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I have purchased a few sets of patterns from here. http://woodyoubelieveshop.blogspot.com/ I have done one so far, have the lights but have not put them on. Got to get that done before December....

I guess there is no more linking photos from my photo bucket account to this or any other site unless you pay some rediculous fee. From what was free for so long has now become another money grabber. What a shame. Any of the threads where i had done this in the past are now now gone.

I finished this project this weekend. The pattern is by Sue Mey and found in CWWC August 2013. I wanted to make this project for some time, but didn't have the right wood. I used 1 1/4" Maple discarded by the local La-Z-Boy chair manufacturer. The trim is 1/8" Walnut and the backing is Red Oak plywood. I used FD Polar #9 blades and finished with spray Shellac. Ideal for displaying small items. Any ideas? Comments welcome.

I have a Dewalt 788 and that is the best that I can afford. I usealy put in about $80 in repairs per year. A new D.W. 788 cost about $550 and the next step up is about $700. Just figure out what you can afford and go from there . IKE

I use FD UR blades. They have the sharp teeth on the right, as you face the saw. Open the pdf file to see how I cut circles. Here is why; After the first cut (shown with a red line), back the blade all the way out to the Starter Hole. Spin the piece 180 degrees and back the blade into the first cut. To make the 2nd cut (blue), it does 2 things. 1. The blade is already on the line that you want to finish. 2. Now the sharp side of the blade will keep it from trying to follow the 1st cut back towards the starter hole. See the image for an example of a lot of circles. This method makes your life easier. Hope you can understand it. I sure as heck cannot. jerry SSV Hint.pdf

Here's my cut of some cats

If it isn't to much trouble Dave, I would love one with the name KAYLA. What type of hook do you have on the back.

Shellac is different from other film finishes in that you want a very thin layer as the topcoat. It is very hard and brittle when cured, so if the layer of finish is too thick, it can be prone to crazing and cracking, over time. Thinning shellac with DNA is a matter of personal preference. I've shot the pre-mixed seal coat straight out of the can before and I've thinned it before. Works fine either way and I don't think one would notice much difference in drying time. The rule of thumb seems to be that between a 1 and 2 lb cut is preferred for spraying. Zinnser Seal coat is a 2 lb cut of de-waxed shellac, while the regular Zinnser Bulls Eye (amber & clear) is a 3 lb cut and contains wax. You can readily spray the Seal Coat straight out of the can, but it is probably a good idea to thin the regular, waxed shellac somewhat. The proportions don't need to be terribly precise. The ratio is a little more critical if you are mixing your own shellac from flakes.

Harvey Byler's SEA TURTLE is one of my top sellers being that they nest here on our beach every year and folks really get into the critters. A couple of months ago I came up with an idea/design and had Harvey draw up one that says CAROLINA BEACH... In the 7 weeks I've been selling it, it's now my top seller. A week ago Saturday I had a customer come up and really liked it and asked if I could do one for the place where they have a summer home... CAPTIVA ISLAND... so I placed the order with Harvey and I cut it today. The customer said they know the guy that runs a gift shop there and they'd show it to him and maybe he'll want to try some in his shop. I hear that a lot, so I never hold my breath. I had the guy that runs the gift shop at a zoo go crazy over my zoo animals. We emailed a couple of times, then he disappeared. Another time I had the head of the Chihuahua rescue group get excited about the Chihuahua puzzle and I offered suggestions such as spelling out RESCUE in the body and then they could sell them (I'd give them a discount) and they could stimulate donations, etc... Never heard from her again... Anyway, here are the original Sea Turtle, the Carolina Beach version and the custom request Captiva Island Iggy

I am weak, I cannot resist, just had to order the "Workshop" pattern.... May get to it in the next five years!

Sue Mey also has some on her site scrollsaw artist.com I have done a couple of hers. edward

Aggie, you had to put cats on here. My Granddaughter saw this and she loves it. She is a big cat lover. Where can I get that pattern. I would love to make that for her.

