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Been busy learning the Ryobi 162vs with pin end blade. Have to finish them off with oil. What kind of finish would look better? Will appreciate feedback on it.

latest version of a wind swept tree cut from oak framed with oak and mounted on engineered flooring sample. The pic was dark cause daylight was gone so I had to adjust the light a bit with my camera

Been playing around with some live edge pieces and watco stains

I put the German word for Fall or Autumn (HERBST) into the shape of a pumpkin. Hope y'all like.

Finally got round to finishing this. I have been meaning to create some replicas of cool looking ancient weapons. This is cut from old oak flooring mounted on engineered flooring sample and framed with edges from an oak cupboard door. Next up I am going to try some ninja weapons

An order came in when my saw was down and i completed it and now the customer isn't picking it up for some reason.$10 bucks gets me that much closer to paying off the jeep i just acquired,silver glitter on the isa name loaded up as i didn't have a silver base to spay.i am swamped with things to organize to get to the rattle cans.What's happening is every job requires something different and to get what i need just makes the mess even worse till i'm ready to scream.lol I realized i didn't cut the tail end of the gaby name as i do this so turning the name cutting it i t doesn't break it off .Sometimes i forget.but i caught it in time and fixed it.I know i know ,No pictures ,Didn't happen for the peanut gallery,lol

Attention all dog puzzle cutters... if you ever get asked if you can make a TIBETAN... SAY NO!!!! Someone is going to own a one-of-a-kind... cuz I ain't makin' another one of these!!!! Take a close look at the fur cuts just in the head and you'll see why.

Well here is my entry. A tattoo inspired piece made from magnolia, Spanish cedar, walnut, Peruvian walnut, bubinga and aspen. The Grim Reaper

It has been some time since I have been here as well as being at my saw. I got up in penmaking and drifted a bit. But as life goes I have a renewed interest in scrolling again. I have been searching for interesting patterns and such, hopefully something there is a market for in my area. retirement/disability is kinda skinny. Anyway I just wanted to drop a note and say hello.

Cut from 5/8 cherry.. modified Steve Good pattern. Left out the text on this one.. If I cut it again I'll change the text to just say Mustang rather than how Steve had it as 1968 Mustang GT Fastback.. Not a big fan of putting the year on these because some cars I've done are the same body but customers want X year instead.. so from now on to keep things a little more simple.. I plan to leave the year off of them..

Just as i finished a project and started on the base stand ,The saw was acting very erratic .The motor was hinting of misfires and wanted to speed up on its own sporadically.So i had another saw on the floor over a year in my way with no place to put it with out a lot of work was about to be cannibalized.I started with the easy fix first like change the speed control,Nope ,then the on off switch ,nope.then the circuit board,nope /Only thing left was the motor so that's what i did.Mind you now i don't have table one to work on and did all the work in my lap.no fun but no choice.funny thing was i hate getting into a dewalt because it's like working on a watch.Well been there done that to many times but this was the most extensive I've done to 2 dewalts simultaneously.This spare dewalt was the worst of my stock so i didn't care to rip it apart for the mucch needed parts on hand.It was the worstest sounding machine i ever owned at a low price of $80.00 from a pawn shop dealer that went out of business 20 Miles from me 2 years ago,I danced in the chair balancing the machine struggling with bolts and nuts ,But gotter done in record time too .That's the amazing part/Fired it up and it's as sweet as a new born kitten again.first motor problem in the 19 dewalts i own.No rhyme or reason why it went but that life.I, used this machine 4 years i guess.

