Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:32 am
#70862
Hey guys,
We've all had small parts break off during a carve, so here's some simple tips, I've learned while doing more intricate carves (i.e. lots of open space and thin lines).
The most important one, is leave everything in place until all the lines are cut. I'm guessing most people like to cut out a piece of the pattern, and discard the excess. Leave it in. When you're cutting out the smaller details, you need something to push against, so you don't snap a piece off. Once all the lines are cut, start removing the excess pieces, but only one at a time. Pop the piece out, and trim/finalize your carve, before you move to the next piece. You want as little flex as possible.
Second, when you have to pop out a big piece, cut it into smaller pieces, to reduce the amount of pressure and flex required to remove it - especially if it's near smaller, delicate pieces.
Third, if you do manage to break off a piece, head on over to a local hobby shop (places that sell plastic models and the like) and pick up a bottle of cyanoacrylate (super glue) and a bottle of accelerator. Put a dab of glue on the pumpkin, and a drop of accelerator on the broken piece. When the two come together, you get an instant bond. No waiting, no having to hold a small piece in place, while you wait for the glue to set.
I apologize if this is all common knowledge, but these are things I learned the hard way, as I didn't see anything specifically mentioning these pitfalls.
-Fred
We've all had small parts break off during a carve, so here's some simple tips, I've learned while doing more intricate carves (i.e. lots of open space and thin lines).
The most important one, is leave everything in place until all the lines are cut. I'm guessing most people like to cut out a piece of the pattern, and discard the excess. Leave it in. When you're cutting out the smaller details, you need something to push against, so you don't snap a piece off. Once all the lines are cut, start removing the excess pieces, but only one at a time. Pop the piece out, and trim/finalize your carve, before you move to the next piece. You want as little flex as possible.
Second, when you have to pop out a big piece, cut it into smaller pieces, to reduce the amount of pressure and flex required to remove it - especially if it's near smaller, delicate pieces.
Third, if you do manage to break off a piece, head on over to a local hobby shop (places that sell plastic models and the like) and pick up a bottle of cyanoacrylate (super glue) and a bottle of accelerator. Put a dab of glue on the pumpkin, and a drop of accelerator on the broken piece. When the two come together, you get an instant bond. No waiting, no having to hold a small piece in place, while you wait for the glue to set.
I apologize if this is all common knowledge, but these are things I learned the hard way, as I didn't see anything specifically mentioning these pitfalls.
-Fred
