Large Football Wall Hanging. 15 inches tall.
College football is underway this week and I am ready to watch my Wildcats take the field today. If you enjoy college football this is a fun week. It's always difficult to know what to expect from a team before they take the field and show their stuff. I'm hoping for a good season but every year is an adventure in the SEC.
Why I use tape under my patterns:
I almost always use some form of tape between my scroll saw pattern and the wood. I do this for two reasons. It makes the pattern easier to remove from the finished piece and it makes the blade last longer and cut cleaner. This second fact is especially true if you are cutting a hardwood like cherry that tends to scorch on the edges while cutting. The tape will completely eliminate the scorched edges.
The reason it makes the blade last longer is that the glue on the tape actually lubricates the blade as it cuts. This lubrication reduces the friction heat build up. Heat is an enemy when it comes to longevity of a blade. The heat will get high enough to burn the edge of the cut. These burn marks are difficult to sand away so they are best prevented in the first place.
I know that some scrollers don't use tape and that's fine. Do whatever works for you. If you have never tried the tape I do recommend you give it a try and see how it works for you.
I use blue painters tape and Peel and Stick shelf liner for most projects. I will occasionally use clear box tape. They all work well but the Peel and Stick shelf liner is cheaper than the blue painters' tape so I use it more often.
When I am stack cutting I go back to the blue painters' tape because it's easier to wrap the wood blanks together. The Peel and Stick works best when used on one surface. If you try the Peel and Stick make sure you press it tightly on the wood blank to prevent lifting while you cut. You also want to make sure the wood blank is not covered in saw dust before you apply the Peel and Stick.
If you don't like to use tape then you can use other techniques to accomplish the same results as the tape. You can use mineral spirits to make the pattern release from the wood after the project is cut. I keep some in a small spray bottle. A couple of sprays and the pattern will peel right off. I am assuming that you used a spray adhesive to apply the pattern.