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I needed a quick easy project from the new issue of SWWC Winter 2017. The pattern is by Bruce Shea. I used 3/4" Poplar for the word art and 1/4" Yellowheart for the star. The blades used were FD UR #1 and #5. The finish was one coat of sanding sealer and two coats of spray Shellac. Comments welcome.

Purchase this pattern from www.WoodcraftByScott.com

Started my Christmas gifts early. I've down loaded several Schwiboggen plans and I thought I start with this one. 1/8" bb x 2 sides. Cutting wasn't too bad. Used 2.5" x 3/4" wide pine for base and 1/8 wide table saw blades for the slots. My artistic wife painted the outside. Found AA battery holder with switch on internet. Only place to find " grain-of-wheat" 3vdc lights at Amazon (200 in a pack) From China..... Initially bought 20awg wire but too stiff. Finally pulled apart a Ethernet cable 24AWG??? for leads. Lots of stripping and soldering. Hot Glue Gun'd wires in place. Used 16 bulbs. Battery tends to run down fast. May have to go to AA batteries or C instead. First attempt. Still learning/experimenting!

Moose sign left natural with letters painted black as requested jades from 3/4" plywood, cabin sign made from 1/2" plywood with 1/4* birch old or the lettering and and symbols, and a bunch of eagles made from 2 by's and 1/2" plywood. been a busy month so far with a few more projects to do.

Hi fellow scrollers, The name is Travis and I'm new to this site after discovering it on Youtube. I've been slowing inching my way into woodworking then I found a new hobby in scrolling. I was given an old Craftsman scroll saw that used 3 inch blades and was able to cut a few rough pieces for a project my wife tasked me with. I decided to buy a new Ryobi 16" scroll saw from Home Depot to be better off in my hobby. Since I'm very new at this I know some will see my mistakes right off the bat. I welcome all input and advice on how to better my craft.

I use 3 box fans with filters in the shop. Here's a picture. There's 20 incher with two filter on the window sill and 12 incher on the bench close to the saw.

Bill this is how I do it. Both fans are about $20 each at Wally World.

Rescued 40, 3 foot, 3 inch by 3/4 inch Japanese cherry hardwood flooring today. 95% of my materials are free but at times I make a buy like this when the wood is hard to get or expensive. About 6o sq feet from a re- use it store. 20$. First item i made was this celtic pendant that absolutely had gorgeous colours. I gotto two out of the cut. The wood is beautiful. Can't wait to see what I am going to make... Tonight I cut this wind battered tree from this same Japanese cherry, it's hard wood for sure. Wood database doors not have it listed though, so I can't find the janka hardness. This tree is gonna look wild when it's done I think as the collars are gonna pop with tung oil

That model is not VS .But still a good deal

Hello friends: I cut the 4 "pvc tubes in half, making small curves. I placed the pattern inside the tube (centered on the curvature that serves as a support) and fixed it with adhesive glue and transparent adhesive tape. I made the cut with manual bow. I used Blade N ° 5 I sanded all burrs after cutting. I made 3 pieces of agglomerate with melamine (6mm) Two of them for the base, making a hole for the cable entry and socket for focus. The last I made a cut of 1 cms around the perimeter. Once I got everything ready, I glued the base and the top ring with quick glue. I hope I have explained well, greetings to all.

I think you will be happy with that. Looks to be in good clean shape. Reading about it, runs at around 56 db. that is quieter than mind and I think the Festool. Good find.

You stole that vac I have the same one.The new ones are not made in Germany anymore,But the Quality is still there .I have had mine for about 9 years now and not a problem The one i have has variable speed and i use about the middle setting for the Scroll saw witch makes it really quiet.When I am using the lathe I use full power and it is still half the noise level one my shopvac It looks like yours has VS.But I could not tell by the picture.I use both the bags and the filter along with the cyclone and it has been working pretty good

The numbers that I quoted are the model number. I looked it up and it seems that it was made about 8 years ago and was rated as one of the best. This one from the pictures appears to be in new condition. The seller came back with a counter offer and I took it. I'll be picking it up on Sunday. Thanks for your help. Ray

Nice work thanks for sharing

Nice use of scraps thanks for sharing

Made just to see what I could do! Walnut, cherry and the T-Rex is oak! And some unknown hard woods too. Cords are all rawhide.

