Simple maybe if you can see, not so simple if you cannot. I have just made some hand templates, I used a big old mitt more or less as the model and a jigsaw however the original was pretty crude. I then refined it with a belt sander, a drum on my drill press and some rasps and files.
Probably the correct tool would have been a scroll saw which is again best used to follow lines drawn on the wood or traced from a paper drawing and again refined and smoothed with files and sanding. The refinement is easily enough done provided it isn't too important to get right tight to the lines. You might be able to do it with a hand coping saw, those aren't particularly expensive but it cuts slowly and I find it difficult to keep to a shape when cutting that slowly. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jennifer Jackson To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 9:03 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] wood cut outs I know this question is right up the alley of some of you guys. I want to make some simple wooden cut outs of different figures for my kids and some others. I want them to be flat and I guess a silhouette is the shape I am thinking of for a horse, elephant, and maybe some people shaped like gingerbread men. Simple is what I am going for. How do you all recommend I go about this? I have been told that it is simple and can be done with simple tools by someone who can see the outline to cut on. I do not want to ask someone to do this for me if it is harder than I am thinking. I am then going to put rods through and connect wheels for them. I will also probably paint them a simple color and then let the kids do the details however they want. I might also cut out felt pieces for the horse barding and baby blankets, I have not decided yet. The idea is for a simple and frugal home made gift. I was planning to use salt dough for the figures, but a friend pointed out how easy the wood might be. Jennifer [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
