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Amazon sales have been keeping me busy so I haven't made much "New" stuff lately.. did find time to finish up these clocks today.. and cut the Bacon LOL

Probably not that impressive to all you sage scrollers, but I'm really happy with my first attempt at 3D work. Thanks for looking!

After a dismal difficulty day in the shed yesterday I had another go and with Jessica’s help we produced this from a piece of old pallet wood. She had great fun painting it.

Finisher up a couple Christmas items , the Joy is a Sue Mey pattern, and the Grinch is a pattern from Gayle in Scrollers Cafe!

Well I gave this pattern a try that Wayne made for me. I want to thank Wayne for doing this so quick for me. It's made out of 1/2 inch Oak with 1/4 inch backer board. I did have a little trouble with the logo part. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to cut the black lines or the white part of the logo. Well I cut the black lines and the pieces started falling out. I didn't want to start over so I continued to cut all the black lines around the logo. When I was done cutting everything out, I just glued the pieces back onto the backer board. I think it looks ok to me. What do you think. He's decided to hang it on his wall so I didn't have to make a stand for it.

which means im at the "complicate it" stage. it measures 30" tall and 22' wide. complicating it has me cutting some wood to get the grain oriented to follow the flow of the feathers wich that= glue ups and more thinkin. first things first,though- think i better get a large auxiliary table for some support on my saw. then keep it simple.

Well I have made a few Crosses,I managed to get down to my shop for a few days.I went thru some old patterns and came across these Crosses.I Love the Big one 16inch.Took some time to cut.The Heart & Dove was the easiest.Now on to some Ornaments.

At this stage of my life I can not find the patience to do a project like that. I wish you luck and show us a progress album.

Great reply Bill. I usually take a project I am going to cut and study it for a while; it seems the more I study the clearer the plan of action becomes. I will sometimes place a small dot where I will start with magic marker. I am retired and like the rest of you don't RUSH to start the project, may even keep looking at it for a few days on and off till the plan of attack is crystal clear even to the point where I will have to place supporting tape on the bottom of the pattern for future support when cutting the next area. Yes I always start from the center and either cut left to right or right to left. After all, we are all creating an heirloom of projects that will probably be done in the future by CNC machines. AIN,T IT GREAT to be a future part of a lost art form! And yes--I still have made my share of MISTAKES!

Not an introduction, but an update. I have finally made the move from Sacramento to my new home in Kansas City, MO. My son and his family moved here a year ago, and I missed them too much to stay in California. Happy to be reunited with them and to be in our new home. Bonus feature...I now have a large indoor room for a workshop! I can't wait to get started equipping it.

A couple of recent pieces from my other love, pyrography

A few pics of some recently completed work

Today I had the day to myself as hubby had to go and see his consultant. So, I thought ''I'll have a go at something outside my comfort zone and see how it goes. Well I chose a portrait as I've never done one before and wanted to try my new blades. All went well initially, I got my pattern the way I wanted it, I cut my wood to size, I stuck my pattern onto the wood and then meticulously put 'entry holes' in all the places I thought I'd need them and boy there were quite a lot, but I was careful and did them all perfectly Then it all went to hell in a handbasket. I was cutting away, feeling quite pleased with myself,,, then I made a mistake in my cutting. Not that it concerned me too much BUT.. I realised that if I hadn't put all those entry holes into the wood, I could have used it for something else, but unfortunately I'm just left with a big square colander. that is neither use nor ornament. So my question is... When you all do something quite 'intricate' do you put all your entry holes in at the beginning or do you put them in as you go along? Or do you just not make the 'newbie' mistakes I made ? Brenda xx

At my house it was a national dipping day today. The past 2 days I have been making bases for my clocks and then sanding all clocks napkin holders and plaques getting ready for this day. Well 3 hours latter and 35 clocks with 35 bases, 5 plaques, 20 napkin holders divided by 2 because each has 2 sides and 10 bases. Dipped wiped down left to dry for about an hour outside and now all in basement where they sit for about a week. Then polished and assembled and price tag put on. I have about 5 other projects that I will continue to work on and hopefully will be done and ready for dipping end of next week. I am cutting it close so some projects may get pushed off for next year. Will see. I am still having fun creating things so on we go. Hope you all have a good day. I did.

