More practicing.

[Sally]

I've been practicing my puzzle making. I cut another Seattle postcard with a Space Needle in it - thanks Shawn. Then I cut a Seattle postcard diagonally. Thanks Ron. For both of the postcards I made a grid template in Excel and ran the grid through the Xyron laminating machine. Attached the grid to the postcards and cut them. Then pealed the grid off. Worked beautifully.
The last puzzle is a page from Sue Coccia's calendar. I used Carter's method of following the color lines. Please give me your advice for improvement. All the methods are fun and it's been enjoyable learning a new skill - puzzle making. I know I have a long way to go but. . .

[Scrolling Days]

Hi, Sally!

You're welcome on the Figural; I'm glad you've had a chance to use it.

Regarding your puzzle....Wow! That's really nice! I'm glad you've found so much enjoyment in puzzle cutting. It's addicting isn't it?

I'd love to see some of your stuff on nice plywood. A lot of puzzle makers like hardboard, but wood just gives a puzzle that certain antiquity, in my opinion. Both are equally fun to make and to assemble, but once you try wood, I bet you won't go back!

Well done, Sally! Keep 'em coming!

[turtleteasers]

Sally,

I'm pleased to see you cut a puzzle with a diagonal cut. You might try to split each corner - makes the puzzle more difficult.

I'm with Shawn about the good quality plywood. You invest so much time cutting a puzzle, the cost of the wood becomes almost immaterial. You will find that a nice 5-ply plywood produces pieces that slip together easily and do not wear like hardboard is prone to.

Well done!

Ron

[KtownScroller]

Your puzzles look good Sally!

[Sally]

You guys are right - next puzzles will be on plywood - are we talking BB or some thing else. And if it's something else - where do you get it.

[Terry Murphy]

BB at Micheal's
Use there 50% coupon today on a 1x2 1/4 ply sheet.
or what eve thickness you want.
Great deal!

[Wood Dog]

Those look great Sally, when I first looked at the horse photo I didn't even think it was cut till I saw the back.
Wildwood Designs carries 5 ply poplar in sheets, and it is great for puzzles.
I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites too.

[Scrolling Days]

One of the great things about puzzle cutting is that there are so many different types of plywood to choose from. I love experimenting with different species, and I try to use the type of wood which falls more in line with the theme of the puzzle, if at all possible.

The big bust was a bunch of Teak ply I purchased....the color and grain was absolutely gorgeous but the wood was simply too naturally oiley to work for puzzles, IMO (the oil would come off onto adjacent pieces when packed in a box...at least that was my concern).

The most popular plywood seems to be 5-ply Baltic Birch. Personally, I'm not crazy about it and prefer Oak and Cherry. BB is fairly hard to work with, but it does give a really nice "ribbon" appearance to it's cut edges. The back, however, does not give off as rich a color or grain as other species, IMO. As Carter will tell you, Poplar is also a nice choice as it cuts exceptionally well and the post-cut pieces hold together very well (I don't know why, but they really do hold tighter than other species). I enjoyed cutting the Ash and Maple Ply I used in "Choosin' Ups," as well.....you just have to remember to adjust your feed srength/saw speed when changing from wood to wood as hardnesses vary considerably. I've got some Wenge downstairs which is labeled for an upcoming puzzle. Fun stuff!

I would recommend just playing around with different types and finding what you enjoy using the most. I think every person is a little different regarding what they prefer.

[Carter-Johnson]

Sally, I sure do like the color-line cutting on the horse. When you're trying plywood, try 5-ply poplar from Wildwood Designs. I cut most of my puzzle from it. It's consistent, easy to cut and durable - and a puzzle blade lasts about 150 pieces.

Great phun..... Carter

[Arcy]

Wow. You're really improving! I love the horse and that you let it break out of the square puzzle.

One of the big advantages to BB is that it's easy to find locally (and the craft stores always have coupons). The plywood at the big blue & orange stores tends to be low quality, so for other types you might need to order or hunt around.

For another local resource, Dunn lumbar carrys a wider range of plywoods and they may have something good. There is also a hardwood specialty stores in Redmond that has a good variety.

--Rob