First Projects - Scroll Saw Challenge

[Travis]

Here's a fun scroll saw challenge recommended by @wombatie

Everybody was a beginner at some point.  We all had to start somewhere, right?  So in this scroll saw challenge, post a pic of your first project.  If you don't have a pic available, post one of your earliest ones you've done.  Share with us your thoughts about your progress and how you've grown in your hobby.  Maybe offer a word of encouragement for those new to the hobby.  It'll be fun to see where we all started and remember our scroll sawing genesis.  

 

[Travis]

I'll start off.  This was my first project.  I probably made this around 2007-ish.  This was originally a pumpkin stencil that I put onto wood.  Cut on birch plywood from Lowes.  I don't remember if I used a spiral blade or a flat blade.  But this was my maiden voyage.  I wanted to get into woodworking, but woodworking can be expensive since you need so many tools.  Then I discovered the scroll saw and realized I can do quite a lot with such a simple tool.  And thus began my journey. 

 

 

 

[MrsN]

Fun Topic!!

This isn't my first, but the earliest that I found on my facebook page. I noticed some of my early work in my mom's boxes as she moved over the weekend, I'll see if I can find something earlier.

[Scrappile]

Well this is not really my first, scroll project, don't really remember what my first was but this one of my very early ones.  It is the first Cigar Box Guitar I made, only I didn't have a cigar box at the time so I made the box and scrolled the two eagles in the top for decoration. 

[RabidAlien]

 Not too much scrolling involved, I mostly used bandsaw for these, but they were the very first things I cut  with the scroll saw, right after I bought it.  They're cut out of old weathered fence paneling, with a back cut the same size as the frame then glued/nailgun'd together.

 

[jerry1939]

This was my first ever scroll saw project, but it needs to be explained.  I have worked with my hands most of my life.  Built 2 motorhomes in my earlier days, as well as various machines and/or improvements.  Took a woodworking class at a trade school & built an oak desk.  Time & patience mean absolutely nothing to me.

The clock was cut with a $69 Performax saw from Menards.  Not visible is the pedestal that made the total height about 6 1/2'.  It was given as a housewarming gift to our son in Des Moines, Iowa.

To you nice people that hesitate to start what looks like a challenging/difficult piece, just remember it is always 1 hole & cut at a time.  It doesn't make any difference if it takes 7 months (as this did), or you start 1 or more projects per day.  The amount of sawdust is the same either way.

jerry

 

 

[RabidAlien]

25 minutes ago, jerry1939 said:

This was my first ever scroll saw project, but it needs to be explained.  I have worked with my hands most of my life.  Built 2 motorhomes in my earlier days, as well as various machines and/or improvements.  Took a woodworking class at a trade school & built an oak desk.  Time & patience mean absolutely nothing to me.

The clock was cut with a $69 Performax saw from Menards.  Not visible is the pedestal that made the total height about 6 1/2'.  It was given as a housewarming gift to our son in Des Moines, Iowa.

To you nice people that hesitate to start what looks like a challenging/difficult piece, just remember it is always 1 hole & cut at a time.  It doesn't make any difference if it takes 7 months (as this did), or you start 1 or more projects per day.  The amount of sawdust is the same either way.

jerry

 

 

Wiser words have rarely been spoken.

[Gonzo]

Ditto to what RabidAlien said.

[wombatie]

Well seeing as this was my idea I had better show you my first 'project. As you can see it was a small one.    My husband had just got himself a scroll saw and I had asked how it worked, he showed me and I was off cutting 'straight' and squiggerly lines.  The next week I came across a book of patterns by Patrick Spielman and I loved the penguin, so off I went.  I did a couple of others that day, a Scotty dog which I gave to a Scottish girlfriend (she's still got it) and a cat will a ball but unfortunately that disintegrated into about 6 pieces when it fell off the fridge.  My little penguin still sits on the fridge and he is 19 years old now.  I did some woodburning on him as you can see still no better at it. 

Marg

[Rockytime]

I don't cut anything exotic, just things that I happen to like. The star of David was the first piece I cut. It was for a little friend for Hanukkah. She could paint it. She is a beautiful Chinese little 11 year old who was born missing one chromosome. This leaves her a little slow. Perhaps like a six year old so she is in special ed. She loves little puzzles so I cut little things for her wile my wife supplies her with girly things.

The second photo is more of an example of what I like to cut. I don't sell anything and my shelf is getting crowded. I'm probably the only one around here that likes them. They can be given away when there is a sale of my estate which I hope isn't soon.

[Fish]

On 7/6/2018 at 7:35 PM, jerry1939 said:

This was my first ever scroll saw project, but it needs to be explained.  I have worked with my hands most of my life.  Built 2 motorhomes in my earlier days, as well as various machines and/or improvements.  Took a woodworking class at a trade school & built an oak desk.  Time & patience mean absolutely nothing to me.

