Tips for staying true to your lines and making those turns and sharp corners.

Most advice people will get about scrolling, and in particular cutting and fitting Intarsia will be how to adjust AFTER the cut.

Let's take a step back, and give you something to learn for your next piece.  I always strive to learn at least one new technique and improve at least one technique each time I do a piece. 

In this case, let's start with your initial cuts.

1. Plan your cuts - After mounting your template on your wood, take a look at the individual piece you are about to cut. Plan the way you are going to cut, what point you start at, where you will drill your inside cut pilot holes, (plan on cutting inside cuts first).  Also decide what direction, and what areas you will skip as they are sharp so you will go back later.

For example, I find that when I scroll and I am turning my piece counter-clockwise, I have the best control, I can see the line as it comes up so I can follow it... As I plan I look along that line and figure out where my skips are, where my little notches for changing the blade direction, etc are.

2. GO SLOW!  Slow and steady wins the race.  You have the most control and can watch what your blade is doing if you go slow and steady with your cuts. I am probably at least 50% slower than most scrolls out there, but I have little to no rework or fitting issues, thus saving time.

3. Stay true to the lines.  Going slow allows you to nail the lines,  Your goal is to split those lines dead in the middle, this way, when you piece them together it is as if they were cut from one piece of wood, with little to no adjusting.

4. Thinner blades minimize your kerf, but sometimes they are difficult to control, thus why I tend to use a #5 FD Ultra Reverse for most of my cutting. I have the best control. Figure out which blade you control the best, and master that before trying thinner blades.

5. Don't be afraid to use scrap areas to create your sharp turn "around" areas. My eyes and hands are not as good as they used to be in my younger years, so I adapted... 

Below is a piece I just started cutting.  You can see the backer under it.  Look at the sharp angles, and imagine how I went past, made my turn area in the scrap, and then proceeded to nail the line and angle.  I am about to cut 23, 25, and 26 inext in this image.

I will go past my "turn" into the scrap area and then 'whittle' out a small area where I can turn my blade and line it up for the next cut in the angle.  Look at the image below ( in particular the backer 25 & 26 and 16 & 24 cuts) with all the zigs and zags, I did not turn the blade along the line but went past, made my turn in the scrap area, lining up for a precise finish to the angle. 

6. Use SHARP blades and adjust your scroll saw speed to match for clean cuts and best control.  If the blade starts 'chattering' it is probably time to change it.  Also when going to a really hard wood, put in a new blade and do it first.

7. Start with your easy cuts first, this way you get used to the wood and how your blade responds to your actions.  Then move on to your more complicated cuts.

Finally, make sure you take breaks, not only during a cut in order to gauge how much you are pushing, and make adjustments, but also from cutting itself. Your hands, eyes, and mind can fatigue, give them a rest once in a while. Stop and walk away.

Those are my tips that will help you nail your lines, staying true to them, and also make those funky turns and corners all with precision.