First Puzzles: Stand Up and Jigsaw

[Blue Firefly]

I finally found the time to post my first puzzles. Now I just have to find time to cut some more, but it is just too hot now!

Rabbit and Dragon - Cut at my scroll saw class on a Delta 788 and wonderfully touched up by our young daughters, I didn't cut the dragon into individual pieces yet since they would be too small for our youngest.

Golden Retriever and Labrador - Cut at home on the Excalibur 21, rounded with a sanding mop (I need to wear some type of covering on my fingers next time), gave to my sister.

Teeny - Our Rat Terrier, first jigsaw, used large pattern.

Indie - My sister's Rat Terrier, used small pattern, gave to my sister.

Japanese Crane - Cut for the Japan Relief Quilt project. I didn't have much time to think it through before I started. It would have been better had I cut a circle around the crane first and then cut the puzzle pieces within the circle to make a "tray" to hold the pieces. As it is, the four corners and three other pieces can't be removed from the puzzle. I used a plastic sheet over the puzzle and under the four corners to hold it all together. This plastic is easily removable, so the puzzle is functional except for the aforementioned pieces.

[cskipper]

Wow! You are off to a great start. The pieces are very uniform - did you use a pattern?

[avapilot]

ii agree with cathy, you're off to a great start.....keep posting those pics and keep cutting

bob

[Blue Firefly]

Thank you. Yes, I used patterns for all of them. Next I'll try my hand at cutting the jigsaws freehand. It took a little while to get used to the FD Superior Puzzle blades and adjusting how I fed the wood based on the blade's pull to the right.

[Carter-Johnson]

Good start! Keep it going! I think you'll find freehand much easier and more creative.

I am confused by what you meant when you said:

As it is, the four corners and three other pieces can't be removed from the puzzle. I used a plastic sheet over the puzzle and under the four corners to hold it all together.

Why can't they be removed and why did you use a plastic sheet? To hold what together?

Carter

[Blue Firefly]

Originally Posted by Carter-Johnson

Good start! Keep it going! I think you'll find freehand much easier and more creative.

I am confused by what you meant when you said:

As it is, the four corners and three other pieces can't be removed from the puzzle. I used a plastic sheet over the puzzle and under the four corners to hold it all together.

Why can't they be removed and why did you use a plastic sheet? To hold what together?

Carter

Thank you. Your jigsaw work is awesome and I have been wanting to try freehand. I just wanted to cut my teeth on jigsaws with patterns first.

I had to glue the four small wood squares to the corners to make the square ½” thick as required (1/8” backing, ¼” puzzle, 1/8” corners). Since they would also be where the holes were drilled for attaching the square to the other squares and had to be permanently attached, the four puzzle pieces underneath them cannot be removed from the puzzle. Likewise the tabs of three of the adjacent puzzle pieces are under three of these permanent corners, so they cannot be removed either. I wanted the puzzle to be as functional as possible and not have the pieces fall out when hung or turned upside down, so I cut out a square plastic sheet (see image below for the shape, sorry for my crude drawing) and cut out part of the corners leaving enough of a “tab” to slide under the inside corners of the four squares and in front of the holes. I only used glue on the outside corners of the small square corners.