Scrollsaw Artists

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Thought I would get a conversation going about some of the past and present scrollsaw pattern makers we all have encountered. I will start with my story and this will probably be long because I have been scrolling for over 50 years now. Started on an old 2 speed Dremel saw back in the day and then bought a hegner 18" and a Dewalt 788 that basically fell in my lap when Home Depot was selling them out. Paid $80 brand new with stand. How do you pass that up. Then it was on to 2 RBIs. 220VS and 226VS and the rest is history.  

I started following Rick and Karen Longabough and did hundreds of his patterns over the years. Then it was Dirk Boelman and his beautiful patterns. Then it was Dan and Ray Wilckens and man their work was beautiful too. I also followed John Nelson and in fact I worked on many projects for him testing his designs for Steebar Corp. back when the owner was a great guy. when he passed that company went down hill but many of my projects are still featured in his catalog. I have done many of Sue Mey patterns as well. I have done a few of Steve Goods patterns over time. I never did many of Pat Spielman patterns. Must mention the great pattern makers here on this site that have helped me over time also. Shout out to them.

I bring this up for a reason because I ran into an old thread on another forum where we talked about a couple of these greats. here is the thread and interesting read. I have to say the clock that Dirk Boelman had many scrollers complete was a site to see as he use to bring it to the scrollsaw picnics they use to hold every year. those that are old enough and go back to those days remember what I am talking about. Walk down memory lane folks. Check the photos out. You will notice I mixed the artists up and was questioning others about it and then it became clear. 

 

https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/general-scroll-saw/848105-put-those-minds-to-work

Edited November 22, 2023 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[TAIrving]

That clock is amazing!  I doubt we could do anything like that now.  Thanks for sharing.  

[Bill WIlson]

One of the founding members of our scroll saw club was Ernie Lang.  His passion  was searching out, restoring and cutting old scroll saw patterns from around the turn of the century.  That was the main reason he started the club.  He wasn't necessarily a pattern designer himself, but more of a historian and preservationist.  He knew most of the major fretwork pattern designers of the day.

Ernie passed away a number of years ago.  Unfortunately, a lot of scrolling knowledge and history passed with him.

Attached is an article from SSW&C magazine.  Hope you find it an interesting read.

https://scrollsawer.com/2009/09/02/ernie-langs-scrolling-scrapbook/

[preprius]

Nice article.  It got me to appreciate the hobby a bit more.

But as I read history I always ask questions? 

How did the clocks work?  Winding or gravity? 

Did he re-sharpen the blades? If not Who supplied the blades? A steady supply was needed.

 

 

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

36 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

One of the founding members of our scroll saw club was Ernie Lang.  His passion  was searching out, restoring and cutting old scroll saw patterns from around the turn of the century.  That was the main reason he started the club.  He wasn't necessarily a pattern designer himself, but more of a historian and preservationist.  He knew most of the major fretwork pattern designers of the day.

Ernie passed away a number of years ago.  Unfortunately, a lot of scrolling knowledge and history passed with him.

Attached is an article from SSW&C magazine.  Hope you find it an interesting read.

https://scrollsawer.com/2009/09/02/ernie-langs-scrolling-scrapbook/

I love it. Those old timers sure knew what scrolling was all about. Foot powered saw. Today we complain when our electric saw breaks or needs repair. That story reminds me of another that I am very vague on the details but do remember there was a husband and wife who use to scroll together and they both used hand held fret saws. They did an article about them but do not remember what magazine it was in. They showed their work which was amazing. Todo it all with a hand saw was truely a wonder. I wish I could remember all the details. I want to say they were from Germany but could be wrong. Maybe someone here remembers the story. Stories like that should be documented somewhere to preserve for future scrollers

[preprius]

It would be cool to have a lot us build something. 

Even I would get my lazy butt to help.

We could mail our pieces to someone for the final assembly.

 

Another thought is to make a bunch of somethings to help out an event or specific charity.   We can make a catch phrase...

"scrollers for peaces", (play on words (peices).

Say no to "fyntanal", say yes for scollersaws. (bad example)

Our Boxes,  Bowls, baskets, or toys could sent somewhere with "complements of "scrollsaw village".  @Travis Kinda like Toys for tots concept. 

I can imagine all these 3d reindeer showing up somewhere.

[Wooden Lace]

I've been scrolling for 22 years now and have to say, when I look through my patterns, there's a LOT of Sue Mey and Sheila Landry/Keith Fenton patterns.  Also have quite a few from Dirk Boelman, his Cathedral cross is my favorite. 

 

Another one I seem to collect is Pedro from Seville, Spain.  He's at www.finescrollsaw.com.  His patterns are not originals, but computer precision remakes of old patterns.  They tend to be pricey, but worth it.  I have him email me the patterns, but they are designed for much larger paper, so I simply forward them to my local print shop that has paper that size.  My favorite of his is the Venetian bird cage, and I made that one.

