How to Cut a Silhouette Out of Wood
- 1). Lay the plywood drawing on the top of the bandsaw table. Turn on the bandsaw. Trim off all excessive wood that is not associated with the drawing and discard or recycle it.
- 2). Hold the plywood drawing with both hands. Cut into the drawing from the top as far as you can following the pencil line until the drawing begins to curve around tight corners and there is not enough room to turn the drawing. Pull the drawing away from the blade, letting it follow the same path as it did going in.
- 3). Cut from the same starting point as before, only this time, cut down the opposite side of the drawing following the pencil lines as far as you can before the drawing gets too curvy.
- 4). Spin the drawing around 180-degrees and begin cutting toward the lines coming in from the other direction that you just cut. Cut all the way and meet the other lines coming in from the other side to complete the silhouette.
- 5). Pull the drawing back out if the lines are too tight to turn and the drawing comes into contact with the band saw housing. Turn the silhouette perpendicular to the drawing and cut sideways into the drawing until you meet the lines and the scrap wood drops away.
- 6). Turn the drawing upside down and use a pencil to fill in lines that you cannot reach with the saw blade when the silhouette is face up. Finish cutting the drawing upside down.
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