I love it, Duke. Been there, done that. (I flew 82 missions in the Gulf of Tonkin.)

I have a Fein Turbo II. Only had it a little while, but I love it. I can only hear the noise of sucking air when scrolling. Not sure what your numbers mean, but maybe their website has info. Fein has been around for a long time, and all the ones I have seen have had the power tool trigger your speak of. Mine comes on about three second after I start the tool and runs for 15 seconds after I shut it off. I would think if the one you are looking is in good shape, it would be worth the money. I wish I had bought one years ago. The only better vac I know of is the Festool. Well from the price and their reputation, I think it must be better, but I have never actually seen one.

I have to agree 100% with Dan. I liked the arrowhead so much that, i decided to try to make a pendant one. Thanks for the idea.

More great work. I do want to cut that bear.

I pretty much copied this setup, after buying a Fein. I love my Fein! I am very happy with this set up. . I have to fiddle with it now and again to get the suction where I want it. I keep tweaking it and it is just getting better and better. I do not know why I didn't do this years ago. Other than the vacuum I probably have less than $8 in PVC but the Loc-line cost around $70. for the two machines I have. Not that much for one. The loudest sound is the air sucking. It is louder than the noise of the saw and the vacuum. The Fein is a couple GB louder than a Festool and a couple hundred cheaper. I do not know how to make the air sound quieter. I think if you turn off your aids it will not bother you. I also do not have the "trap" that Rolf added, but I may some day. This setup is simple and effective. I use to have a box fan with a filter and used the saws blower. No comparison. I have not vacuumed my saws since I made this set up and I can go to bed at night and breath after time in the shop.

Totally AWESOME Frank. Maybe you can explain further how these were cut.

these are going to sky rocket your sales you don't have. Each and everyone you showed us here are a one of a kind ,Hard to get exciting crafts from you.Your work has always been exceptional but these shoot thru the roof great.What extraordinary talent you display here.500 ATTA BOY'S for you.As always please keep your work coming and thanks for showing!

Wooden Teddy Bear did a great service in preserving Mike's website when they bought the business. The link for the site is https://mikesworkshop.com/

Ray, I'm not sure if it still exists or not, but if you could find Mike Moorlach's (flying Dutchman) site, there's all kinds of information there on what blade does what. It tells you the size to use, and what type to use on what material. I think that if you find the site and read all that Mike has posted, you will be well informed on what blade to use for what. Len

Ray, I'm afraid that you might just have to do some of your own trial and error experiments, like most of us did when we first started out. I'm not pointing you out, but there's been a lot of people asking questions they should be able to find the answers to themselves with just a little bit of experimenting on their own. If you figure it out on your own, it will stick in your brain longer. You've been scrolling long enough now, that you should know what blade cuts what best. If your talking marquetry and thickness of wood, you should know what thickness a blade will cut by now. That's all you have to figure out, what blade works best with 1/16" or 1/4" or 3/8" or 1/2" and so on. Learn that, and you will know as much or more them the rest of us. Len

I found it very helpful to purchase several assorted blades sets and then use the practice pattern with different blades. You will improve your cutting skills and will learn what to look for in blades that match your touch. I have settled on the Flying Dutchman 1, 3 and 5 ultra reverse blades. I like they way the handle in tight spots and I like the smooth finish they leave behind in the cut. I can do extremely fine cuts in the cherry wood I prefer to work with. That, however, is MY personal preference. Yours may differ. If you haven't found the practice patterns, here's a link: http://www.scrollsawgoodies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/TCF0003_Practice.pdf

That chart is very handy. You will notice that you might have less control if the blade is too small or it seems like a buzz saw blade because its so big. then you just fine tune it from there. Its a pretty constant thing so once you have a few blade range to match your wood its a simple thing. For me I basically make everything out of 1/8" bb. I use the same for backers so the biggest blade i will use is maybe a 3. thats for the 1/4" piece front and backing together. That or a 1. I doo the rest of the cuts with a 2/0. so really i only have 3 blades that i use all the time. 3, 1 and 2/0. thats it, usually i dont even use the 3 so its really just the 2 sizes.

