Leaderboard

I keep going back to Wooden Visions and Charles Dearing patterns. Really like the Studebaker designs. 1/8" BBPW on 1/4" backer. Lots of cutout areas. Always need to tape everything back in place. I have to drill multiple holes since I only have an EX-16 and the plaque is 20" wide. Had to go to the copy store to enlarge it so it matched the Golden Hawk Plaque.

Julie (my wife) and I love hummingbirds. Laura Soffer is a friend of mine on FB who I follow. She has a page https://www.facebook.com/MyHummingbirdHeaven/ where she posts her fantastic photos. I was honored when she asked me to scroll a couple of her pictures.

What 162 ornaments dipped in Danish oil look like drying, lol One day I’m going to build a drying table so I’m not doing this on the floor.

Mistakes can be prevented by experience. Experience is what we gain from making mistakes. I find that I never make the same mistake twice - I'm too busy making new ones

My wife, Margaret, and I will be leaving this afternoon for a visit to Finland and Norway. In Finland, we will be visiting a (3 generation) family of 7 people that we have known for many years. I designed and made a few bookmarks out of fir veneer to give them as a memento. The books are very thin (1.3 millimetres thick).

Remember Those Who Gave All!

Three PM and I'm disgusted. At myself, who else. I made a rookie mistake. Probably because I am a rookie. My first mistake was MDF. It cuts beautifully but it is messy. I won't cut any longer. I do have dust collection at the bottom of the saw but not on top. The whole one end of my shop is a mess. Everything has to be individually dusted. The dust is pervasive and very unhealthy. Rookie mistake was not having my blade perpendicular to the table. I was so used to using my 16" saw I never bothered checking my new saw. As a result some parts fit from the bottom and some from the top. The last piece partially fits from the top and partially from the bottom, therefore not fitting at all. Tomorrow I'll be picking up some Poplar and start over. I may do it in Pine. That would make it thicker.

Cutting puzzles also requires frequent blades changes. Most rookies and even non rookies, myself included, tend to over use blades. As the blades dull we naturally tend to push which causes the blades to flex and thus not cutting perpendicular. This is especially turn in tight turns which your project has many of. Looking at that puzzle I would expect you to use at least two blades if not three.

All wood products are health hazards so take nothing for granted. Solid woods can cause skin rashes if allergic as well as dust problems. MDF and particle boards are more highly dangerous because of the content of finely ground dust mixed with lots of glue that contains formaldehyde. Pressure treated lumber is even worse because of the toxins added to prevent rot. You have a new player that is used in homes today that is just as bad and that is lvl lumber and people use that to scroll also and is bad for you. Yes hardwood plywoods as well as Baltic Birch plywood is a hazard because of the glues used along with wood dust. Why MDF gets all the press is because of all things I mentioned that product produces the finest health hazardous dust and being so fine it stays in the air the longest, gets onto everything when working in a closed shop and hard to control even with the best dust collecting systems. It is used in the sign industry because of being stable and flat but great care is taken when used in shops. I personally would never use it to scroll with. I have used it to make sleds for my tablesaw as jigs because of flatness but take great care with dust control and try to cut outdoors. I do use BB and other hardwood plywoods but the dust is more manageable. The moral of this is always work safe and use dust collection at the source and if most of all a dust mask rated for the materials you are working with. Many other materials such as natural hardwoods to work with safer. my opinion.

I would never cut MDF because of the dust and chemical issues, I don't like the stuff at all. Sure it takes a coating of paint well, but since I don't ever paint any of my work, that's a non issue for me. Len

I will not use MDF on my scroll saw due to the dust issues. It gets into everything and on everything including your clothes. Even with a dust mask you still have on your clothes and unless you take them off you spread it everywhere. If you want to use it, good for you. But not me.....

I believe there are quite a few blades that work well for thinner softer types of material. I tryed and really like the Pegas MG blades in #3,5,and 7's for hardwoods 1/2" and thicker. JMHO

If it wasn’t for mistakes I won’t have anything to do, RJ

This is a very true statement. You can get away with the overuse of a blade in most projects but puzzles the cuts need to be true.

