whats your largest/most cherished scrollsaw project?

[tomsteve]

while I was out pickin away at the dome clock last night, it occurred to me that this is the largest ss project ive tackled, but not the most cherished. got me to wondering if others have the same thing and would like to hear/see what others have done as their largest or most cherished project.

as for me, it seems the most cherished is very hard, but the last gift I made, their response was priceless.

I have a very good friend that's also a melanoma fighter/survivor.  states away and we've never met, but we've helped each other out through our fight to survive.

her hubby has been a police officer for 20 years and recently got the promotion hes been wanting for a long time- k9 unit. got to thinkin how ive made her Christmas gifts all these years and this year he should get something. so I made the plaque in the picture. actually did 3 and sent them 2 of them.

she contacted me the day they received it. said it was the first time she had seen her hubby gert choked up over a gift.

so at this time, that's the most cherished!

heres hubby with his new partner.

 

so how 'bout all ya'll- whats your largest/most cherished project?

Edited February 14, 2017 by tomsteve

[Rolf]

That is a hard question to answer. I agree with you that gifts or projects for special people top the list. 

My most precious was this Cardinal that I made for my Mom after my dad passed. The Cardinal and dog wood flowers were their favorites. 

I made it in May of 2007, it was my 3rd intarsia and first time cutting bloodwood.

 Sadly she passed away four months later and I got it back.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Rolf

[Sparkey]

This is my largest so far.

[ike]

I don't have a picture of it but if you go to my facebook page Ikes scroll saw workshop click pictures and it is the 3 from last a farmscene

IKE

[jerry1939]

To see some of my "stuff", go to Facebook and search  SCROLL SAWING

 

jerry

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

This question is easy to answer from the stand point of physical answers but emotional not so easy. There is without question a couple projects that stand alone for me. They are and always will be my most cherished pieces. My Dad passed away June 19, 2006. He was my mentor, my friend and my Dad. There are 4 kids and when he passed it was a hard time accept. After the funeral we got together to have a stone put on the grave but they will not set any stones for some time after to let the ground settle. Understood, so I got to thinking we would be without a marker on the grave for some time and everytime we would visit it did not look right. So I made a temporary cross to fill this vacancy till we were able to get a permanent marker made. There now was no rush to get this done because of my cross. We had the marker made for both my parents because my Mom was getting up in age also.

 

My Dad loved my work and always complimented me on it. It was he who actually got me into woodworking when I was a small kid. I thank him for that every day. I made him a large Yankee watch because he had problems seeing clocks and loved the Yankees. That watch went with him to his final resting place.

 

Then there is my Mom. She passed Jan 2 ,2016. It is just a little over 1 year now and the hurt still is as strong as it was then. She was my buddy and she always called me that right till her final days.  For her I made this cross and it too went with her. She was my biggest fan of what I did. She went to all my craft shows when she was still able to. She loved talking to the people and she helped me in my sales. She could sell ice to an Eskimo. Oh how I missed those days but will always have those memories.

 

I know my parents are now at peace and resting with the Lord. They were hard working people and gave us kids everything we needed at their sacrifice. They molded us into the people we are today and for that I am proud as I know they were just as proud. I thank them and miss them so much every day. I know this went a little different direction than the OP intended but it just hit me.

 

Here are the projects I spoke of.

 

 

 

 

 

[orangeman]

Without a doubt the best, most cherished project is the United States Wildlife Puzzle that my granddaughter and I designed and then I cut out and colored. It was published in ScrollSaw Woodworking and Crafts magazine a couple years ago.

[lawson56]

Well I din't have a pic.I made a Fishing scene a few years ago and gave it to my Dad on his 75th birthday.he's 85 now.I remember he was so moved by it,he cried.Though he tried not to show it.That was very special to me.knowing my Dad Loved it that much.

[WayneMahler]

Two come to mind very fast. The Last Supper by Charles Dearing cut at 32 wide and 8 1/2 high for the art work. And a portrait of Christ on the cross looking up to heaven. Can't remember the designer though. Here are the photos of these 2 pieces.

 

 

[RangerJay]

Guessing everyone is different on this - for me the best project is usually the one I'm working on - all my projects have genuine memories - currently working on 3 projects - on the day each one of them is done my expectation is that that project will be my favourite ...... for that day .....

 

Having said that - I made a wall clock for my parents 35th anniversary some 40 years ago - they have both passed now - and that clock has made its way back into our home - without a doubt it has a level of emotion attached to it that exceeds anything I have done since.

 

 

Jay

[Scrappile]

Guess I haven't done it yet with a scroll saw.  My most cherished projects are the hand crank street organ and a kayak (that I can't use) that I built.  Neither involved the scroll saw,,, let me rethink that, I guess I did use the scroll saw to cut out the inside of the frames for the kayak.  If I ever build another organ, I will find a way to involve the scroll saw, but I doubt I ever build another one.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Scrappile

[Ron Johnson]

I can understand your friend getting chocked up receiving such a beautiful and meaningful gift. I also understand Tom this is a cherished item. Well done.

The most cherished scroll saw item is of my friend who passed away in 2015. She was with me for 15 years. I've attached a couple other items. Made two of the rocking horse for my grandchildren which I really enjoyed doing.

[wombatie]

I don't think I have a cherished one, I have loved every single thing I have cut wether they big,small, hard or simple, painted or natural.  Maybe one day....................

 

Marg

[amazingkevin]

I've done 40" x 20" but my favorite ones are my intarsia's & segmentations

Edited February 15, 2017 by amazingkevin

[Rolf]

This is a great topic, it really shows what our hobby means to us and others that are recipients of our work.

