Need help picking wood

[Dusty Trucker]

Hi everyone i am brand new to the village and scroll sawing. I picked up an almost new jet 22" saw and have done my youtube research on blades and have went with the fd ultra reverse blades. I now would like  to know what type of wood i should be working with. Im a broke family man so i dont have a ton of money to blow on big money hardwoods.  So im hoping someone can help guide me in the right direction.  Thanks 

[Foxfold]

Most of us use BB plywood for scrolling, although poplar seems popular along with other woods. I sometimes pick up the odd table or set of drawers from second hand shops quite cheaply as 'hardwood' furniture in the main is kept by the 'older' generation and when they've gone the kids just give the house contents to charity shops. The wood can then be sawn, planed and used for scrolling.

[Phantom Scroller]

Keep an eye out for people throwing out cabinets, wardrobes, cabinets etc lots of free wood ply  & hardwood & softwood. Also check out your local sawmill.  Roly

[dgman]

First off, for future posts, this should of been posted in the General Scrolling forum. Now for your question. As a Scroll Saw instructor, I start my students off on 3/4 pine. It’s inexpensive and easy to cut. Some folks will say that the blade will wont to follow  the grain, but with the blades you have chosen, you will not have that problem. Start with drawing and cutting straight lines, then gentle curves, then tighter curves. Once you have gotten the feel of cutting and how the blades track, you can move on to Hardwoods and Baltic birch plywoods.

[Dolores]

Hello from another Newbie

[Dusty Trucker]

Thank you all for the valuable information.  And yes i will try to post all my questions in the right section... i got a little excited lol. Just got done doing an other steve good design on 3/4 pine. i have an abundance of that laying around in my garage.  I just didnt think it was gonna be any good for scrolling.  It came out ok. I broke the "H" while sanding it though. Good practice though.

[Phantom Scroller]

Good start we all have to start somewhere now keep it and see how you have improved in a few weeks time and never give up. Roly

[Jim McDonald]

Big tip---sand before you cut. Do minor touch ups with Emery board or sanding stick. 

[Scruffydog]

Pot Head....I like that one!

Welcome, btw.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Scruffydog

[amazingkevin]

On 9/14/2019 at 2:28 AM, Dusty Trucker said:

Hi everyone i am brand new to the village and scroll sawing. I picked up an almost new jet 22" saw and have done my youtube research on blades and have went with the fd ultra reverse blades. I now would like  to know what type of wood i should be working with. Im a broke family man so i dont have a ton of money to blow on big money hardwoods.  So im hoping someone can help guide me in the right direction.  Thanks 

if it's free you want your my kind of scroller. I get 99% of my wood for free.Rental 2 story townhouses are a treasure trove for good hardwoods from furniture .The first of the month they move out so watch before hand to get the good stuff. Carpenter shops are good for cabinet grade plywood in all sizes and usually just the right size to fit in the scroll saw. Craigs list and offer up have free wood and hard wood sawdust for free now and then. Welcome friend!!!

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2019 by amazingkevin

[Bill WIlson]

Just about any wood is OK for scrolling.  You have to weigh all the factors; type of pattern, ease of cutting, appearance, cost, availability, etc and determine what suits you and the project.

Like Dan said, pine is OK for when you are first learning & practicing, but has its limitations if you want to get into more detailed fretwork.  It just doesn't have the cross grain strength of hard wood or plywood.  As you already discovered with the project you posted, it's deflating to put a lot of effort into a piece, only to have a fragile piece break off.  CA glue is your friend, by the way.

Some woods are better suited for certain types of projects.  Plywood (most generally prefer Baltic Birch) is ideal for some things, but I wouldn't use it for everything.  I love cutting walnut and cherry hardwood.  It's readily available around here, but I wouldn't use either of them for a portrait type cutting.  I think the wood should compliment the final result.  There are compromises that can be readily made along the way, but ultimately, you want the project to look good.  What type of wood you use can have almost as much to do with that as how well it is cut.

[David Lehner]

Welcome.  

I have been scrolling for close to 20 years and use Baltic birch for most projects. With sanding and some imagination with staining some great results can be achieved. From small to large projects. 

As shown here  I find it becomes a Zen thing  you, the saw and the wood  

i

[herrwood]

As I am getting back to scrolling I have been using 5/16 plywood I think it is called luan  plywood or door skins its relatively inexpensive.

I have tried common pine but it is pain to cut around knots so usually use clear pine, popular is also a good choice.

I get either 3/4 or 1-1/2  of the wood and rip it down to  thickness size on my table saw, don't forget you lose about 1/4" for blade width 

[Ron Johnson]

Welcome Brandon. I think you have enough suggestions re: picking good. Happy scrolling.  

[heppnerguy]

'Welcome to The Village. Glad you decided to stop here. We are friendly, and helpful. We love when someone new joins in on the fun. The Coffee House is always a good place to meet and get to know some of the regulars, if you have the time, be sure and check it out. Of course the pattern library and take a good luck at our chief cook and bottle washer's tutorials, should you be interested in giving pattern making a try. 

  Hope to see you post often and respond to others as that is a great way for everyone to get to know you better and you us.

Dick

heppnerguy

[Denny Knappen]

Welcome to the forum from TN.  Looks like you got a lot of good suggestions.  I use Poplar for many projects purchased at a big box store.

[madwally58]

Hello, I'm new to scroll sawing as well. I've been using all types of wood hard and soft. I use birch mostly though. 

I recommend trying to find a cabinet shop and talk to them about getting scrap wood they often burn it to get rid of it. Also lowes and home depot have scraps. 

 

[LarryEA]

Just remember, you can cut more than just wood.

Rubber, Metal, Leather, Bone, Plastic  but even this is not all.

Glad to have you here

[Puzzleguy]

Fist off stay away from pallet wood -alot of those have preservatives sprayed on them

their not good for your health to be breathing in that stuff -maybe even formaldehyde -

sometimes cheap wood turns up -like building scraps -( with the exception of exterior pressure treated )

- i also picked out of someones garbage an old ceder chest  that was broken -

it had alot of gorgeous wood -free for the taking ( smells nice to ) sometimes even cabinet makers

have scraps to small for their use - but can be used for smaller projects -Free !

[Whisper]

On 9/14/2019 at 1:28 AM, Dusty Trucker said:

Hi everyone i am brand new to the village and scroll sawing. I picked up an almost new jet 22" saw and have done my youtube research on blades and have went with the fd ultra reverse blades. I now would like  to know what type of wood i should be working with. Im a broke family man so i dont have a ton of money to blow on big money hardwoods.  So im hoping someone can help guide me in the right direction.  Thanks 

Hi and welcome. I'm new at this too and have been using pine  3/4" and 1/2 inch plywood and using stains and paint with them. It's pretty cheap to practice that way. I've got some hardwood but I'm still afraid to mess it up. It's not cheap, you're right about that.