Nicely cut. The only suggestion that I would have is with your first piece, on the name courage I would cut the letter O in this manner..(shown in the enclosed image). this way you have a letter and not a hole. with other letters like most B b Dd g Oo Pp Qq's if you do not leave a small space the round, enclosed parts of the letters become holes instead.. Not criticizing but just pointing this out so that it might help you. Nice work. Dick heppnerguy

My husband & I have started to use the scroll saw. Not real original and fairly basic but we think they turned out fantastic for our first go at it! Nicole & Dack

Howdy All. I thought it would be fun to start incorporating some Scroll Saw Challenges on SSV. So let's start off with a Halloween challenge! The theme for this challenge is "Halloween." Post your Halloween themed finished project, or a pattern you designed here. The theme is open to interpretation. You can post something spooky, harvest, or fall related project. When you post it, say a little something about it. Maybe a little story related to the project, what inspiration you took, materials or techniques used. It doesn't have to be elaborate. But it's nice to read a little about a project and seeing the picture or pattern. I'll start. I went back to MT recently and my dad got a new DeWalt scroll saw. I've been looking at upgrading mine (an old craftsman 16") and I figured I'd try his out to see how well I like the DeWalt. I picked this pattern from SSWW&C to test it out. It was a fun project. I dabbed craft paint on the surface, leaving the inside cuts raw wood. Then I used antiquing paste wax to distress it a bit. You can find the pattern here: http://scrollsawer.com/2017/08/01/nr-festive-jack-o-lanterns/

I stopped by Bushton today to test drive a Hawk. I think it is a good machine but I am really concerned about trying to learn to top feed with it. Being the blade holders are not solid it seems totally awkward. The girl showing it to me said I need to learn to bottom feed. I'm an old dog and not great at learning new tricks. Any feedback is appreciated.

Welcome back. I noticed your absence on another site.

Hi Dave, "stardos stencil" on dafont.com site is a good one! Bob

Welcome back to the Village. Look forward to your participation.

Hi,I love my EX30 Scrollsaw (HMS Axminster) and cannot fault it anywhere apart from the steel tabletop that some eejit decided to paint...... why can't they use stainless steel? oh well as the paint on mine was starting to come off I decided to make a new tabletop that was maintenance free (could have made a plywood one but that would need replacing eventually) so I priced up replacing the whole tabletop and the price for 8mm Alloy plate was ££££££££££££££££££ (don't even mention S/S which was even more) so I bought a sheet of 2mm thick alloy and bolted it diretly onto the original steel tabletop so its extremely solid and won't rust One other thing I did was change the very large blade slot on the original table to a much smaller 5mm which has made a massive improvement when cutting tiny pieces of Intarsia (they no longer disappear down the slot ) I Started by removing the steel tabletop (4x countersunk bolts with nuts under the table) and placed it onto the sheet of 2mm alloy and used a scriber to draw around the steel top and marked and centre punched the bolt holes and also all the dust extraction holes, after trying various saws/tools to cut the alloy i ended using my Bosch jigsaw with fine metal blade and cut slightly larger than the table and then used a palm sander with 80 grit to trim to the exact outline and drilled/countersunk all the holes.Then all i had to do was bolt them both back onto the EX30, by using 2mm thick alloy you can use the original bolts (any thicker plate and you will need longer bolts) after testing the saw it works perfect and only took around 6 hours (probably 1hr if you can use both hands) I will give the alloy top a sand down with 600 grit wet/dry paper to take away the shine (the light reflects and dazzles ya).I suppose you could do a similar project on any scroll saw and its worth doing just for the smaller blade slot on the EX range of saws.I have included some photos of the mods and also one of the 4" dust extraction hood that attaches to the table using magnets so very easy to move when changing blades and much better dust extraction than standard.CheersBrian

thanks Rolf. I will make that suggestion. KM, I agree. there isn't a saw out there that doesn't take some time to get to & understand. My first Hawk was a 220 & it took me awhile to get it set up to cut the way Im used to workin'. I've owned several brands of saws myself, & no two saws cut alike, imo. You can get them close, but not exactly. That's another reason I invested in the BM. I can adjust the aggressiveness of the blade to how I'm cuttin'. The best way I can explain it, if you've ever spent any time on a combine, put this in perspective. The older machines we couldn't make all the adjustments these new computerized machines can. Everything was adjusted by hand. Now all the adjustments are made from the cab with the push of a button. The machine will do its job goin' thru the field as you're makin' adjustments. The BM is, in comparison, the same. You can adjust the blade aggression & tension on the fly & keep cutting. And still get the results you want & need for that given project. The other saws I've owned, adjustments are pretty limited.

