Scroll Sawing: Making Duplicates

Making Multiple Pieces

Multiple Thick Pieces:
If you are doing a simple pattern, multiple times, cut yourself a template out of Formica (plastic laminate). It is easy to trace and thin to store.

Multiple Thin Pieces:
If you have a lot of pieces of thin wood to cut into the same shape, you certainly do not want to do it one piece at a time. Try one of these method to cut multiple pieces at a time. You are usually safe to make a stack 3/4" to 1" thick.

Using Masking Tape:
Create your stack of wood pieces and tape all the outside edges to hold them together. Cut all the internal cuts first, leaving the taped edges till last, to keep the wood together as long as possible. Watch carefully that the pieces do not shift positions during cutting.

Using double sided Tape:
Make your stack, attaching individual pieces together with double sided tape. Use as thin tape as you can get. Using double sided tape tends to leave a gap between the individual pieces and encourages tearout. Often when you go to separate the items, the thin stock breaks. Try using picture framing mounting tape. It leaves only a glue residue on the wood, no backing paper, but is not as strong. It may solve both problems for small projects as long as it does not allow the pieces to shift.

Using screws or nail:
Attach the pieces of wood by driving screws or nails through the waste wood of your cutouts. Cut the tops off your nails, if they get in the way. Make sure the nails/screws do not penetrate the back piece or they will scratch your table. Use more nails rather than less. Watch what order you cut your pieces in, so that you always have at least two nails holding all the wood together.

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