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Few will argue that puppets have been favorite toys of children for a long time. Perhaps that’s because they can be easily made to look and act just as silly as we all often feel. Kids can entertain themselves for hours on end with these stimulating toys . . . and when they’re demonstrated with enthusiasm at craft fairs and flea markets, few toys will outsell them!
Using a technique called “Pad-Sawing” (cutting out a stack of identical parts at the same time), your Shopsmith Scroll Saw or Bandsaw will make easy work of spitting out Dancin’ Ducks-- that quickly turn into dollar bills.
Here’s how to do it, using about 10-1/2-inch of 4-1/2-inch wide by 3/8-inch, 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch thick stock for each puppet. We like the 3/4-inch thick model, but you can make it out of virtually any thickness of lumber you like. Of course, the thinner the puppets, the more you’ll be able to cut out at once . . . although the added weight of the thicker 3/4-inch puppets seems to make them work a little better.
1. Transfer the pattern from the drawing onto sheets of 1/4-inch grid paper, glued to a piece of 1/8-inch hardboard or heavyweight (non-corrugated) cardboard.
2. Cut out the templates using your scrollsaw or bandsaw.
3. Cut out your workpieces, making them 10-1/2-inch by 4-1/2-inch by the thickness of your choice. Align a stack of workpieces and attach them temporarily together using double-stick carpet tape (available at any hardware store or home center). Be sure to keep the height of your glued-up stack within the throat depth limitations of your Scroll Saw or Bandsaw.
4. Trace your patterns onto the top workpiece in your stack.
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