Have read many suggestions of using coloring books to tune scrollsaw cutting skills. I parlayed that to using similar type art for making "jigsaw puzzles" with a scrollsaw. Used 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to glue a page to 1/4" ply and cut out two pictures, one with buildings and the other with animals thinking orientation using the art as visual aid would help the kids select proper aligning of loose pieces. Roofs/chimneys pointing up and animals with feet on the ground type of thing. Boy was I wrong! First version were fairly large pieces and next day those were cut into smaller pieces that both just sailed through putting together. Both tore a couple of pages out of their books asking for more. The next one was cut with NO regard to black outlines for artwork and cut into pieces about 1" square. Grandson,
7, turned art down and assembled using backside apparently using curve matching and granddaughter followed same approach. Thought occurred that grain in the ply may have helped and painting the backside would help in two aspects, obscure grain but more importantly puzzle pieces identification as different color would be required for each puzzle. We emphasized that each puzzle had to go into its own gallon Zip Lock bag so "Mom" wouldn't have the loose pieces all over the house. Very gratifying to see an idea take hold so well and fringe benefit for both will be visual recognition of matching curves.- posted
17 years ago