How It's Made

Woods

Baltic Birch Plywood

Used for all standard jigsaw puzzles with a photo, print, or fabric top, this plywood is composed of thick cross-laminated solid birch veneers. Each veneer layer, including the top and bottom, are the same thickness and are without voids. I work primarily with 1/4 inch plywood for jigsaw puzzles and occasionally with 1/8 inch and 1/2 inch.

Hard & Soft Woods

For stand-up puzzles and other bare wood and art puzzles, I use a variety of hard and soft wood species. Walnut, cherry, hard maple, poplar, oak, and pine are the most readily available. Other species availability varies and can include ash, cedar, butternut, elm, hickory, mahogany, sycamore, box elder, and various spalted woods. Many of the woods I work with are sourced from local lumber and mill yards.

Local Wood Sources

Mounting

Prints, Photos, & Fabrics

I work with a variety of materials for the tops of my puzzles. Calendar prints provide a great source of images from classical paintings to vintage artwork to modern illustrators and digital art. Many calendars are available on higher quality mediums such as linen and thick textured stock which adds to the puzzling experience. Photos are another common source and a go-to for custom orders. These photos can capture friends, family, vacations, favorite places, or anything else you can capture with your camera. Photos and other artwork and illustration can also be found on stock image websites or in the public domain. See below for several examples of online sources. 

Fabric is another medium that has captured my interest. There is a huge variety of fabric designs available in an nearly unlimited range of themes. The texture of the fabric also adds a surprisingly sturdy and durable sense to the puzzle. While usually topped with a protective coating that accentuates the fabric texture, some fabric may be left unprotected in order to allow for the natural texture to persist. Flannel, vinyls, and leathers can work well when left unprotected. Though some additional care is required for flannel topped puzzles to prevent excessive fraying. 

Online Image Sources

Gluing

I use a non-toxic craft glue (Aleen's Original Tacky Glue) to mount the vast majority of prints, photos, and fabrics to the base plywood. It is important to spread out a thin, even layer of glue to the plywood. Once the glue layer is ready, I position the print or photo carefully and press down from the center out with a hard roller to work out any bubbles. This often requires close monitoring to ensure any bubbles that appear during the drying process are worked out quickly. The thinner the print or photo paper is, the more difficult it is to ensure a bubble-free result.

Mounting fabric is slightly more complicated. Due to the nature of most fabrics, they are prone to stretching while laying into the glue. Because of this, it is essential to have sufficient coverage on the plywood, to position the fabric above the glue very carefully, and to avoid lifting the fabric off of the glued surface once contact has been made. It is easiest to start with a corner or edge of the fabric (depending on size) and roll the fabric out delicately without pulling or tugging on the fabric to prevent any significant stretching or creases. Having an extra set of hands can be very useful or even required for larger pieces of fabric.

Occasionally, I will use a permanent adhesive spray (3M Super 77) in lieu of a liquid craft glue.

Protective Coating

Once the print, photo, or fabric has dried to the wood, it is ready for a protective top coat. The type of puzzle top will indicate the type of top coat it will receive.

Photos generally do not require a top coat. The high quality glossy printer paper I use provides a smooth and durable surface and will not receive a top coat. Depending on the paper quality, photos printed in store or online may require the protective coat. In these cases, a clear spray-on coating is used (Krylon Triple Thick Glaze or Clear Matte) as it will adhere better to the inks and dyes used in the printing process. Similarly, most calendar prints will also receive a spray-on top coat. Usually 2-3 coats minimum is required for a quality finish.

Fabric will usually receive a brush on satin poly (Minwax Polycrylic) to provide durable thick protection which will adhere more effectively than a spray. Using a spray finish on fabric will work, but leaves a greater amount of residue and a 'sharper' and much more textured finish. 

Cutting

Saw

I started my puzzle-making journey with a Dewalt DW788 20" scroll saw. After several years of use and practice, I upgraded to a larger capacity Excalibur EX-30. This upgrade allows me to cut larger pieces with ease and generally allows for more flexibility. It also features a tilting head rather than tilting table for more natural angled cutting. I've also added a foot switch to the saw which allows for instant on/off control without distracting from my current work.

The work table on the scroll saw it somewhat limited in size and provides only about 7" from the blade to either side of the table and 4" from the blade to the front of the table. Unfortunately, this makes working on larger projects quite difficult as the bulk of the project will hang over the edge of the table surface unsupported. To alleviate this, I decided to add an auxiliary table over top of the existing work surface. I used 1/2" plywood and topped it with a thin aluminum sheet. Some wood blocks and swivel tabs secure the auxiliary table down to the saw. I extended the front of the table 12" out from the blade, cut the edges along a 18" radius from the blade, and tapered back to the throat of the saw. This provides a generous 36" wide by 42" deep work surface and has made even moderately sized projects proceed much more smoothly.

