How Did You Get Started?

[MrsN]

My grandpa and dad were both woodworkers, so I was introduced early. I went to college and got a degree in technology education. I thought I would get a job teaching cad or photography or design and engineering, but the school that hired me said teach wood fundamentals and woodcrafts. I quick learned everything I could about woodworking so I could teach it. One day as my husband and I were wandering around Lowes I pointed at a hitachi scroll saw and said I want one of those. Husband said "what on earth are you going to do with that" then saw it was on sale and had a stand and said "put it in the cart". I was hooked instantly, and have been since (5 years)

[Harrygary]

I was looking on you tube for how to make boxes and i come a cross scroll sawing and I was hooked

[sullyscroller]

Wow where to start-- in december of 2009 i was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer and told that i had about 15% chance of living a year, went thru chemo & radiation spring of 2010 and surgery as well in april of 2010. My wife and i had been doing shows of and on since 2006. I of course had to quit work and all of it took it's toll on my body but not my spirit then in the later half of 2010 i developed atrial fibrolation that put me in the hospital about every 9 days. Had a cardiac ablasion done in dec. 2010. I allways loved woodworking but never found my niche. Saw a scroller at a show we did in boone and got the bug.That was around november of 2010. I bought a Skil scrollsaw at lowes and started cutting ornaments then progressed to portraits and fretwork. When people ask me how i do it i tell them it's a gift from God. I truly beleive it because this is what i can do but every time i try to do "real work" it almost kills me physically. I can cut for 10 - 12 hours a day and love it. Thats my story and i'm stickin to it lol

 

sully

[artmill]

Always enjoyed working with wood but was never that good at it. After my father passed away in 2011, I was going through his tools and found a delta 40-550 (I think think thats the model) and tried it out. Well I made name plaques for Christmas because I have always wanted to make gifts for Christmas and liked it so much that I wanted to do intricate stuff so I searched the web for more info and found SSV, Steve Good and others. As I learned from my research I went on craigs list and found a 788 like new for $225 and bought it. I had old barn oak but needed to plane it so I went on craigs list again and got a dewalt 12 1/2" planer. I have since scrolled clocks, angels, crosses and best yet was a portrait of my mother in-law using gimp TRAINING BY SSVU. I have yet to put it in the gallery here. I still have a lot more to learn. Thanks to Dad

Edited July 20, 2013 by artmill

[Fab4]

When I came out of rehab 25+ years ago (drugs and alcohol) also known as "The good old days"

I went to a Sears outlet to kill time. I saw this machine with a pattern book beside it.

The patterns in the book were Christmas ornaments -

I was on a leave from work and had a lot of time on my hands which I needed to fill. 

The busier I was the less I had time to think of "The good old days"

I figured if I can cut these ornaments then my wife, son and daughter can paint them

and we'll put them in the tree.

That was the start of my sobriety and still going strong today - Between scrolling and

having a great support team behind me I'm still doing it today. . . Sober and drug free

Other than those stupid meds I have to take - - -Doctor's orders

 

When I did get back to work, my co-workers asked me what I did with my time off

I told them that I bought this saw and cut out ornaments for the tree -

They wanted to see them and when they did they wanted to buy them

One thing led to another and that's how I bought the rest of my tools

Through the sales of my scrolling work -

In my wildest dreams I never thought that scrolling would be so much fun for such a long period of time.

 

Then you get a computer, go online, sign up to these so called scroll saw groups only to find out that

there are other people that do what you do and they are all willing to share there knowledge.

                  I don't know about the rest of you but it doesn't get much better than this

Fab4

[KurtP]

It's my wife's fault I got into scrolling. LOL
 
My wife wanted the words Live, Love, Laugh to hang on the wall. She seen them at a store but each one was $25. I went to the store with her one day and took a look at them. they were cheap made in China things. I told her I could do it cheaper and it would look better, but I had no idea how as I have never done any woodworking before.
 
I created a pattern for the words and tried to cut them using a jig saw  but that didn't work out to well took me forever and a day to sand the edges.
I did some more research and found out about the scrollsaw. I never even knew what a scrollsaw was before that.
 
I bought a cheap scrollsaw and fell in love with it.
So now when my wife says I am spending too much time in the garage scrolling, I just tell her it's her fault.

 

 

 

Kurt

Edited July 21, 2013 by KurtP

[bandaideman]

I started about 17 years ago. I had seen the saws at different venues and always thougt that was neat but no time or money to start up. Then the budget cuts hit in the 90's and i found myself on one of the Posts to be closed with the re alinement. I was out of job with 11 mos short of drawing a retirement and thought well I find something soon. NOt. Anyways I found myself depressed and not moving of doing anything. I knew I had to do something to get myself motivated to do something bought a dremel and felt good making simple progects. Now I have a Dewalt and an Excaliber 21 and a lathe, bandsaw and planner. Make bigger and better things. All in all was the best thing that ever happened and found a job that paid double wha the Gov. paid.

