Scrolling Course

[don in brooklin on]

I am doing a course a our club on scrolling fundamentals and am looking for a project.  I have 14 signed up so fa and will do 5 at a time and we only have 7 saws.

​

I am going to start with a brief discussion on the operation of the DW788, blades, patterns (how to get, apply and remove)

 

I then have the attached pattern to cut.  I will demonstrate on the white board how to cut straight lines, corners, points, vees and circles.

 

The students will get to cut this as we go.

 

My concern is that I need a project to do at the end of this as I don't think this will take up the 2 hours.  On my test, it took me only about 45 minutes to talk and cut.  I am sure that with questions and problems that it will take up more time.

 

My first thought was to have every one do a personalized key chain (by Steve Good) I would attach and pre drill.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a different project?

 

Also, if you have any comments on my pattern to cut it would be appreciated too.

 

Thank you

 

Don

 

Training Pattern.pdf

 

 

[lawson56]

Your Training Pattern look Great, there should be no problem with them As for your 2nd project.I would continue with the simple things for awhile.I am know some of Mr' Goods patterns are very simple.if the key chain is one of them go for it.And what your doing I think is Awesome.    

[Scrolling Steve]

Don, I wish that I had a chance to sit in one of your classes two years ago when i took up scrolling......You cover a lot of the things that took a while to figure out on my own....Keep up the good work !

[Clem]

I also think you are doing an awesome thing Don. As you mentioned Steve Good has a lot of plans, I am sure you could find some from his site to use. Keep us posted as how things are gong

Clem

[amazingkevin]

I am doing a course a our club on scrolling fundamentals and am looking for a project.  I have 14 signed up so fa and will do 5 at a time and we only have 7 saws.

​

I am going to start with a brief discussion on the operation of the DW788, blades, patterns (how to get, apply and remove)

 

I then have the attached pattern to cut.  I will demonstrate on the white board how to cut straight lines, corners, points, vees and circles.

 

The students will get to cut this as we go.

 

My concern is that I need a project to do at the end of this as I don't think this will take up the 2 hours.  On my test, it took me only about 45 minutes to talk and cut.  I am sure that with questions and problems that it will take up more time.

 

My first thought was to have every one do a personalized key chain (by Steve Good) I would attach and pre drill.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a different project?

 

Also, if you have any comments on my pattern to cut it would be appreciated too.

 

Thank you

 

Don

 

Training Pattern.pdf

Choice means a lot to the person scrolling a first time project.Let them chose from a small list of things to cut.Puzzles are kind of simple and facilitates plenty of tight turns etc.Plus it's something useful to,others I too would have loved having a teacher in the beginning scrolling days.Keep up the good work,Go make some scroller's!

[orangeman]

How about a simple puzzle? Maybe from Judy Peterson's book "ANIMALS".

 

I have been working on a lecture myself and have put together a list of tips. I posted it somewhere on this forum several months ago. Maybe Travis started the thread - I don't know. Anyway, others added to it and it is a valuable source of info for a class.

[Jim McDonald]

One thing to remember is that as beginners, they are not going to cut at even 1/2 the speed you can as a seasoned cutter.  So, you time estimate should be adjusted for that.

 

Also, as one who does a lot of adult training, the questions will fill your time. 

[Scrappile]

Some of the most common questions are here are like where to by blades, where to get patterns and where to get wood.  Along with you list of tips on a hand out mention above you could add a list of suppliers of they items and put in a plug for this great forum also.  Sounds like you pretty well have it thought out.  I think it will take a good two hours when they start asking questions, and doing the cutting.

 

Let us know how it goes.

[dgman]

Don, are all the students new too scrolling? If so, two hours will go by in an instant! I teach scroll saw at a Woodcraft store. In those two hours you have to teach the basics first, blades, blade choice, wood, patterns, how to cut a straight line ect. The key chain pattern will be to small and difficult for most begginers. You will want basic shapes like hearts and stars.

I can help you out if you want. On my way to work, will check in this evening.

[don in brooklin on]

Don, are all the students new too scrolling? If so, two hours will go by in an instant! I teach scroll saw at a Woodcraft store. In those two hours you have to teach the basics first, blades, blade choice, wood, patterns, how to cut a straight line ect. The key chain pattern will be to small and difficult for most begginers. You will want basic shapes like hearts and stars.

I can help you out if you want. On my way to work, will check in this evening.

I am suppose to have people who have never scrolled before but I know some of them have done woodworking for years and others are real newbies.

 

I would appreciate any sample patterns you have as I will need something in reserve for those who streak it.  I did a 3d course a little while ago and I had 3 projects and some finished in less than an hour and one person didn't get last one done.   One person left in an hour and she had never scrolled before. You never know.

