These natural edge Christmas ornaments are sure to become favorites. The pattern book includes ten different patterns. The patterns range from beginner to intermediate.
The blanks I used are basswood and very easy to cut. They are approximately three inches in diameter at the heartwood. When you buy these blanks they will vary in diameter. Some will also have knots that need to be worked around or discarded.
I purchased my blanks at Michaels Craft store. They are sold individually so I was able to pick and choose the size and shape.
If you do not have access to a local craft store you can buy these blanks on Amazon. You get 12 blanks ranging from 3" to 5" in diameter and 1/2" thick. My guess is that you will have some that will not work well for an ornament but the Amazon price is nearly half the price at Michaels.
The basswood blanks have a very clear grain and cut easily. They also hold small fretwork cuts better than the pine blanks.
I have the outer circle on the pattern just for alignment. Cut the pattern near the edge to help with alignment. The blue painted tape makes removing the pattern much easier.
Incise Scroll Saw Carving: This is not easy!
The plate above is a beautiful example of chip carving. A carving knife is used to remove wedge-shaped pieces to create intricate patterns. There is a scroll saw technique that tries to produce these types of cuts called incise cutting.
In my opinion, incise cutting is the most difficult technique to master on the scroll saw. It takes hours of practice to get clean even cuts. We cannot duplicate the clean cuts of a carving knife