Blades

I have been using Flying Dutchman blades since I began scrolling. They offer a wide variety of blades for any cutting purpose - from wood to plastic to metal. For jigsaw puzzles, I usually turn to specialized puzzle blades. These are very thin and narrow, and have a higher teeth per inch (TPI) count, which allows them to make very tight turns and minimal gap between cut pieces (known as kerf). For children's , stand-up, other puzzles that work better with a larger kerf between pieces, and cutting the outside borders of jigsaw puzzles, I will grab a reverse tooth blade. These blades have teeth pointed in both directions to allow for a cleaner cut on both the top and bottom surface of the wood. They are available in a variety of sizes which vary in TPI and kerf.  I will also occasionally use other types of blades, such as spiral for various unique needs on projects.

Flying Dutchman Superior Puzzle Blades
Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse Blades

Practice & Patience

For those unfamiliar with the scroll saw, it functions in a similar method as the sewing machine. You have a blade that is driven up and down like the needle on a sewing machine. the project is fed into the moving saw blade in order to make cuts. Blades are only able to cut in one direction and making curved cuts requires that the project be turned about the blade while it is cutting. For puzzles, this means the puzzle blank is fed into the saw blade to begin the cut and then rotated about to make each tab and blank. It take a fair amount of practice to hone this skill. I recall accidentally amputating tabs multiple times in my early days while still learning how best to control my turns.

In time, spatially tracking your existing cuts for each piece, even when very well hidden in the surface material or pattern, becomes nearly second nature. It gets easier to control your cuts at higher saw speeds and allows you to be more mindful of the subject matter of your puzzles. When you're able to focus on the subject matter, you can do some pretty unique and creative twists in your pieces like color line cutting or creating misleading shapes in relation to the portions of the image or pattern you include or exclude. Practice also helps with cutting consistent sized tabs and pieces when cutting without a template or guide. Another skill developed during practice is determining when a blade is dulled enough to be replaced. This dulling is gradual so it is easy to miss the signs as you're focus is turned to the laying out each piece. The biggest indicator of a dull blade is the increased pressure required for the blade to cut into your material. I've also noticed my loops and swirls will become squared off and have more unintended 'corners' when the blade needs replacing.

Scrolling is absolutely something you continue to practice every time you sit down to the saw. I regularly learn new tips and tricks and refine my skills every time I crack open a new project. My speed and accuracy today are miles ahead of my first time testing with practice lines. When I first began cutting puzzles, I recall several times I accidentally amputated a tab from the piece it was intended to belong to. While frustrating in the moment, such incidents were some of the most beneficial in helping me hone my skills. Today I'm able to freehand cut quickly and can focus on uncovering where each piece wants to lie. I usually will pick a corner and start there with my first piece and continue working around the blank in a spiral until the final piece is cut. While this spiral in method is where I start most puzzles, each one is different and I will often forego the spiral ones the outer couple rounds are complete. By this time, the blank is usually quite oddly shaped and I'll start trimming down the bits that hang out the most, slowly working down to the final piece.

For stand up puzzles, my process is slightly different. The vast majority of these puzzles are cut from a pattern. I will cover the top of the wood with painters tape and use a spray adhesive to glue the pattern down to the tape. From there it is a matter of following the lines in an order that makes sense. Sometimes the outside border makes sense to cut first. Other times, the shapes of the pieces don't join into a uniform border. In these cases, I'll losely cut the excess board away, leaving about a 1" border around the puzzle. Then I'll identify which pieces can be cut from the puzzle with the smoothest lines without sharp turns or corners and cut those first. Once cut, the tape is easy to peal off and will not leave residue. 

Finishing

Sanding

Once all pieces are cut, they need to be sanded. Puzzle blades leave a nice smooth kerf, but due to the downward facing teeth, does leave some minor fraying and splintering along the cut on the back of the pieces. I usually start sanding the back with 220 grit sand paper on a rubber sanding block, but will drop down to 120 grit paper if there is more significant splintering. I'll make several sanding passes to knock down any splinters and smooth out the back surface. Between passes, I vacuum sawdust using a brush head with netting on the end to catch any pieces that come loose and get sucked up. Once I'm happy with the surface, I move on to 400 grit sand paper to create a velvety smooth surface. If the mood strikes, I'll continue to move up to 600 grit paper. 

Even the reverse blades I use for stand up puzzles will leave some fraying and splintering on the backside of the piece.  However, these pieces get a sanding mop treatment. This knocks down the edges of the pieces in addition to smoothing the surface and removing any splintering. 

Finish

Made from cosmetic grade filtered beeswax and food grade mineral oil, this finish is food safe and all natural. I apply it to all stand-up puzzles and many other puzzles made from hard or soft woods. It can be reapplied as needed to refresh the look and protection. Any puzzles topped with prints, photos, or fabric will not receive a wax finish as it is likely to seep into the top material and cause discoloration or peeling.

Extras

Puzzle Cards

Puzzle cards are 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch plywood cards included with most jigsaw puzzles 10 x 10 inch and larger. These cards include a thumbnail of the puzzle print or photo on one side and puzzle details such as title, piece count, dimensions, and other attributions on the reverse. For custom commissions, It is also possible to add a dedication or other personalized information.

Drawstring Tote Bags

Handmade tote bags are included with most jigsaw puzzles over 8 x 8 inch and provides handy storage of the puzzle pieces and puzzle card. The drawstring color is usually chosen to match or coordinate with the puzzle image and the color preference can be specified on custom orders.