Another question

[Northstar]

As I understand, most of you who cut puzzles prefer to not use a pattern, that you cut them freehand.

What is your technique/process to do this? Do you start in one corner and cut pieces randomly; do you cut larger pieces and then keep reducing them in size?

I thought that perhaps if I started by cutting the piece in half, I could just continue to cut each of them in half until I am satisfied that the puzzle pieces are small (or large) enough.

I'm a long way from trying to add figural's to any puzzles.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

El

[Scrolling Days]

Hi, El.

I wouldn't worry about size at first. Just get comfortable cutting smooth pieces with plenty of tight fitting knobs/tabs. With time, you will tend to settle into a piece size which feels comfortable to you.

I like to start with the edge of the puzzle and get the border cut well, then I randomly work my way inward, working on whatever area of the puzzle interests me at the time. As you cut, try to make sure that the new piece will be secured to those pieces around it, assuming your goal is to make a fully interlocking puzzle.

[Pete_M]

I'm just getting started with puzzles myself. I like the freehand style and that's what I started out with. I start in one corner.... upper right cuz it's comfortable..... and just cut the pieces varying sizes, from about thumb nail size to two to three times that large. I try to get a tab on all sides, but at my stage of doing this it doesn't always work out.

I would look at the size of the pieces as who are you making the puzzle for. Children need big pieces. The average puzzler (is that a word ) you don't want to make the puzzle to difficult. I'd be interested in knowing how many pieces that would be? Then you have the people who won't buy a puzzle that doesn't have at least a 1000 pieces.

Going to try an 8x10 with a pattern pretty soon. 300 pieces! Other than the outside edges there are only two designs(?) to the pieces. Ought to be pretty boring.... that's why I like freehand..... to cut them all out but ought to make the "experts" happy.

Pete

[Carter-Johnson]

Use the color lines within the picture you are cutting as the edges of pieces. Cut along the outlines of trees. leaves, houses, cars, etc. I don't recommend cutting and then recutting pieces. Start at one corner and work your way inward. Insert locking tabs to adjoining pieces, but don't be worried if you skip a tab or two on a piece. Within a remarkably short period of time, you'll find yourself comfortable with a style and piece size that suits you. Above all, don't be intimidated

And have phun..... Carter

[iohonnes]

I will sometimes subdivide a puzzle if it's on the large side for my saw, but normally I just pick a spot on the edge (usually a corner) and start cutting. I don't normally cut large then subdivide; I just cut each piece as organically as possible. I will cut out some areas along a color line, then work on the smaller section.

John

[lucky788scroller]

On the few Ive done, I start on one corner, and freehand cut all the way across the puzzle making tabs and slots uniformly spaced so when I cut across the other way each piece has a tab or slot.I make tab and slot strips a while, then I fit those back together, a couple strips at a time, and crosscut them with a tab or slot making the individual pieces about the same size as the width of the strips. I prefer what I call traditional puzzle piece shapes, and this method worked well for me so far. I have a poster 16 by 20 inches roughly that I plan to cut into a puzzle sometime.On that, I will make my first tab/slot cut close to the center of the long side to split the large piece into more convenient size, and use my above mentioned process of making strips from that point, working towards the outer ends.
I prefer all of my pieces to be close to the same size. I think if you keep halving the pieces until you to the size your after,you are going to end up with a huge difference in piece sizes.BUT, thats the beauty of making a freehand puzzle, whatever way you do it is the right way, as long as you do what Carter mentioned at the end of his post.

[wood-n-things]

Great question....I generally start from on corner and work my way across.

When Carter got me to try free hand I've not gone back, and am trying my hand at color line cutting.
It's very rewarding....

[Arcy]

This is definitely a "no one true way" scenario.

Cutting in half and then subdividing would definitely work. It may create an obvious pattern, and you'll have to decide for yourself if that is good or bad. I prefer my pieces not line up in a regular grid, so I don't do strips. Almost the opposite of what Dale prefers.

I tend to nibble off pieces from all sides, until the entire puzzle is cut. Sometimes I cut the entire piece into two with one big huge meandering squiggle cut, and then cut those two pieces into separate bits. I don't aim for pieces to be all the same size, but try for an aesthetic balance. I generally don't want one side to have much bigger pieces than the other, but depending on the puzzle that may work. If the picture has large swatches of fairly monotone areas, it will probably get bigger pieces. Areas with more detail might get smaller pieces.

I haven't done it yet, but I'd like to make a puzzle where the pieces form their own picture. I probably wouldn't do this completely freehand, but would attach a basic sketch of the secondary pattern outline and freehand cut individual pieces and their locks.

You can look at how different people cut things to see which styles you like, or try out several and see what works best for you.

--Rob

[wood-n-things]

Rob,
can you explain your Idea a little more in depth...

make a puzzle where the pieces form their own picture.

I'm not envisioning it....

[oldvaxguy2]

here's what i did the first dozen or so puzzles i used to follow the lines just to get my hands and eyes to get muscle memory for doing knobs and tabs. And I just them away. Actually they were just blank pieces of different type of plywoods to get the right feel.

Then Carter enlighten us to cut free hand. That worked good. again the first few were throw aways. After about 10 to 15 puzlles it clicked.

Now the only issue is really large puzzles. I'm stumped with so most of them are kept under 11x17.

I place my logo piece some place and cut that out first. Then it's what ever blows my hair back. Some time i cut from one corner diagonally to the next.

Have fun