 John T, your story really touched me.

[tomsteve]

wow!! what awesome work and great stories!! heres another one that,although no scrollsaw work in it, I cherish it.

a dear friend of mine had a barn on her property that was built in 1862. it had been in disrepair and toppled over. she let me come and take a look and see if there was any lumber I could use. holy cow! I wanted a skytrack and semi with flatbed!! there were beams from 6 by 6 up to 14 by 16- one being 36' long. the floor joists( there was a basement thingy in the barn. I hope theres a better term for that. actually, it might have been an ice house?) were logs with the top face cut flat and the rest was left in log form.these logs were 14-24" diameter I could see some of them floor joists were oak, maple, walnut, and something I wasn't sure of, but could have been white oak. boy, I reeeeaaalllly wanted to get to that stuff!

but there was a barn on it all. so I got what my back could handle.

anyways, it was very enjoyable constructing this. the top is a glue up and one thing I like doing is just looking at the end grain. one of the pieces for the top is about 5" wide quartersawn. I counted 93 growth rings across that piece alone. serious old growth!

I was really surprised to see the different species used in the barn, but an old timer from the area explained it to me:

there werent sawmills or lumber yards in every town and when people got their property, they had to 1st clear it to farm it. so instead of wasting the trees, they used it to build their barns with whatever trees that had and weren't concerned with what species too much.

[Bfreeman]

I have been thinking about your question for two days, I have to agree with Marg . Each project I cut is my favorite while I'm cutting it one cut at a time. It doesn't matter how easy or hard it is . I cherish each piece.

 

Bill

[CharleyL]

Two of my projects come to mind. Both were made many years ago.

 

The Cross was cut from a single piece of 3/4" Mahogany. Then I carved the vines and leaves back below the surface of the cross. I use a "dentist drill" air powered carver and 1/16" shank bits that I usually use for relief carving. Then I gave the Cross two coats of tung oil, and then applied antique gold Rub N Buff to the leaves. I made this cross almost 20 years ago  I've made 16 more since then, but the extended family has consumed every one of them except for  this original one and one other that I gave to a very special minister friend. The pattern is from Wildwood Designs. I now have four more of these Crosses in process. They are cut out, but only partially carved. Each one takes me about 14 hours to complete. 

 

The dragon "The Keeper Of Time" was also made a long time ago from red oak "pallet wood". There is a horizontal seam running through the clock to make a board wide enough to be able to make him. He took me almost 50 hours to cut, since every line and scale is a saw cut. He is about 3/8" thick and the base for him was made from 3/4"Mahogany. This one is the only one that I have ever made. The pattern came from a Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts Magazine.

 

Charley

[Bill WIlson]

They're not scrollsawn, but they are 2 of the largest and most meaningful projects I've made.  One is a buffet I made for my oldest daughter.  It wasn't quite finished in this pic.  The pine frame around the top was replaced with a cherry border, after the tile was finished. 

 

The other one is a TV stand I made as a wedding present for my youngest daughter.

 

Both are meaningful, because they are something that my kids will have long after I'm gone and will hand down to my grandkids.  Making stuff for my kids and grandkids is probably the most rewarding aspect of my woodworking.

 

 

I don't have a picture of the one I made, but the Lords Prayer plaque here is the same pattern I cut a couple years ago as a housewarming gift for very good friends.  They are now in their 3rd house, since I gave them this, but they make it a point to tell me that one of their first priorities is to find a suitable place to hang it.   The one I made was a little different.  I mounted the scroll work on a rectangular oak ply backer and then framed it in red oak.

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Bill WIlson

[CharleyL]

Very nice work, Bill. 

 

 

Charley

[Jim Finn]

Not the largest, but one of the most elegant scroll saw projects I have made.  I made and sold three of these, and today I am working on making seven more.  

     Box measures 8" x 6" x 3 1/2" with hinged lid.  Scroll saw was used to do the double bevel inlay in the hinged lid.

    Woods used are maple , poplar and bois'darc in a cedar box lid.

[SCROLLSAW703]

Interesting topic. Out here in farm country(kansas) it would amaze you at the unusual projects I've been asked to create. Yes, all on the scroll saw. I don't have pictures of all of them anymore, but, I think the 3 most cherished projects I've done are a cowboy cross for my nephew when he was killed. A Truckers Cross for my Dad when he passed away, which is now hangin' on the wall in my shop because it was partially destroyed at the cemetary. And a toy box I made for my grandson. All three of these are on my fb page at Sawdust Haven.

 

My Father was a Trucker for over 50 years. He taught me the business, & I drove until my health gave out. My Father & I didn't have the best relationship, & the only work of mine he seen was the sign I made for his office with his trucking business name on it, & the year he established it. As far as I know, it's still hangin' in that office. My brother is now the head ramrod. 

 

The toybox I made for my grandson, well, it was made from pine. A glue up of 1" x 6" lumber. Put together with dowels & pocket screws at every joint. The base too. I routed a groove in the base for the main box to set into for strength.  I installed a piano hinge on the lid, & the shocks from Rockler so it wouldn't slam down on his fingers. stained it, & routed his name in the lid. pictures of it are on the fb page. 

 

I do a lot of Native American pieces on the scroll saw. Being part Cherokee, this is alot of my interest. I cut my own feathers for my dream catchers, do the bead work, etc. I think about Dad on every project, & wished he could see some of the work I've done. We never planned on anything but livin' & dyin' truck drivers. Goes to show you the Lord works in mysterious ways.