Problem extracting wood parts - they keep breaking

[osdet7]

I'm building the Endeavour (Artesania Latina, 1:60). The cut-out outline of parts in manzonia are virtually impossible to extract. The outline cuts are only superficial so I have had to resort to different methods to try to free them. I have tried everything e.g. Stanley (box) knife, chisel, coping saw etc. but the wood always breaks along the grain. Is this a common occurrence? Any suggestions.

 

Ted

[Keith_W]

Hi Ted, use a Stanley knife. Instead of making a single high pressure pass, try lots of light cuts. 

[kurtvd19]

I have found that the thinner the blade the better the chance of not breaking any parts and as Keith said, take light cuts rather than doing it in one cut.  AN Xacto blade or in my opinion the best is a scalpel blade as they are very thin & very sharp.

Kurt

[reklein]

Try backing the parts with masking tape before cutting out the parts, an then use the other guys suggestions for cutting.Bill

[amateur]

Or (but you can only do that when the backside is out of sight, or should be painted), use woodglue to stick a piece of paper to the backside, instead of the masking tape.

One other that worked fo me (but I did - nicely aligned and square - windows in a tugboat) is to use a very thin drill to mark the endpoints of the cut, and place a second cut on the backside of the wood.

And try using a small as possible knife. I like the swan morton no 11 blade. Designed a a surgical knife, sharp enough to separate your fingertips from where they belong, but also very, very thin at the tip.

 

Jan

Edited October 17, 2015 by amateur

[dgbot]

Try using thin CA along the edge. and then use a sharp thin blade with multiple cuts,

David B