Thank You, I have been looking at patterns here and there are a few that might work. There are also some I want to cut just for fun. New hips, new life, many things to accomplish.

Brad (scrollsaw703), lucky you to be so close to the Hawks birthplace. My dealings with Nilus and his family have been very pleasant. I have been a big fan of the Hawk saws since I bought my G4 in 2005. Suggest to Nilus to move the upper arm holder back to where it was on the old G4 so that it automatically releases like it used to. Kevin I totally agree with you about the Delta style clamps. I have them on the top of my G4 I added them to the bottom also but did not like them there and went back to the Hawk clamps on the bottom. This is an old video of the G4 top feeding is presented at the 20 minute mark. The BM's are a little different on the upper arm holder.

Just wanted to add a bit more.. I don't think it matters what saw you try.. ANY saw that is set up different than what you are currently used to using is going to be awkward to get used to.. I like to mess with different types of scroll saws.. I've owned many many different brands.. with different blade clamp styles etc.. each saw was a period of trial and error until I learned what worked for me.. Gotta tell you.. I started sawing with a old Delta 2 speed saw 40-560 type 2.. quickset II blade clamps.. Took a while to learn to operate those clamps.. but I'd never used another saw before.. then came a ryobi with special wrench to change blades.. I hated that thing but did get used to it after a short time.. Then came thumb screws on a Dremel I had.. Thought those was the dumbest things ever as I felt like no way can a guy get those stupid little screws tight enough to hold a blade.. learned to love them and that I don't need to use pliers to tighten them down more Again... when i bought my first Hawk last year.. after a week or so I was about ready to give that thing away or put it in the trash can, LOL made up a lot of new cuss words too .. most of the first 3-4 months I had that saw.. I only used it a handful of times.. mainly because the time of year I bought it was my busy time of year.. I needed to production cut and cut fast as possible.. just wasn't efficient enough on the Hawk for that type of cutting.. but anytime I had a chance I was playing on the Hawk.. slowly got used to the blade changes etc.. Now I can pretty much cut almost as fast on either saw.. Hawk is a little slower cutting than the DeWalt due to the aggressive nature of the DeWalts.. Would love to have a new BM series saw to work on since I can dial in the blade to where I feel like I can cut at a more comfy speed.. Mine has two setting for blade adjustment.. the one is slow going but wow is it great for fine detail work.. the other setting seems to be slightly too aggressive for my type of work.. other than I can stop and change it when doing long outside cuts such as cutting a base for a clock etc.. Anyway I guess my point is.. probably any saw you decide to go with outside of what you use now.. it's going to be awkward to use at first.. I will say though.. I do think my Hawk was the hardest one to get the hang of using.. as a hobbyist I wouldn't worry about it because I'd have all the time in the world to play around with a saw.. but as a business that relies on a comfy fast reliable saw.. well.. lets just say the saw sat for a few months until I was at a point to take my time to learn the saw.. And for the record.. I think every saw should come with the old Delta style quickset II blade clamp.. no thumb screws.. no nothing.. just a cam lever much like the tension lever on the Hawk.. BTW.. that old delta had a tension lever like that too.. only downfall was the lower clamp had a special tool to use.. Also for my type of work.. I think that new Jet saw with the single action clamping / tension in one lever is quite nice looking.. often think I'd like that feature..

Can you pot a sample as I have a few scrolling fonts. I do have one called "Stencil Serif" that I don't use as the breaks aren't very wide. Samples of Stencil I have PM me your email and I will forward with a few other goodies. Don

Try Steve Good's Scrollsaw Workshop. Has a nice little program for stencil fonts that has many fonts.

Welcome back.As many pattern as The Village has I,m sure you will find somethings to keep ya busy.

