Scroll Saw Handbook

[shoptime]

What book would you recommend for a person just getting into scroll sawing? Thank you, Sean

[hawkeye10]

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

[hawkeye10]

I do know that Patrick Spielman is a well known woodworking author.

[heppnerguy]

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

[shoptime]

Thank you all for the helpful info, Sean

[JimC]

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.

[Frank Pellow]

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.

[NC Scroller]

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.

[RangerJay]

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

[lost_in_endicott]

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

[MrsN]

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.

[Dan]

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.

[Lucky2]

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

[heppnerguy]

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

[amazingkevin]

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

[Phantom Scroller]

Check out YouTube as well. Roly

[shoptime]

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!

[Bill WIlson]

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!

[Rolf]

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. 

[Denny Knappen]

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.

[heppnerguy]

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