Everyone have a Safe and Enjoyable Halloween!!!

No not plywood. If you are going to make the effort go with real wood. Good luck. Love to see the results.

i have the fisrt part of patience licked- im mental!!

One of my favorite patterns. Been thinking of cutting it again one day when the right piece wood comes along.

I drill "about" 10-12 at a time. That forces me to get up, stretch & walk over to the drill. On delicate pieces, before drilling I put a Xs on the pattern where to drill. Have heard of "someone" (no name entered here) drilling on the wrong side of the line. jerry

Very nice looking cutting. As for the BLO put it back, no point in chucking good stuff.

Howdy Foxfold, Sounds as though you've got yourself in a tight. I'm quite surprised that a couple of our other experienced sawyers haven't jumped in to offer advice. When I was first learning, I had the similar frustration. What I did to remedy the situation was took a step back and went to a single blade project. I drilled the entry holes in it where it needed to be cut, such as a Christmas ornament, Halloween ornament, etc. and practiced on a few of those awhile. Then I moved up to some projects that took a little more thought process, and studyin' before I started punchin' holes. Once I had the project on wood, and still do it to this day. I'll sit and study every project I am preparing to cut for layout, entry holes, hole sizes, where I want to drill my entry holes, etc. I use a red fine tipped sharpie and put an "X" if I can drill anywhere in a given area. I use a green fine tipped marker and put an "X" where I need to drill in a certain spot in order to begin cutting on order to keep the project together. I use other colors for different sized drill bits, difficult places to cut, etc. The secret to scroll saw work is to start from the inside and work out in a rotational order. your project will stay together better, and be stronger at the weak points, and look like a much more finished product in the end. There are times when this rule does not always work. In some of my projects, such as Native American projects, or Cowboy projects, whatever, there may be weak spots that all run together like a map sorta. Try and leave that to the very last cuts because if you cut those to early, it's a sure fire recipe for failure. And at the same time, this may be where you'll want to drill a few entry holes at time, cut those parts, look your project over, and drill a few more as mentioned. Personally, myself, I prefer to have all the holes drilled before I start cutting. That way I have a direction to start, and can visualize how the project is going to look as it comes apart a piece at time. Avoid trying to drill to many entry holes in one area. Try to keep your cuts as large as possible. For me, this makes control of the project easier, and chances of miscuts less. Worse case scenario, you can always tape some of the project for strength if you have to, but try to avoid that if possible as well, that will destroy small detail in a hurry, in my experience. Your blade size and speed has a lot to do with the situation, as well. As a rule, the tighter quarters you are cuttin' in, the smaller blade you'll want to use, as well as the thinner the material. Avoid plywood at all cost, if possible. Use baltic birch ply, or a higher grade. Even better, use WOOD and plane it to the desired thickness of cut. In thinner material, the faster your blade is cutting, the more vibration it is creating within the complete project. By slowing your blade down, and using say a #1 or #2 blade, you can get the same results with a larger blade at a faster cut rate. In thicker material, say 1/2", you can start with a #3 blade and set your speed at 2 or thereabouts, depending on your preference, and amount of detail, and work up. As aforementioned, there is not a project you tie into that will not be a learning experience of some sort. If you are not learning, you're either not payin' any mind to what you're doin', or you ain't made the right mistake to get your attention yet. Keep workin' at it, proficiency comes with progress and practice. You'll get better and better the more sawdust you make! Brad.

This topic has been touched on in some past postings and I have run into a similar situation like you. I did an airplane plaque with text. I drilled most of the holes and started on the text. I was into the second letter (A) and the middle broke off, then that piece fell to the floor into the netherworld of sawdust and wood chips never to be found again. So much for salvaging that project. If I had not been so ambitious to drill all the holes outright, I could have used the rest of the wood for another project. Its always fun to cut away big pieces on a project but its better to work on the fine detail cuts like text or eyes or mouths on portraits, first. If you screw up, you can still use those undrilled blank pieces for other projects.