Yeah when i seen another scrollers work on one here the past few days i said to my self this will sell .as i need extra cash for title transfer and tag transfer for the jeep to be on the road again.Yes the amazing kevin strikes again!

Hey! Bob,Thanks for the kind words ,makes music in my ears to hear that.

I am not trying to be a wise guy here, I am trying to learn. I am a bottom feeder, always have been. I do not " bend over, stand on my head or anything like that to bottom feed. It is second nature to me. I have tried top feeding and have had no success. I most often do intricate fret work. To feed a 2/0 size blade down through a hole drilled with a #68 or #70 drill bit , against the direction of the blade teeth, through a very small zero clearance hole in the table top, is just impossible to me. Could some one please tell me how that is possible? I would love to see a video of it. Again, please, please do not take this as a wise guy being difficult. I can see the advantage to being able to top feed, but I just don't see how it is possible or feasible in the circumstances I just described. I want to but so far it has not even come close to working for me.

Holy Cow!, Runa, you are doing great! You say your Ryobi " with pin end blades". Does this mean you new to you Ryobi does not take "pinless" blades? Or you just don't have pinless blades for it yet? Whatever, that is some very nice scrolling.

Thanks for the feedback :). I totally messed that O up for sure. I will certainly do it differently next time.

Runa that is nice. I mean they are real nice. You could finish them with Watco Danish Oil that you can but at a big box store. I also like Bullseye spray shellac in a can. Just put 2 or 3 light coats on and your through.

A hardwood dealer had a stack of lumber advertised as Brazilian Cherry. There was a quarter-sawn 8/4 piece that was 4 1/2" wide and 6 feet long. He was asking $3.00 per linear foot so I took a chance. The wood is extremely dense, beautifully colored with a straight grain. By edge jointing, resawing and surface planing - I was able to get a good number of 3/8" thick stock for plaques. The wood's only shared trait with Cherry is its color and is actually called Jatoba wood. It cuts cleanly and takes Watco oil beautifully. The only draw back is it dulls the Flying Dutchman #1 UR blades very quickly requiring frequent blade changes. The wood is so hard, it actually has a distinctly different sound when you are cutting it. I cut a second Dala Horse plaque, this time for my wife, and decided to try the Jatoba. Here's a picture of the work-in-progress - Jatoba plaque with the oak backing that will be attached after I spray the background black. The Jatoba has a single coat of Watco in this picture.

Check out the pattern library then, you might find something that will be appropriate for your area. Or you could check out the dog puzzle patterns that Iggy is selling, he has had great luck selling his cuttings. Len

Never been accused of using wise words

I top feed my BM26 for 90% of what I cut much easier for fretwork. Bottom feeding only for open work and then mostly for changing blades in a hurry or practice. It did take me about a week to get used to the blade holders but now only a couple seconds slower than bottom feeding with no project on the saw and I don't have to try to find the dang hole to put the blade thru. Takes about the same time to top feed a Dewalt as the Hawk. Fredfret Wichita, ks BM26 and DW788

I have a new jet saw, bottom feed only, never had the chance to top feed, RJ

It is like any new tool that is different from what you are used to. I top feed my G4-26 on all larger fretwork projects. feeding the blade from the top down and clamping becomes second nature very quickly. I will say that I don't like the new upper arm hold down as much as what was on the older G4. The G4 holder keeps the arm down freeing up both hands to tighten the lower clamp . Then when you tension the blade it automatically releases the holder. On the new saws that is not automatic, not a big deal but just an extra movement.

I love my Hegner..... The more I use it the more I love it. I serviced mine the other day. Put a drop of oil on each of the two pivot points as the book say and went back to work....