I wouldn't use mdf for a scroll project of any kind for the fine dust & the dust gettin into the workin parts of my saw, not to mention the fact that it gets into the workin parts of every other piece of equipment in the shop. I don't use pretreated lumber of any kind, either. Once you open the wood up, you're more at risk of breathin the chemicals in it & imo, it's not worth the chance. I use strictly hardwood material. No plywood of any kind. Just walnut, cherry, etc. Rough sawn at an 1" thick & mostly 10" - 12" wide. I plane to the thickness' I need.

I do not do puzzles but my suggestion would be to stand the pieces on edge after wiped down. No flipping needed and take up less room and can stand on some scrap plywood designed for this. Just keep puzzle grouped together.

I agree with all three above. I never paint except backer boards.

MDF cuts nice, no fuzzies, affordable but in humble opinion the dust is so much finer than sawdust that without air filtration, a good respirator and really good dust control the fine dust permeates everything. With proper equipment I would love cutting it. Unfortunately I do not have most of those things. Wish I did.

Awesome! Great job all around.

We all have made the same or similar mistakes and I still just keep making more. Part of the trip through life. Smile and move on.

I've cut this one a few times. Found the pattern on Pinterest, don't know the artist. I love the pattern because Jesus looks happy, loving, like someone I'd want to be around.

Very nice work there Lew! Thank you for letting us see, Bob

Really cool job you did on patterning and scrolling Dave!!! Thank you for posting, Bob

Beautiful cutting and puzzle! I have made that mistake on intricate cuts too. Fortunately I was able to hand sand the piece that stuck until it fit, albiet tightly.

Newfie, have you tried Bear Woods? The are in Canada: https://www.woodparts.ca/pegas-scroll-saw-blades.html

That is because it was a gallery that was on the old system and when Travis upgraded he was not able to bring those galleries over with it. I never had the chance to start a new one here. Sorry about that.

fantastic job

What a wonderful job !...Beautiful cutting !

I like Dgman do not paint except backers. I like to incorporate the grain in my projects. Wood has life and beauty. MDF does not.

I get my Pegas blades from D and D. They normally ship same or next day. Shipping and prices are reasonable. dndsawbladesonline.com

I used the FDUR blades exclusively and was happy, except with the #3, I had a hard time controlling it. Tried the Pegasus modified geometry and I love them. I find they cut straight, no more angled orientation for a straight line, they stay sharper longer, and the #3 I can control with no issues.

Looks great thanks for sharing

Charlie, All the tools are right here in the Village to start making your own patterns. Travis has taken the time to make some really good tutorials on Inkscape and Gimp.

Thanks for the photo's as well as your beautiful work. I can get a better idea of what you leave in and what to take out. Thanks for shareing

WOW!!! Busy Busy Busy,You will be Well stocked up come the Holidays.

Sorry to here that,That stuff is not very forgiving.I used it once.Just once.

Well for me I trie it yrs ago, didn't like.Haven't used since, for the reasons named.

that's great, rocky! i'm happy to hear you're enjoyin' your Hawk! They're the Cadillac of saws, imo. I hope you get years of service & enjoyment from it, my friend! Welcome to the Hawk family!

Maybe a sort of rack I can slide several cut pieces of ply onto for drying shelves. Like a small version of a bakers rack? I'll make sure to stand them a bit after the last coat from now on, letting the fret cuts drip first. Just an FYI your gallery link is broken, on my end at least.

True. Very true.

Wow, you are busy. Can't get ready for Christmas too early.

Great pieces. Love Hummingbirds too!!

I thought I made a mistake one time but I was wrong.

Very nicely done Kevin. That is a lot of ornaments. One could stretch a line or two and hang them from it so that they can dry from all sides. This way you could put it in an out of the normal walk way area and continue on. Thanks for sharing these with us. DW

Hallo, My name is Jean-Pierre and I live in Belgium. I'm 64 years old. I've started to scroll saw this Christmas. Because I'm still a rookie at this, I find all the tips and tricks on these pages very helpfull. In the near future I will upload some pictures of my creations. Best wishes from Belgium, Jean-Pierre

Looking good Lew. Nice wood choice.

I've always heard "they have some crazy looking women there......" the best on your move.

For two sons- in-law and three grandsons. 1/2" Poplar. Have not decided whether to paint or 50/50 BLO. Still thinking about it.

This is a video that I made of a project that I did for my grandson. I used my Hawk Scrollsaw to cut his name. I finished it off with some food grade mineral oil. I was trying to get a cinematic look for the video. I hope you guys like. it.