Aww, thank you, I was so sure that I would be the only one that made such a silly mistake. Made a note to myself, '' if cutting anything CONCENTRATE !!!!!

It's actually Ipe. It comes from Central & South America. It's being used a lot for decking as it's extremely durable and rot resistant. It's also extremely dense and hard. Ipe measures about 3600 on the Janka scale, compared to 1450 for hard Maple.

Brad, I very much agree with most everything you said here. The one thing I picked up on, and I know it's not meant as an insult, is that you keep talking to us "fellers" and "boys" and "men". Well, there are quite a few ladies who hang out here too and I know they are as caring as we MEN are. So, you might just think a bit about including them in your future posts. Please don't take any offense at me saying this. It is only meant to bring attention the ladies on Scroll Saw Village. We ALL love you and Mary Ann.

Hey Clayton, thank you. We're in BG a couple times a week, our daughter and family lives there. Here's a couple things I've made.

This is a 6 layer cutting. I used a pencil torch to highlight the Indian and horse. If you have never tried a torch on your cuttings side. You can practice on the backside. Don't over do it. You just want to scorch to highlight. John Old Dust

Whew, just in time - but actually still a few hours of Halloween left! These "Ghost Goodie Holders" were from Paul Meisel (www.meiselwoodhobby.com) and provided for free last Fall by Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts magazine on their website and can be found here: http://scrollsawer.com/2017/08/01/ghost-goodie-holders/ - (This is cross posted on the magazine's forum.) I have been meaning to make them but I tend to procrastinate, and life (including a week of vacation a few weeks ago) always seems to get in the way as well. Of course, my dear hubby has been asking if I was going to get them done in time for Halloween and I did (barely). There were a couple of reasons for making these. First, I thought they were cute. Second, as I think I have previously noted, my husband's Aunt use to do a lot of painting of such items. Her husband would cut them out for her on the scroll saw, and she painted them. They were the ones that first got me interested in owning and trying to use a scroll saw. Though they are now gone, I have many things they did that I love. Especially holiday items. She would have liked these and done a much better job painting them then I did and would have added a lot more "detail." I was just happy to get them done! I have actually had them cut out for a few weeks, that was the easy part. Then I procrastinated on the painting. Now I remember why I think I like the look of "bare wood." Now, I just need to put some "treats" on them. Everyone have a happy and safe halloween.

That looks like quite a project. I can't imagine even the drilling that will be required.

I probably didn't word that very well. I've been scrolling for some time now, but even when I was just starting out, I think I approached projects with confidence that I could complete them and never expected that I was going to mess a piece up. Now that doesn't mean I never did. To the contrary. I've made my share of mistakes, but I use them as opportunities to learn and go on to the next project, better equipped to complete it successfully. If I do mess it up, I try to come up with a fix. Learning how to hide or fix mistakes can come in very handy. I told my grandson when I started teaching him to scroll, that no one knows exactly what the pattern looked like once you remove it. Some lines have to be followed precisely for the pattern to turn out. Others have a bit more latitude and can be open to "interpretation", if you will. Understanding the difference is important. Tossing a mistake and starting over is a last resort. As for concentration, to me that is at the core of successful scrolling. Fortunately, my shop is in the basement and I can minimize the distractions. If my head isn't in the game, I turn off the lights and go do something else. Successful scrolling requires pre-planning, patience, skill, attention to detail and practice. Brad mentioned visualization, looking over the pattern to develop a plan or sequence of actions that will lead to successful completion. That is good advice and not something that necessarily comes naturally to everyone. If you train yourself to study a pattern and plan the cuts in a logical order, taking into account where the risks are, then follow that plan, focusing on how the saw is cutting, how the blade is tracking, where my hands need to be, etc., after a while, you get immersed in the cutting and hopefully the distractions sort of fade into the background. I do apologize if my first reply came off as dismissive or arrogant. That wasn't my intention. I merely wanted to emphasize that I try not to approach a project, worried that I will mess it up. Some of this comes from experience, but some of it is attitude as well. Hope this helps some. Have fun making sawdust!