Your problem is that you got spoiled by the 788/EX style saws :-) Your are right, those swinging clamps are very awkward, and it really really really bothered me, at least at first. Given a choice, I would prefer stationary clamps, but it becomes less an issue the more time I have on the saw. The part of the blade changes that I thought was most awkward, was getting that blade down into the little hole on the top of the bottom clamp. I found out that if you lean that bottom clamp over, you can rotate the clamp up, slipping that blade into the hole every time, as easy as cake, so my biggest complaint became a non-issue once I figured that out. How was the vibration in the 7 to 7.5 range? My Hawk does pretty decently outside the 7 to 7.5 range. Not as smooth as the Ex, but pretty darn good considering the amount of mass that saw is throwing around. The saw is not useable inside the harmonic range. Unfortunately, that harmonic range seem to be right where my comfort zone is for speed, so avoiding that range keeps me a little off balance. I'm still getting used to that. ----Randy

Both my Hawks are before the redesign in 2005 ish so mine are only bottom feeders.. that works out good for me as I grew up a bottom feeder, LOL That said.. I could see one having issues with these style blade clamps.. even as a bottom feeder.. they was a little tricky to get used to..

From the beginning of time, scroll saws were meant to be bottom fed!

What about the bathroom? . . . . . . Just kidding. I'm pretty much helpless in these matters . . . I ran out of room three saws ago, but if an Eclipse came up for sale cheap, I'm not sure what I would do.

Scrapile, the link you posted is defiantly the G4, and there are certain things about that saw that I think are a definite strengths. When RBI was looking to improve their saw, they went to Cast Iron for the main supports. Notice that both sides are connected, so it is one solid piece. On the BM this two separate pieces, similar to the pre-G4s. I'm pretty sure that cast Iron was too expensive for Bushton to continue. Having nothing to do with functionality, but from an aesthetics point, look at the speed control knob. The BM reverted to the same one that was used on the Hawks prior to the G4. You are right about that being one beautiful saw. I had the chance to get a G4 years ago for dirt cheap, but I was new to the hobby and didn't understand what I was looking at. I've always thought about that deal I let slip away. But I've been fortunate to find some incredible deals since then. If you are within driving distance, you might make him a offer you can live with (contingent on testing out the saw). Lot of posts in this thread, so if you are lost: I believe the first link in Sams post in the pre-Bushton Hawk 226, the second in Sams post, the pre-Bushton Hawk 220, and the one in Scrappiles' post is most certainly a G4. -----Randy

This is the one I have been looking at. Been corresponding with the seller, and may have made a good new internet friend. I don't have the money to buy it, but we have been having fun discussing a possible trades. This afternoon I opted out, I just flat have no room nor real need for it, but I hope we keep in touch, it has been so much fun. This is a beautiful saw. https://spokane.craigslist.org/tls/d/rbi-hawk-scroll-saw-like-new/6283814439.html In mid America to the east coast I think this would have sold in a couple days, out here in the NW,,,, good luck.

Iggy needs to reply on the $850 machine since it is a Bushwhacker model. Re the $275 machine: it looks like something is missing on the blower assembly. Looks like they might have just taped the hose to the rigid arm to do the job. Any idea of the year of manf? Several months ago I bought a 1998 used Hawk like the model shown as a backup for $100. Recently dusted it off when my DeWalt went in the shop. The only problem I had was with the air blower assembly. The part which the air hose attaches broke off but I was able to mend with epoxy. So far the machine works quite well. I've been cutting hardwood puzzles with Pegas MG #5 and #7 blades. For the record I am not a Hawk fan as I had to return a saw to RBI because of excessive vibration which they could not solve. Must have been around 2010 + or -. But I must say this 1998 model is running quite nicely. Advice: test out the saw before you buy. $275 seems reasonable if it is in good shape. Offer less however. I'm assuming the Bushton folks still sell parts for repair. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Bushton has the owners manual online for free or they can sell you a DVD for a nominal fee. bb

I think I need a tombstone

This weekend is Artistry in Wood in Wilmington, Ohio. Anyone going? I'll be there on Saturday, but don't let that deter you. http://daytoncarvers.com/artistryinwood.html

I am planing on going Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to meeting Steve Good. Only about hour an half from me.

Ok, I'll play. I made these as Halloween night light for grandkids.