well, first of all, to make ya feel better, there ain't a dumb question, boss, unless it didn't get asked. When I started 25 years ago, I read a book about scroll sawing, & it said throughout it to get several blades & try them in different projects. There are a thousand ways to answer to your question, Ray. A good rule of thumb is the thicker the material, the bigger the blade. The thinner the material, the smaller the blade. And, the smaller the blade, the more tension. The bigger the blade, the less tension. We all have our preferred blades to work with. My preference is Olson & FD. Most all of my projects are hardwood. I plane my lumber to 1/2" or there abouts for most projects, unless a different idea strikes me. I use #2, #3, & #4 skip tooth blades as a rule. I cut my own feathers for my dream catchers from 3/16" planed wood. I'll use a #0 or #1 skip tooth for those. Fretwork usually about the same. For lettering & detail in projects, I'll use #0 - #3 polar blades because they are a thinner dimension blade, leave a smooth, clean cut, & less fuzzies to deal with. If I'm cuttin' outside cuts, or minimal designs, I use a #5 skip tooth blade. You'll find your blade size has a lot to do with your cutting speed & projects, & wood species. You just have to find a blade that works best for you & the type of cutting you do.

For the record there are no dumb questions Like Iggy and Jim said you will get a feel for your blades with time and experience. When I started scrolling ~12 years ago, I bought a bunch of different blades from most of the manufacturers. I tend to go with a smaller blade than most for the details and control that I need for what I cut. It is hard to leave brand names out of it because a 2/0 from say FD is a different animal from a 2/0 from Olson. I cut a lot of delicate detailed ornaments, stack cut 6 1/16 thick Finish birch ply. I use a 2/0 Olson 28 teeth/inch(TPI) revers tooth blade. It is easy to control and goes where I want it to without any delay when I turn the wood. The FD 2/0 blade has 15TPI, it cuts faster but flexes more in the turns. For 3/4 inch wood I like a #3 with 13 TPI depending on the hardness or type of wood. I may go to a #7 skip tooth with 10 TPI. The fewer the teeth the faster and more aggressive the cut. I don't like crown tooth blades. Most folks swear by their favorite brand because they have gotten used to how they cut. All blades need to be used for a while until you learn their quirks. Most have a bias for cutting to one side at an angle. The Olson PGT series cuts perfectly straight. The main thing is blade tension and practice, let the blade do the cutting. Do a straight cut and stop watching the blade catch up. Don't force the blade. A reference chart mentioned above. http://www2.woodcraft.com/PDF/Olson-scrollblade-chart.pdf

Iggy hit most of the high points. You WILL get a feel for blade/species/thickness questions. My absolute go to blade is a FD-3UR. But, in my stuff are various sizes of FD, Olson and Pegas blades and I will switch depending on my feel at that point. There are some here who cut 95% with one size blade and that is their comfort level. They know what to expect and they can make the blade do their bidding. It seems to me that I am always about 1 size large than the consensus, but it comfortable for me and I can do what I want. I also keep my blade a little tighter than a lot of folks. Unfortunately, there is no set chart that has been published. It is up to the artist to choose their tool.

Hey Ray, Yep, it's pretty much, try 'em and see how you like 'em. There are some little charts like this one http://www2.woodcraft.com/PDF/Olson-scrollblade-chart.pdf but I use a #3 blade for all of my puzzles cut from 3/4" poplar and you won't see that as a recommended blade anywhere. Use whatever feels right for you allowing you to cut the detail the way you want, that doesn't burn the wood and that doesn't snap or break often. I have several different blades, all sizes, different makers that I've tried over the past 2 years. You'll find the ones you like best, that cut the cleanest, the smoothest, etc and you'll stick with them. Olson -vs- Flying Dutchman is like Ford -vs- Chevy, folks have their favorite but they're all good. I'm happy to chime in and give you no help at all. :-)

Had to try the Pegas blades got some this afternoon tried the modified geometry blades l was very happy with them they are sharp and for some reason they seem quiet compared to my FD blades . Will continue to try them on different kinds of wood will let you all know what I find . Thanks Bill

Pegas modified geometry #5 is my go-to blade.

Good evening, I just ordered 2.0, 3 and 5 mg will give my take when come in, thx RJ

I have been using the Pegas spiral 2/0 almost exclusively for several months. Very happy with the performance.