Templates or Patterns

   Some people are artistic, and have a flare for design.  Some people can draft and draw, naturally getting the proportions correct and establishing the essence of an object in a few carefully chosen strokes of their pen.  I am not one of those people.  My life seems to have been one long slightly out of proportion whirlwind, and as for carefully chosen pen stokes, not very often. 

  So when I decide I want to make something I seek out a pattern or a template.  I look to see what some one else has done before me.  Fractional proportion one square objects is getting better but flowing lines and symmetry , those will still take time.  Recently I got organized and traced a bunch of cookie cutters on 1/4 wood and today I cut them out on my band saw.  The blades I use are Viking Blades and the 1/4 blade is the one that I used today.  I really don't remember when I changed that blade last, it just keeps going and going.

   Now that I have these patterns to copy I will use them to out line both scroll saw and wood carving projects.  Having a pattern at hand helps me overcome the initial challenges of design and lets me get onto the power tools stage faster. 

   Since these patterns are seasonal I fully expect to be dragging them out every winter for a long time.  Knowing that these patterns will get lots of use I opted to make them from wood instead of trusting to the staying power of card stock.   The trade off of needing  more space for storage is worth it knowing that these patterns will last for years.

   Now to carve me some angels.

cheers, Ian