Very nice where did you get the pattern, RJ

"not repair or upgrade " That was my situation the local 'repair' shop is $75 hour and the new monitor was $100, daaahhhh! Russ

The back of our tv looks like a wire jungle. I put a 48" 12 outlet strip on the wall about 2 feet off the floor just to get all the wires off the floor. It's still a can of worms but at least now we can vacuum under it all. It's amazing how much crap there is plugged in. I think I only have one empty outlet.

Well, it is coming straight from Acer and it will be a week. Luckly, I had this old NEC that was given to me by a friend. I was just on the verge of tossing a whole bunch of electronics that I have been ratholing. Good thing I didn't do it too soon. This little monitor is great except for the area that is visible. I could adjust the thing down and get more on the screen but then I wouldn't be able to see it. The new one will offer me a whole of adjustment. I've been wanting a new one so I guess it is all working out. I even have a computer out in my shop but I'm thinking of letting it go too. Takes up too much space. I've got an old laptop that I might use out there. Back when I was teaching myself how to repair laptops, I acquired a bunch of them. Time to purge.

Down Right Awesome job.

Oh how I wish I had enough experience to expect the 'errors' to be rare, however, I should concentrate on what I'm doing in the moment instead thinking of what to cook for dinner, shopping, getting the ironing done, all running round in front of my blade while I'm cutting something.

Personally, I do both. Some times I drill all the holes.. sometimes I get tired of drilling and stop that and scroll a while then drill some more... I have created colanders before and probably will again! Goes with the hobby.

I have never had an issue cutting one side vs another. Though in the above design I would properly cut the complex side first. What is most important when cutting projects like these is keeping ALL the pieces in place until you have cut everything. For my compound pieces like above I always piece the piece in a holder. It keeps it together and provides stability and areas to gripe to prevent your hand from getting hit on the down stoke. After cutting the one profile I would wrap with clear tape or even "scotch tape" before cutting the other profile.

Howdy Mr. Ray, you have a good point, Mr. Ray. My sincere apologies to the womenfolk. It weren't intentional, I had just been chattin' you, Mr. Ray, and Mr. Chris, and just never thought about it, I reckon. I'll see to it I change that in the future, Mr. Ray. Thank you for bringin' that to my attention, and no offense taken, my friend. Brad.it

Well, after viewing this little video, I just went to Amazon and put that kit in my cart for the next time I have a few extra bucks. My wife let me order that air filter so now, it's her turn to buy something she wants. I think she is wanting to buy a large area rug for our bedroom so that is going to set me back a bit. Oh well, that's why they call it a partnership.

They have woodburning patterns that can "supposedly " be easy to follow just like scroll saw patterns... I don't know how hard they might be to do as I haven't tried them yet.. I only use the burner for personalizing ornaments and things..I hope to give a portrait burned project a try one day..

Thanks Kevin, that will make things easier. And, of course, the talent here is lacking in any kind of imagination. I can copy anything but I don't have an original idea in my head.

I cut this and many more like it in the past, fun and very challenging. This one was cut from oak flooring

ray at seyco is awesome. no problem cancelling order and pegas clamps ordered. cmon mailman!!! oooo- there he goes. think ill go see if there here. yeah, a wee bit antsy to get back to scrolling. a little antsy to get past the holidays and start on my winter project,too!

sidetracked!! gotta call first think in the AM.

Good luck. Should be no problem.

well crap- i already prdered from seyco. gonna go see if i can cancel the order now.

I also agree with Ray

Thanks Roly was about to contact Gayle, I had just changed to Win10 and thought that was the problem................

Yes Ed spoke to Gayle today via email and the site is down at the moment and she's trying to sort something out and will let me know when it's back up but having trouble contacting EXCOBOARD people who she uses for the forum. I know a few others on here would be interested to know as well . Roly.