 

Thanks everyone for your ideas.

[Phantom Scroller]

Just a thought small puzzles boxes should keep there attention not hard to do. Roly 

[CharleyL]

Don,

 

The club that I belong to www.ncwoodworker.net does Outreach Training to introduce prospective new woodworkers to the fun of creating with wood. We have a trailer full of tools that we take to Wounded Warriors, Scout Troops, Church Groups, Police and Fire Department groups, etc. to get people introduced to woodworking, and we never charge for this training or the materials used. The trailer has 2 DeWalt 788 saws, 3 Nova Midi lathes, a 10" band saw, a table drill press, and all the hand tools necessary, plus two folding work benches.  

 

Very few of our students have ever done any woodworking before. The two Steve Goode patterns that I've been using lately are the Pot Duckies and the Oven Rack Handle (the simple version). They are both extremely simple to make for us, but have proven to be a significant challenge for someone who has never used a scroll saw before or possibly never made anything of wood before. I prepare kits to make these;  1/2" hardwood pieces large enough for the pattern, complete copies of Steve Goode's plans, double sided tape for the pot duckies so 2 at a time can be made, and I put these together in zip lock bags, so each bag contains all the materials needed to make the included pattern. This packaging makes it easy to keep track of how many kits I have and it assures me that every student will have all of the materials that they need for the project. I bring along a small rag, a roll of paper towels and a bottle of mineral oil so they can apply the first coat of food safe finish, and the zip lock bag lets them carry home these oily projects without getting the oil on their clothing., I also bring many spare #2 blades. They are hard on blades. When one gets broken I replace it. If they break more than one I make them replace the next one.

 

I begin with an explanation of the scroll saw, how it works, the blades and styles with their uses, and then give them a demonstration by cutting something out to show them how to do it. Then I show them how to cut out and attach the pattern of their project to the wood. As they are cutting, the rest of the students are told to watch them and learn from their work and mistakes.

 

I have a foot pedal attached to the saw for me to use as a safety shut off if they begin doing something unsafe. If two saws are being used, another teaching club member works to instruct the students on that second saw. Hand placement is usually the main safety problem. In cutting these out I could not believe how many of the students would turn the wood the wrong way when trying to make a curved cut, and the more off of the pattern line they got, the farther away from the line they would steer to the point of almost going in tight circles. I stop them when it's obvious they are lost, help them get back on the line, and then let them cut again, usually only to have them do the same thing again the next time they started around a curve. No matter how many times I told some of them not to force the wood into the blade and to just let the blade do the cutting, as soon as they cut an inch or two they would begin applying all kinds of forward feed pressure to the wood again. I make frequent use of the foot pedal, stopping the saw and explaining what they are doing wrong or unsafe, get them to make the hand or other corrections, and then let them cut again.

.

Make a clamp from two 3/4 X 1" strips of birch plywood several inches longer than the project, with cross holes drilled through at each ends to allow 8" long pieces of 10-32 all thread to slide through with nuts applied on both sides of one piece and just wing nuts on the other end to adjust the position of the other piece of wood. These form a clamp to hold the piece being cut, which increases the distance between the student's fingers and the blade, and they have proven to be a very big safety improvement when teaching people to use a scroll saw for the first time. Also, for first time students we make them use the safety hold down on the saw. Holding the wood down by the guard is one less problem for them to deal with.

 

Every one of my students have completed their project without drawing blood, so far. Some of these projects looked very good and some of the pot duckies had some ruffled feathers along their backs when the line wasn't followed well, but all of my students have been happy with what they made. Most of my students have been teen girls or adult women. If some of the students will be men, consider finding a simple man's style pattern for them to make.

 

Good luck with your class. Don't hesitate to ask me questions if I've missed something.

 

Charley 

Edited February 25, 2016 by CharleyL

[Lucky2]

No advice, but lots of luck to you.

Len

[don in brooklin on]

Thanks Charley for the advice.  I like the idea of the oven pull and the pot duckies.  I didn't think about those.

 

I am going to do one or both. 

 

I am having 4 or 5 per class and have one helper so hopefully, these students will be able to follow along as they are all members of our club but are not scrollers.  Some are quite experienced in wood turning and/or flatwork.  I was surprized at the different levels.

 

It will be interesting.

 

Thanks again

 

Don

[Bill WIlson]

Don, I'm looking forward to hearing about how this works out for you.  I've tried a few times over the past several years to get a scrolling class together, but just couldn't seem to generate enough interest.

 

Good luck!