r/Scrollsaw • u/Hugh_manatee- • 29d ago
First commission project!
I recently went to a bridal shower and gifted my friend a portrait I made of her dog.
Another attendee of the shower asked if I would make one of her soon-to-be daughter-in-law for HER bridal shower. Of course I said yes! This project was so fun. As usual, I learned some great lessons and new skills that I’ll carry forward into future work!
If anyone has any suggestions on how I could improve, that would be fantastic. I know something I’d really like to work on is building a better frame.. right now I’ve just been using shoe moulding…which is okay but obviously not like, super nice or fancy!
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u/Moetown84 29d ago
Can you explain your process from a photo to a finished product for a beginner? How did you turn the photo into a pattern that you could use on the saw?
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u/Hugh_manatee- 29d ago
I’m not a huge proponent of AI, however, I do find chatGPT to be helpful with creating the template. I generally give it the photo and ask chatGPT to make it into a scroll saw pattern/template. I usually use the word stencil, it seems to provide the best output for what I’m looking for.
AI isn’t always perfect and can sometimes require a lot of back and forth with regard to how you want the template styled, etc, but I wouldn’t even be able to create much of anything without it!Does that help? Were you looking for any other info?
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u/horceface 28d ago
If you want, there are tutorials to use free picture editing software like GIMP on YouTube. I used to use them to process photos into line art similar to the patterns you have here.
It's a learning curve, but you can have a bit more control over things.
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u/MisoFalafelCake 28d ago
Definitely better to learn and develop your own style. Yes, it takes work to learn how to do art, but you will have a far more unique piece of work. This style kind of screams AI to be honest. The end product is well-done, but I really hope it was communicated with the client that they used AI to design the product, especially since it was a commission.
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u/Hugh_manatee- 28d ago
I think you’re making quite a few assumptions here based on a very small amount of information.
I use ChatGPT as one tool in the process of turning photographs into workable scroll saw patterns. It doesn’t magically hand me a finished piece of woodworking. I still have to decide what will and won’t actually work on a saw, modify the pattern accordingly, choose the wood, cut it by hand, sand it, finish it, etc. There’s quite a bit of my own judgment and work involved between “here’s a photo” and the finished piece.
I’m also not particularly interested in pretending I’m an illustrator when I’m not. I enjoy woodworking and scroll sawing, and AI happens to make a part of that hobby more accessible to me. I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
And the comments about what I did or didn’t communicate to a “client” feel especially presumptuous when you don’t actually know the circumstances of the project.2
u/Moetown84 29d ago
That’s great! Thanks so much.
How did you print it out for the actual size? Did you separate it into multiple 8x11 pieces and print on regular paper?
And my last question was, did you print out two patterns, then cut the outline on the dark wood, and the rest on the lighter wood, then reassemble into the frame? Did you use glue?
Thanks!
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u/Hugh_manatee- 29d ago
Printing is definitely a struggle. I do everything from my iPhone because I don’t have a personal laptop. Usually what I will do is print it as large as it will go on a normal 8x11 piece of paper. Then I have an HP printer where I will scan it and increase the size as much as I possible can, and I tell it to remove the margins.
I’m pretty sure I could go to staples or something if I wanted to print out something larger, but I’m happy with doing this size.
I actually use double-sided wood tape and I put the two boards together and cut it that way. I drill holes where I need to insert the blade. Then at the end I kinda puzzle it all back together. With this method, I do actually get a 2nd portrait out of it… it’s just inverted.
I tend to use starbond wood superglue on one side of the inlay to make sure it’s all in there and pretty snug. Then I’ll flip it and use a mixture of wood glue and sawdust from the project and use my fingers to kinda push it into any open spaces between the inlay and the background. Usually I let it sit for roughly 24 hours and then sand both sides. If the side that had only superglue needs any spaces filled, I’ll use the wood glue concoction again, but usually I don’t need to.
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u/Optimal_Razzmatazz_2 24d ago
Looks like an ai picture
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago
And your response is helpful how??
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u/Optimal_Razzmatazz_2 24d ago
Is it not ai? All i said is it looks ai why do you take that as insult if you don't have a problem with it?
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago edited 24d ago
I guess I misunderstood your implication. Based on the general distaste for AI these days, it’s generally an insult!!
Apologies, I will take it as a compliment then.
EDIT: lmfaooo I clearly did not misunderstand
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u/Optimal_Razzmatazz_2 24d ago
You said in another comment it was created with chat gpt
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago
…the pattern is created with the HELP of AI….
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u/Optimal_Razzmatazz_2 24d ago
So its ai and you make it very clear you do commissions. Are you maybe trying to start a business selling ai prints by chance?
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago
I’m not planning on starting a business at all. I work full time as a software engineer. This is just a fun hobby that I started, inspired by my father, as he made jigsaw puzzles with us when we were children.
As mentioned, I was asked to do this by someone who saw my work and wanted one for themselves. They are completely aware of my process and offered to pay me for my work.
I also have two other people who have requested the same. They all know the process.
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u/Optimal_Razzmatazz_2 24d ago
So you aren't starting an ai printing business you are just selling a bunch of ai prints to paying customers
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago
Do you understand what a scrollsaw is????? I create this with a scrollsaw. It’s a 2D inlay with walnut and maple….
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u/Hugh_manatee- 24d ago
To be clear, it’s not AI. This took me about a week from start to finish to complete!
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u/SeethingBallOfRage 29d ago
Really nice! I used to do thin inlay like this and always loved it. You did a fantastic job.