[heppnerguy]

Wow where to start-- in december of 2009 i was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer and told that i had about 15% chance of living a year, went thru chemo & radiation spring of 2010 and surgery as well in april of 2010. My wife and i had been doing shows of and on since 2006. I of course had to quit work and all of it took it's toll on my body but not my spirit then in the later half of 2010 i developed atrial fibrolation that put me in the hospital about every 9 days. Had a cardiac ablasion done in dec. 2010. I allways loved woodworking but never found my niche. Saw a scroller at a show we did in boone and got the bug.That was around november of 2010. I bought a Skil scrollsaw at lowes and started cutting ornaments then progressed to portraits and fretwork. When people ask me how i do it i tell them it's a gift from God. I truly beleive it because this is what i can do but every time i try to do "real work" it almost kills me physically. I can cut for 10 - 12 hours a day and love it. Thats my story and i'm stickin to it lol

 

sully

Wow, Sully.  I sure had no idea about your health. I only knew you for a short time before free4all shut down because I only stumbled upon it about a month before that. You were so active and had such talent, unlike myself, and I am amazed that you have only been into scrolling for such a short time. I love your work but now, I love your attitude and fortitude even more. What a great guy you are. I'm so glad God gave you this time and talent so we all can benefit from you.  God blessed you and then He blessed us all here on The Village with you as a family member here.

[sullyscroller]

Wow, Sully.  I sure had no idea about your health. I only knew you for a short time before free4all shut down because I only stumbled upon it about a month before that. You were so active and had such talent, unlike myself, and I am amazed that you have only been into scrolling for such a short time. I love your work but now, I love your attitude and fortitude even more. What a great guy you are. I'm so glad God gave you this time and talent so we all can benefit from you.  God blessed you and then He blessed us all here on The Village with you as a family member here.

Richard , I can only give the credit to God. My being here and being able to do what i truly love is his gift to me. Seems like each time i witness and testify for the Lord he blesses me. It's been a tough road but it truly has given me a new outlook on life. I take one day at a time and as far as giving back to others scrollers ,I to had no clue about all the ways to make scrolling fun till i found SSV and free4all, so if i can help someone else to make it as much fun i'll do it happily. God left me here for a reason instead of letting me go home with him and he shows me the joy of living each time i give Him the glory. Just today he let me cut 3 peices and put ideas in my head for about 4 new patterns to give him praise . I'm just blessed !!!

 

sully

[keefie]

I sort of started in 2000, I had been laid off work because of my leg and was getting bored silly. I had a few basic tools in my garage and I tried making wooden planter boxes. Thet turned out reasonable but by no means could I call them good (or even fair if i'm honest lol) I was looking through the hobbies catalogue for inspiration to try something else and saw their miniature grandfather clock. I ordered the pattern and the plywood needed also the clock itself, then I ordered a Clarkes Scrollsaw (it was on special offer at £49.99) I knew nothing at all about scroll saws and when it arrived it was a single speed saw that only took pin end blades (there was an adaptor in the box but nothing to say what it was lol. ) I copied the plans at the local library so I could keep the originals.  I managed to cut half of it using the pinned blades before I realised what the adaptors were for, then finished it with some cheap pinless blades - which took ages to change holes for the next cut lol.that experience put me off scrolling for a long time. Here is a picture of the clock when finished (sorry bout the quality of pic)

 

I didn't touch it again for a long time and I took up woodturning instead. My leg has gotten slightly worse and I couldn't stand at the lathe as long, so I dusted off the scrollsaw to try it again. I stayed with the simpler patterns as the blade changing was a "royal pain in the butt"  I then joined  Steve Goods scrollsaw forum and saw so many amazing things that could be made with a scrollsaw. Just before Christmas, the year after mum passed, I wanted to try to make a plaque of Mum for Dads Christmas present. I posted my request for a simple pattern (as I had never attempted anything like this before) on the pattern request section in the forum, and had lots of replies with patterns. I chose the pattern made by Grampa (Paul) as he had made it as I requested - fairly simple to cut. (Thank you again Paul for all your help, you're a Star) after that I was hooked. here is a picture of mum's portrait.

About 2 years ago I had a win on the lottery, not massive, but a nice £1508.00 which cleared off a few bills and left me enough to upgrade to my Excalibur saw - that was the best purchase I've made in a long time. Thats how I got started.

 

I would like to add a little something here, Sully, I'm really pleased that someone was looking down on you from above with his blessings, and hope he continues to care for you.

 

Keefie.