The clock was cut with a $69 Performax saw from Menards.  Not visible is the pedestal that made the total height about 6 1/2'.  It was given as a housewarming gift to our son in Des Moines, Iowa.

To you nice people that hesitate to start what looks like a challenging/difficult piece, just remember it is always 1 hole & cut at a time.  It doesn't make any difference if it takes 7 months (as this did), or you start 1 or more projects per day.  The amount of sawdust is the same either way.

jerry

 

 

That is some beautiful work!

[NLAlston]

This is the very first one that I did, just recently.  I used a #5 Skip Tooth blade on this, cut out of a 16"x12" piece of 1/4" underlay.  Loved it so much, that I can't wait to do many more.

[Rolf]

I grew up around tools, my dad was a machinist. I did some hand fretwork as a kid. but my first use of a scroll saw was making some gingerbread for the gable in the shed that I built. I used an inherited Craftsman saw, and it made me realize how much fun scrolling is and it also the Saw taught me that If I wanted to continue the hobby it was not going to be with this saw. It took minutes to go from one hole to the next and only seconds to do the cut. My wife then bought me a Delta SS350 significantly better saw. and I did the small eagle. Lessons learned, don't use crap wood.  I then started stack  cutting small ornaments. like the one attached.(4")  A year after the Delta I bought a Hawk G4 26. 

I now do a fair amount of work with SSWWC magazine as a test cutter and other challenging projects. 

I did a presentation at one of the Fox Chapel open house events on "Advanced Scrolling" . My first comment was that there is no such thing.  Once you master the basics.

Jerry1939  really  said it perfectly "To you nice people that hesitate to start what looks like a challenging/difficult piece, just remember it is always 1 hole & cut at a time.  It doesn't make any difference if it takes 7 months (as this did), or you start 1 or more projects per day.  The amount of sawdust is the same either way."

As soon as you tell your self " Oh I can't do that".  In reality you don't know that until you try. It is only wood.

[amazingkevin]

My Wifi adapter broke and it took 3 computers to figure it out.So im on a windows xp for the night and don't have my pictures on this one to show.

[GPscroller]

This was the first project I used a scroll saw for.  Made three for Xmas presents back in 1998.

Jeff

[Rockytime]

24 minutes ago, GPscroller said:

This was the first project I used a scroll saw for.  Made three for Xmas presents back in 1998.

Jeff

That is a cute little project

[Woodmaster1]

This Christmas box was the first project I done on the scroll saw and now I am hooked. I try to do a project every couple of weeks. I would do more but too many other woodworking projects on my plate.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Woodmaster1

[controlsct]

This was the project that got me hooked last November and my first project.

[Jronn65]

This was one of my first projects.  Don’t on cheap plywood.  I did a lot of small projects just to learn how to turn the wood, which never worked out for me.  I didn’t think I was ever going to get it, then I learn to use spirals.  Everything got easier for me.  Then after listening to some of the YouTube shows, I found that I was not alone and others used spirals too.  Then I got a better saw, dewalt, which changed the whole game and really made it easier!!!

[Montserrat]

Terrible corners with a Harbour Freight saw and round blades...  Also no clue about wood, so it's spray painted MDF:  The sawdust gave me 6 weeks of bronchitis! 

[Rockytime]

I think you did very, very well. The cutting is nice and I like that it is lighted. I understand about MDF. NASTY!

[innar20]

My very first .

[Shari]

I guess since I've only been scrolling for about 6 months, all of my projects are "new and beginner" but these are the very first. I cut them at a class I took at a Woodcraft store.

[Rockytime]

Shari, they look great. I started cutting simple puzzles when I first started because I did not want to cut those squiggly practice things. I think puzzles teach you things like cutting curves and straight line. You are doing god.

[scrollntole]

OK - I got really excited the more I kept making things with my original scroll saw. I got a kick out of some small items that someone made - he had challenged himself to make one-a-day for a whole year, and most were fun. I made some, then had the sense to ask him if he cared if I sold them at craft fairs. To my surprise, being new to all this "copyright" idea, he answered emphatically that I should NOT sell them; that he thought of each design as copyrighted. So, I haven't made anymore, and I haven't sold any either. Right now most are mounted outside on my arbor. The attached Word document shows only four items. But about the fourth picture - I made that, gave it one of my daughters, who gave it to a friend, who has traveled about the world and taken pictures of himself holding the piece at various locations worldwide. He sent the pictures to my daughter who in turn shared them with me. So, that's my story!!

Vin

Early Scroll Saw Items.doc