shoptime Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 What book would you recommend for a person just getting into scroll sawing? Thank you, Sean lawson56 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye10 Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 What book would you recommend for a person just getting into scroll sawing? Thank you, Sean I can't recommend these but Amazon has quite a few. The little bit I have learned I get from this forum and You Tube videos. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_10_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=scroll+saw+books&sprefix=scrollsaw+%2Caps%2C176&crid=MDYVDSS8GO6F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye10 Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 I do know that Patrick Spielman is a well known woodworking author. Phantom Scroller 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 Rather than books, I would recommend checking out the tutorial videos here and on YouTube. There is so much there. Steve Good also is a great place to check out. Stevens sight is www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com. He also has a lot of easy patterns and good videos as well. Me suggestions are all free and you will get a lot more patterns and information than you will from any book. Dick heppnerguy Falcon, Lucky2 and Scrolling Steve 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoptime Posted November 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 Thank you all for the helpful info, Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 I am just getting starting again after a 12 year layoff from scrolling. So, I am also a newbie and any advice I would give should be taken with a grain of salt. I agree with all the suggestions given already. But I enjoy studying a good book as well as watching the videos. So, the two books I have read (and found useful) are The New Scroll Saw Handbook by Patrick Spielman and the Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson. I especially like the workbook because each chapter leads you through a different project. Just my opinion and your mileage may vary. heppnerguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Pellow Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 Here is another vote for The Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson. The ISBN number is: 1-56523-207-0. I used exercises from it to teach my 13 year old grandson scrolling last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 If you are like me forget the books and You Tube. I learn better by doing. Make a letter pattern of the entire alphabet using something like Brush Scrpit font in MS Word. Blow it up or print it out (two copies) so the letters are about 3" high. Attach it to pieces of 3/4" poplar or 1/2" Baltic Birch. No piece of wood should be greater then 12" long. Cut all the letters. Congrats you have now made just about every cut you could ever do using a scroll saw. Now do it a second time and see how much you have improved from the first cutting. Now you are ready for some real projects. hawkeye10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerJay Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) Makes lots of sense to get yourself a great book on the subject - but I would also agree that this forum is about as great a tool as you could possibly get - not just for skills but also for motivation. And a bit of added advice ...... ..... if you already have a background in woodworking then pick a first project that is ridiculously hard - get a bunch of diverse blades - and go to it - it will be a steep learning curve but your experience will see you through it .... .... if you don't already have a background in woodworking then pick progressively more difficult projects - but starting off with something aestherically pleasing but very simple (there are lots of examples) - and almost continually browsing through this forum - the learning curve is nowhere near as steep but you will get there and you will enjoy every part of the journey. Good Luck, Jay Edited November 22, 2016 by RangerJay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lost_in_endicott Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) Another vote for The Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson. It's been a big help for me. Edited November 22, 2016 by lost_in_endicott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsN Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 My 2-cents. The books recommended are good places to start, but unless you are a serious book lover check the library. Sheila Landry patterns have great instructions with them, keep that in mind if you love any of her patterns. My biggest piece of advice for newbies is to find a project that speaks to them, something they really want to make, not necessarily for any one, just something they like. Having a project that will hold your interest will greatly increase the knowledge picked up in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 If you are interested in fretwork I would also suggest Gary Browning. For intarsia look into some of Judy Robert's books. Check out your local library and browse them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky2 Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 I agree with Heppnerguy (Dick), if you do as he has suggested you'll be headed in the right direction. Sure, I agree with reading books, but, I get more out of seeing something done then I do from reading about how something is done. Len Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 Another thought ............for me, nothing is more boring than doing something repeatedly that doesn't bring some kind of satisfaction for me. The suggestion of making alphabets would be GREAT practice for learning to cut on the scroll saw but I would probably lose interest really quickly. That being said, starting with a simple project, like cutting a name plaque, would not only be a practice in cutting on the saw but also would deliver instant satisfaction and that would enthuse me to want to cut my next piece right away. Reading and learning about something from the experienced people is probably a faster way to understand something, but for me, I usually am after the "instant satisfaction" things. That is just my mentality but probably not the best idea for everyone. I am the kind of person that gets something that is maybe new technology and I want to take it out of the box and have it work without having to read a manual while my new fun thing sits on my desk waiting for me to figure it out. Maybe it is a lazy part of me or maybe it is a lack of patience, I am not sure, but I do know is it is way I am wired. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 What book would you recommend for a person just getting into scroll sawing? Thank you, Sean "Tips and tricks for scroll sawing".Don't know when it's available yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 Check out YouTube as well. Roly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoptime Posted November 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 My Library is lacking in Scroll Saw books :( I have found lot's of good youtube videos and will use this forum a lot. I'll also take a look at The Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson . thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Everyone learns differently. Some learn best by doing, some by watching, some by reading. With the internet, you really have the best of all worlds. I like books, but I'm kinda old school. I'm self taught, but will say that I wish I had some of the resources back then that are available today. I don't think that you can go wrong getting Nelson's Scroll Saw Workbook. At the very least, it's a handy reference to have, to answer a lot of those beginner questions. If you don't follow all of the exercises, no big deal. There are still several nice patterns in the book. Good luck and have fun making sawdust! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 All great suggestions. I would also try and find a local club. My learning curve was reduced dramatically by watching and being challenged by my fellow club members. We have members that have been scrolling 60 years plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Knappen Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 I have John Nelson's book and I use it as a teaching aid. By completing lessons, you can get a feel for all the capabilities of the scroll saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 One last remark from me. What I have found is that scrolling is a conditional learning experience. Just when I r Think I have things pretty well figured out, I find I will learn something new. Often from threads like this one, or questions and answers on something I never even thought about before. I love all the knowledge that is shared so generously on this sight. A newbies question opens new ideas from others. Thank you for everyone's openness to sharing with others here Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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