[wombatie]

Gary Browning was the one to get me into portraits, the first being John Wayne in a new magazine in2000, I had been scrolling less than a year.  But over the years I have cut patterns by, Patrick Spielman, Sheila Landry, Sue Mey, Steve Good and many of our own pattern makers.  My favorite apart from the ones on SSV is Sue Mey, man I could spend a fortune on her site. 
Where would we all be without the fantastic pattern makers.

Marg

 

 

 

[kmmcrafts]

I'd say the most common pattern designer that I've done a lot of purchasing and cutting of their design work would be Sue Mey, Sheila and Keith Landry, a few Charles Dearing, Charles Hand, and Harvey Byler.. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.. but these are more current folks that are still doing business.  

There are tons of designers that are in my mind famous but they don't sell patterns but rather offer free patterns and take request.. for me these folks are the best.. There must be hundreds of names for this category of designers and I know I'll miss a good number of names.. some of these names are current and many are from some years ago and I have no idea if they are still around.. First are the ones still around doing this.. Paul ( Grampa ), Don in Brooklin On. Steve Good, We used to have Bob? ( Old Crow ) I think he has past on.. Now for some names of the past.. some may be still around under different sites and using different screen names etc..  But how about, ARPOP, Sylvia ( Thesawdustmistress ), Muleskinner, Sue Walker (Shadylady0447), Ski86401, Woodywoodscroller, Thestoxxschange, Norm Benjamin, Dave Hall ( Did a lot of cool car designs ), Scrollzilla, Wade Smith,  Kevin Daly, TDPainter, PawPaw, SullyScroller, Smitty, Sam Custodio, Andy Dean, Messman ( I think he is on this site from time to time ) I currently can't think of any others off the top of my head.. Most all of these folks listed I have done their patterns or they made me designs on request from various sites... I'm sure you'll recognize many of the names JT..  If I went through the thousands of pattern files I have on a hard drive I'm sure I could find a good list of names.. There used to me hundreds of designers on the old MSN and Yahoo Groups and when they shut those groups down we lost a lot of designers.. also unfortunately due to folks having designs made and then selling the designs made many designers quit doing free work etc.. so we lost a lot from that too.. 

Then there was not a designer but one that helped many folks get into the jigsaw puzzle making.. I think his name was Carter? He has past on a few years ago.. It seems like his name was Carter Johnson? Also not a designer but a person that was on the forums a lot and had a website that he sold puzzles on was Mike.. can't think of his last name but his website name was WoodNThings.. he also passed a few years ago. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Carter was famous for his stamp puzzles he would give away. He would send them out in match boxes. I know somewhere and man have no idea but I have a couple of his puzzles stamps. he did basically Christmas cards into puzzles and just any paintings. loved his work. Can not forget Sylvia (JR. Ranger). I basically stuck with the big names when I was scrolling full time. Rick and Karens work is what propelled me into this and could remember the limited page black and white, brochure he sent out with his plans and that grew over the years . Then if you joined his scrolling club every month you would get sheets of new patterns. Not sure if you remember The White Buffalo. Forgot his name but that was what he went by. I have many of his patterns. He did basically alot of occupational themes and spelled out their occupations. Such as Electrician, Chiropractor, Architect  and so forth. he would incorporate a scene relating to what they did within the names.  Very cool. Wow you brought up some old names from those MSN sites that I forgot about but clicked when I saw the names. Good times with those sites. 

You really have to take your hat off to Steve Good for his patterns every single day a new pattern. they are not the most complicated patterns to do but lots of great ideas. I wrote to him a few times trying to get him to do a line of occupational desk clocks. It is something I always wanted to do and he never did get around to them and I stopped pestering him for them. So I had a few designers here make me a few over the years and they did great. I would list but know I will leave someone out and that is not fair. In fact you Kevin even jumped on a few that were made. Sharing our work is a big deal these days because as I said and you can see from this list being compiled of great pattern makers many are passing away and this hobby is slowly dwindling. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[rafairchild2]

There was something JTTHECLOCKMAN wrote in that 2017 post that rings so true today. In particular when you add in the small CnC's and Lasers that have flooded the home workshops. (and yes, even they have their place). But more so... the cheap, mass-produced goods from overseas have changed the paradigm of what people are willing to pay. Even in the farmers market you have scrollers trying to compete with that work, so you see a lowering of their quality as well.

Quote

... I saw first hand the rise and fall of the desire of purchasing such fine work. people today do not look at the work the same way with the introduction of the Walmarts of the world.

With my own scrollsaw work, my mindset is changing every time I sit down at my workbench/saw. I am trying to raise the level of the quality of every one of my pieces. I suppose that is why I am a slow cutter.  From the right selection of quality hardwoods, the patterns I use, and of course the accuracy of my cuts and finish. I am striving to create heirloom-quality pieces that will live on long after I am gone. I seem to gravitate towards some of the older German designs.

