle or use sandpaper. If the
burrs are not removed, your work piece will not be flush on the saw
table and it this will prevent it from moving easily on the table
during cutting.
BLADE SELECTION
Use a suitable blade as dictated by the
wood thickness, amount of cutting detail and sharp radius turns
required. Do not attempt to get extra use from a dull blade.
Immediately change to a new blade at the first signs of charring in the
cut. Dull blades tend to wander from the line of cut and make inclined
cuts that are not vertical. Avoid backing up and re cutting an inside
line if you happen to wander away from the line of cut, as this causes
untidy cutting results. Slow down the speed of your saw when cutting
fragile parts in the pattern and use a zero clearance insert to reduce
the risk of breaking these parts. Use a piece of carton or a business
card to make a zero clearance insert – drill a small blade entry hole
in it and tape to your saw table with some masking tape. Allow the
blade to do the cutting; do not apply too much feeding pressure by
forcing the wood into the blade.