Jeremy, Hawkeye said pretty much what I hesitated to say in my last post. I'm a Hawk advocate myself. Yes, I started at the the bottom w/an entry level Craftsman single speed. I wore it completely out. Then I bought a used Craftsman VS that uses pin type or plain end blades. I still have it in service. Then the wife & I were in HD in Denver some 20+ years ago, & they had a Hitachi CW - 40 on sale. They said they weren't goin' to make the saw any longer.:( We kicked it around, & decided to bring it home. That saw has never failed me! After I read some of the reviews on it before I even put it all together, I looked at my wife & told her we just bought a pile of scrap iron! I've put over 3000 hours on that saw, & the only repairs I've made to it is new bellows & air lock line, VS switch, & power switch. That saw still cuts & runs like new! Then we bought a used VS220 Hawk on ebay. the feller said it was like new. Within two years, I'd wore it out enough it was time to trade it off. I'd made simple repairs to it, but things kept getting worse, so The folks at Hawk decided it was time for them to look at it. We loaded the saw in the pick up, & went to Bushton. When their crew went through it, it was going to take about $700 to fix it. I just traded it in on a BM - 26. That was in September of last year. I don't regret a minute of it! The things this saw will do, & the capabilities it has are just unbelievable! The saw is simple built, but has adjustments to make the saw cut any way you want it to. It's designed for top & bottom feeders, VS, tension release is at the nose of the top arm. I could go on, but you can check it out on their website. The price may make your face light up, & your hair stand up, but trust me, it's well worth the money. The tech service is top notch, & parts availability is not a problem, & fast shipping. Like Hawkeye said, & a few more too, invest in the best saw you can afford when you buy. Check out their customer service & parts availability & how willing they are tohonor their warranty & answer questions. Spend some time researching how well different breeds hold up under given conditions. Once you've decided on what you want, doresearch on that machine. Blade clamps, blade holders, speeds, lube points, etc. You'll figure things out as you go, but be cautious to not to just jump into something you're not going to enjoy. That's the important part.

Here are some of Helmut's patterns http://oldcrowscrollwerks.weebly.com/store/c9/Schwibbogen_by_Helmut.html

Keep us informed as to how things work out for you Dick heppnerguy

Helmut has a great selection to pick from, I bought a bunch of patterns from him. Len

cw.ccw it's about the same to me unless the blade drifts

Peter, Great cutting

Wonderful job. I love it.

I made this for a friend whose daughter passed away recently of cancer & she wanted this to put some special things in of hers. It is 5' x 1.5" & used ultra gloss for the finish. Nearly forgot it is a pattern from Sheila Landry. Cheers Peter

Wonderful job, Peter.

Hi Tony, After making and selling them for a year, it still doesn't feel like a "job" to me. I find it very relaxing to go into the shop and make a couple at a time throughout the day, ending up with 7-10 completed puzzles each day. I don't restrict what I make, I make whatever folks like and/or ask for. I work full time, from home, and this is a nice distraction and break during the work day in between conference calls and emails. Since each one takes me under 30 minutes, I have the personal satisfaction of a completed item every half hour which is what I like. I hope that helps explain my personal mindset. Iggy

Just a few points of clarification. EX was not made in China, they were made in Taiwan. The same Taiwanese factory is still making the same saw, but now selling it under different brands, so, the same parts are available under Pegas, Excelsior, Axminster, Carbatec, and etc. Seems like the original EX design is alive and well, and available about everywhere except in the U.S. I suspect, the same factory is also making the new Seyco.

Beautiful job on a wonderful project, thanks for sharing. Jeff

Very nicely done, Marg, looks great. Jeff

Very nicely done, all around a great result. Jeff

Jeremy on the low side I would get the DW788 but I really try and do better. I have an Excaliber 16 it's a pretty nice saw but if you wanted only buy one saw that would last the rest of your life get one of the new RBI Hawks. Do some research.

I cut in either direction. Sometimes the pattern will dictate. Sometimes the blade will. I find that there aren't a lot of hard & fast rules with scrolling.

Outstanding work Peter, I love the finish. I am sure her mum will love it. By the way it's a bit big isn't it 5', I think you meant 5" Marg

Special boxes like this mean the world to the ones receiving it.

You can ask 100 scrollers that question, & based on their preference, experience, expectations of the saw, what they do w/it, the list goes on, you'll get 101 different answers. My advice is to figure out what type of projects you want/like to do, how big of a saw you want within your budget, then start researching saws from there. Get away from the pin type blades.

Nice!

Go to the scroll saw review thread in this forum and you will get a lot of great info. If you have any more questions after that come back and ask. There are a lot of good saws out there.

Great looking box. You did a great job cutting and finishing it.

Great work.

Beautifully detailed work, nice cutting

Beautiful box Peter!

Superb box Peter Thanks for showing us

Looks great thanks for sharing

Beautiful piece of artwork you have crafted Pete and your friend is sure to treasure it with the mementos of her daughter's she plans to store in it. I really like it. Thanks for sharing.

Looks great thanks for sharing

That is some great work! The stain, and everything. Very fine cutting, great job

Totally AWESOME!!! One of the best eagle patterns I've yet seen. Very nicely done Pete. Can you tell me where the pattern is available. Thank you.

Peter, Very nice cutting and the frame is sure fitting.

Beautiful piece of artwork you have crafted from a nice pattern. No doubt your son will love it and display with pride. thanks for sharing.

Love it and so will he. Love the stain color and the frame. Would love to try and make some frames but not sure how to do the back.

Thank you friends for the warm welcome! I saw here lot of experienced people! In Russia we also have people who cut, but mostly ornaments. To do the sawing, I was inspired by authors Judy and Dave Peterson of the journal "Animal Puzzles for the Scroll Saw"