Clarification on puzzle finishing

[cpowell]

I've been messing around with cutting puzzles and I have a couple of questions.

1) I bought Krylon Triple Thick but when I sprayed it on it looked like little beads of spray on the puzzle. Did I not use enough? I sprayed until I thought it had a good coating but maybe I didn't. I thought it would run together, it didn't. What happened?

2) When you are finishing your puzzles do you break them apart to spray the finish or leave them together. Also if you break them apart do you make sure the sides of the pieces are covered in the triple thick?

After taking another close look; what I took to be beads is really just a kind of sparkly look to the finish. It does seem to be well covered. The can says crystal clear and I wasn't expecting a sort of matte finish.

[rbpuzzles]

I haven't done much with puzzle finishes, but what I have done I applied prior to cutting the pieces, not after.

As far as Krylon Triple Thick goes, I've never used it so I can't comment on it.

[Carter-Johnson]

Whoa......Taking your second point first, I don't spray my regular jigsaw puzzles after I cut them, as would be necessary with stand-up or animal puzzles. I only spray before cutting. Some folks finish the bottoms of puzzles after cutting but I don't see any need for it.

I use the Triple-thick Glaze stuff. I used to spray one very heavy coat, but now I spray one very light coat (which might be what you're doing( and then a few minutes later I follow with a heavy one. I put it on thick enuf so the coating is thorough, smooth and often looks cloudy (it'll dry clear).

Then I let it dry for at least a day so the surface won't show my fingerprints when I cut.

More questions? Fire away! and have phun!

Carter

[cpowell]

Thanks for the replies; Carter I have seen your videos and was really impressed with your speed and the fact that you freehand the locks. I have been practicing with puzzle overlays on a photo and suddenly realized that there is one lock on three sides. I was going to ask how you decide where they go but sort of have it figured out now. I think.
The video shows you seeming to go along with the color lines but cutting locks every now and again. Is this correct? Do you sometimes just cut the image pattern for a piece? I'm practicing on kids puzzles for now but I want to try something better when my puzzle blades arrive, maybe tomorrow.

[Carter-Johnson]

You're right, I cut along color lines and put locks in where appropriate. Maybe 50% of my puzzle pieces have four locks, 40% have three and the rest less. When a piece has no locks it usually qualifies as a figural. I don't build them into most of my puzzles, though I have once-in-a-while. Freehand cutting allows you to put locks wherever you want.

You can, of course, cut a puzzle with no locks at all. In the every early days (late 1800's) most were cut this way. They're called "push-fit" puzzles.

C

[cpowell]

Very interesting. I realized today that the locks are one on each of three sides either male or female. Not as bad as I had thought it would be. It takes me a little bit to grasp things I guess. I realized that "I can do this too". My cutting is getting better as well, my curves and corners are getting better with the practice.

Question:I have read that it is bad to have pieces meet at four corners. Why? One of the patterns I am working with has several.

I have seen the duck hunter puzzle with figurals or "hidden pictures" embeded and thought that was a nice touch to add sometimes.

[Carter-Johnson]

I plead guilty. I'm afraid I'm the one who labelled meeting four pieces at exactly the same corner as undesirable. I just personally think random corner placement makes the puzzle more interesting, better looking and it holds together better. It's unavoidable, of course, but it''s more a personal preference than rule.

C

[rbpuzzles]

Meeting at 4 corners is indeed a preference. I can't think of a physical reason why they can't meet, the puzzle should still hold together as well. On the occasions I cut a strip cut puzzles, I go to great lengths to make sure that all cuts intersect exactly. For me it's like when certain people see the tag hanging out of the back of someone else's shirt, they HAVE to tuck it back in otherwise it drives them nuts. Strip cut puzzles that DO NOT intersect exactly, at least for me, would drive me insane. I can't explain why, it's just me. It's my curse I guess.

I guess that's why I don't do them any more. The random cutting patterns of a non-strip cut puzzle allows me to feel free to cut however I want, without the stress of worrying about how the pieces intersect.

It's all just personal preference.

[cpowell]

I don't understand the term "strip puzzle". I know tray puzzle and stand up puzzle but this is a new one. Are there more kinds besides these three?

[rbpuzzles]

A strip cut puzzle is one in which the pieces are cut in rows and columns with locks at regular intervals, similar to what a standard cardboard puzzle might look like.

Here is one I cut.