A few years ago, I was on Good Things Utah (a local morning TV show about the lifestyle here in Utah) participating in a project that Dan Lee created using a puzzle. One of the hosts surprised me by asking me what to do if you didn’t have a handsome and helpful man at home to cut my projects. To be honest, the idea never crossed my mind because Dan is the best DIYer I know and I can usually get him to join a project with a bit of coercion. After thinking about the question after the cameras ended, I realized that my answer was clear. You don’t need a man to cut it at all. DUH.
Although this is not my first rodeo project with a jigsaw, today I am definitely proud to show you the project I did without my legs.
How to cut large wooden Letters
I measured the spacing I wanted the lettering and modeling to have in Photoshop. It makes it easy for me to do it this way because I know it will fit perfectly in the space.
Dream Big
Then I printed the words on transparencies to use on my trusty old projector. Yes, the kind of old school high school teachers might have used. You have been dating me for a long time with this statement.
A 4 x 8 foot sheet of 1/2-inch MDF from your local home improvement store costs only about $ 25.00. I already had this in my garage so I didn’t have to buy it this time. But, if you need to buy it, be sure to fasten it so that you can attach it to your car.
Trace the letters
After that, I took my trusty pen no. 2 and trace the letters. I used a ruler so my straight edges were really straight.
After tracing the letters, I applied MDF to the brackets and secured them with wood clamps. Then I took the wire saw and began carefully cutting out the letters. It was easier than I thought. Inside the letters, I made a few more holes to give me access to the interior. I used a wire jigsaw because our cordless saw didn’t have enough continuous power to make smooth cuts.
Cutting Photos
Don’t look closely, but I’m very proud of myself! I hope the photos do of these bad boys because those words are huge.
After I finished cutting, I used my trusty spray painting skills and painted these bad boys.
I wish I had cropped photos as pure proof that I did it myself. But since I was cutting them I couldn’t shoot.
I am proud to feel more comfortable and slow doing things without interlocutors. Using the saw was easy too! The biggest advice I can give you is to go slow. It takes a few tries to get the correct angle for round letters. So take your time and you can totally do it!
hugs and kisses,
Happy two !!
Note: In other news, I am finally feeling better and came back to myself with a terrible sinus infection after the Haven blog lecture. On the other hand, the husband now has an amazing child. Wish me luck!