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Cutting Wood for CraftsYou should know that there are two kinds of wood: Softwood and Hardwood. Some types of each are: Pine, Spruce, & Fir - Poplar, Maple, Mahagony, Cherry and Birch just to name a few. Which type you'll choose will depend on what type of craft you're making and what appeals to you. For instance, if you were to make a wooden ornament you could work with Poplar or Baltic Birch because it's a popular choice of many woodcrafters. However, you're not limited to just using those, you can experiment with other types of wood. You may even prefer Maple or some other exotic wood that you might come across. Although some of the information here may apply to larger projects, In this article, cutting woods for crafts, the focus is on small wooden projects. To begin, you'll need a pattern, your choice of wood and a tool to cut the material. So what kind of pattern should you start with? As a newcomer to cutting wood, you don't want a pattern that's too detailed. This will only lead to fustration and dissatisfaction with your final results. Use your first attempts as a learning curve and try not to get too fancy. For now, avoid patterns with inside cutting and instead concentrate on ones with exterior lines. Cutting out a lawn ornament of a Dog for example, would be a good starting point. Now here's a tip for newbies: Photocopy your original pattern. To avoid the expense of re-buying, you don't want to cut up your orginal. Also enlarge or reduce your photocopy to the size you want to cut. Once you've decided on the size of your pattern, it's time to apply it to your wood. Your material should be between 1/8" to 3/4" thickness. The size is really up to you but we would recommend that you select a size that you can handle comfortably and safely. Your piece of wood should be squared with ample space around your pattern to help maneuver your workpiece safely. Never put your fingers in the pathway of the saw blade. Now with a spray adhesive, spray the face of your wood and apply the pattern. You're now ready, so let's get cutting!!
Now the question is what tool should you use to cut out your pattern? First of all let's look at what tools would do this type of work. They are: Coping Saw, Jigsaw (also known as a Sabre Saw), Scroll Saw and Bandsaw.
So what tool should you use? This answer is based on two questions.
1: What size and thickness of craft do you want to cut?
2: How often are you planning on doing crafting?
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