Final thought: I will say I am sorry I missed those days of scroll-saw picnics and those "community" projects like the clock, it sounds like it was a tight community. My career was taking me around the globe, my hobby was on the back burner. I wonder if anything like that could be pulled off today.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by rafairchild2

[preprius]

40 minutes ago, rafairchild2 said:

I am striving to create heirloom-quality pieces that will live on long after I am gone. I seem to gravitate towards some of the older German designs.

I try really hard to think / make something a laser or a cnc machine can Not do. 

My wearable cowboy hats, laser cutters can not cut 3/4" wood. Especially at at a 9 deg angle in a oval. The cnc can but takes multiple boards or a big chunk of wood. My inspiration was youtube lathe videos showing a cowboy hat. They start with a 100lb stump. I just start with a 3/4" board and (3) 1/8" thick strips of 18" x 2ft long.  I try to make stuff the new machine can't. So my hats are all hand scrolled. 20 hours of work. 

Bowls also fall into this category. But lathes do bowls very well.  Is scrollsaw bowls competing with lathes?  Before thinking of hats I made a hollow nfl football.  just 2 bowls glued together.  Lathes can do this also.  But most wood workers have solid wood footballs. 

51 minutes ago, rafairchild2 said:

Even in the farmers market you have scrollers trying to compete with that work, so you see a lowering of their quality as well.

Functional scrollsaw projects are a challenge to compete with new fancy tools.  That is why I like scrollsawing hard projects. It shows fancy tools can't do everything yet.

I have wore my hats for over a year and a half. I get a lot of questions about selling my hats. But no one actually hired me yet. So I answered my own question ... no competition. But the product is so unique and really non functional, read that as not safe to wear. So I don't really expect to sell any.   One guy, a wood worker, asked me about the wood pattern leather hat. He got a kick that it was actual wood.

Inlays using cnc are a way different technique.  I feel scrollsaw is easier than cnc.  

Intarsia is also hard. So using a cnc for intarsia might be a bit easier getting perfect fit and carved to show depth. But still difficult with either tool.

Sorry for the long post. But some of this discussion touched on why I started scrolling in late 2020.  This village showed me it is fun and satisfying.

Me.

Mark Eason

[Scrappile]

I can make something without the ugly burned edges.... that is something.

[OCtoolguy]

The only thing I care to do with my laser is some sort of logo/signature for signing my work. But so far I haven't come up with anything unique.

[kmmcrafts]

A lot of the big name designers I think may have been before I really got into scrolling, or maybe because when I first got into it I first found the MSN and Yahoo groups and there were so many designs being posted every day that I never really learned of those bigger names until several years after I got into the hobby. 

Funny Paul you mention the burnt edges.. I get people asking me to paint the edges like some of my other things are painted as they like the detail it brings to the ornament, LOL.. I guess ugly burnt edges is liked by some folks.. I've seen on the FB scroll saw groups where one person actually is painting the edges because they like it that way too. Some designs I do like the darker edges while others I don't.. 

 

[Greatgrandpawrichard]

On 11/21/2023 at 9:22 PM, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Thought I would get a conversation going about some of the past and present scrollsaw pattern makers we all have encountered. I will start with my story and this will probably be long because I have been scrolling for over 50 years now. Started on an old 2 speed Dremel saw back in the day and then bought a hegner 18" and a Dewalt 788 that basically fell in my lap when Home Depot was selling them out. Paid $80 brand new with stand. How do you pass that up. Then it was on to 2 RBIs. 220VS and 226VS and the rest is history.  

I started following Rick and Karen Longabough and did hundreds of his patterns over the years. Then it was Dirk Boelman and his beautiful patterns. Then it was Dan and Ray Wilckens and man their work was beautiful too. I also followed John Nelson and in fact I worked on many projects for him testing his designs for Steebar Corp. back when the owner was a great guy. when he passed that company went down hill but many of my projects are still featured in his catalog. I have done many of Sue Mey patterns as well. I have done a few of Steve Goods patterns over time. I never did many of Pat Spielman patterns. Must mention the great pattern makers here on this site that have helped me over time also. Shout out to them.

I bring this up for a reason because I ran into an old thread on another forum where we talked about a couple of these greats. here is the thread and interesting read. I have to say the clock that Dirk Boelman had many scrollers complete was a site to see as he use to bring it to the scrollsaw picnics they use to hold every year. those that are old enough and go back to those days remember what I am talking about. Walk down memory lane folks. Check the photos out. You will notice I mixed the artists up and was questioning others about it and then it became clear. 

 

https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/general-scroll-saw/848105-put-those-minds-to-work

 

Dirk Boelman made fantastic patterns , so did Patrick Spielman! I bought one of Dirk's Fretsaws, and I still use it from time to time when I want to make extremely detailed gifts and I have plenty of time to do them. That old Fretsaw is so Slow, but it's also extremely accurate! The upper arms are made of Solid Oak!
Thanks for bringing up some great memories!

Dick