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At age 84 I can no longer do art and craft shows so I bar hop to get donations for my fundraiser. Here are 2 cuttings that sell very well. both are patterns from Steve Good. I get $20 donaton for each. John Old Dust

Had my first spring craft show Yesterday at a fire house there were 30 vendors and Iwas the only wood worker, and most of the people there had junk,and some were resale items, and a couple companies. Being a fire house I didn't sell too many Firefighter items, overall I walked away with $244 which was better then I thought I would do being a small show. Did have a lot of compliments on my Items and also my display stand. Did pick up a couple orders. Now I have to replunish stock and get ready for the fall shows.

Model and endresult

... for 2 weeks... Taking a 2 week break after cutting the 21 currently on my drying rack. I have 125 unique puzzles for display and 575 duplicates ready for a total of 700 puzzles to start the season off in two weeks. I have 3 big events back to back and I feel good about my stockpile. Goal is to not have to cut much in between events. If the weather cooperates this year my goal is to sell 1,400. Last year was crazy with double our normal annual rainfall and hurricane Florence hitting us head on. Time to relax before hitting approximately 30 events thru the end of the year. Iggy

Posted my rough idea for a napkin holder for my daughter-in-laws baby shower a couple months ago. Of course it got crazy and I never got to it. Shower was today so finally got on the ball and got it done. Used 1/2 inch oak and happily was able to get a tight fit so the base and napkin holders didn’t need glue. Wanted it so it could be taken apart then used as a chain/necklace holder when she gets older. I’m hoping to be able to venture into boxes by the time she’s older to make a base with a drawer for rings and earrings.

I know his name has been mentioned in the Village. I found these tonight and they are free to download. Didn't know if they'd be of interest to anyone but just in case. http://scrollsawer.com/2017/08/16/soaring-eagle-fretwork-set/

I hate to get into this with the bullets flying but I never did duck an opinion. When Gates etc were mentioned, nothing like the personal computer existed. IBM, Xerox and the other big boys were locked into mainframes. So the time was ripe for new ways for personal computing besides the abacus, slide rule,pencil etc etc. Now scrolling is another matter. It's been around for thousands of years with only the machinery to create improving. Now I really enjoy seeing the creations that other scrollers show off in these pages, and am amazed at their technical and artistic abilities. But I probably wouldn't pay anyone for them since if it was that great, I'd try to do it myself. So I have to hand out kudos to Kevin for making it a viable business that he's happy with. Now is it sustainable or turns in to drudgery, we'll find out in a few years. I'm pulling for you Kevin but I have found in my different attempts to make a buck, it all of a sudden gets old. But that's my nature I guess. Whether any career started out as a hobby (which I don't think many do) or just the need to put bread on the table by striking out on one's own, the pitfalls and problems are still the same. If we take a look at a mega corp like Apple and it didn't come up with the I Pad, I phone, I music., it would be a minuscule player ( if it even existed today) in the world of computers. So innovation is something that one somehow needs for a product that's been around for so many years. Enough of my rambling. Blake

This was a special request for a friend.

Been wanting to hook up a dust collection separator for some time. Either a Dust Deputy or a Duststopper, are the ones I know about. After watching a couple YouTube videos comparing the two, they compared so close that I went for the cheaper, the Duststopper from Home Depot. The reason I wanted one is the bags and filters for the Fein Dust extractor can get expensive quick. The do last a long time if I just use it on my scroll saws, but if I vacuum the floors with it, they fill up quicker. Anyway. I went to HD and got a Duststopper and a bucket. I also got the flexible rubber 90° connector and the rubber sleeved nipple for the two connections I needed. The Duststopper (DS) comes with a 36" hose and one 90° fitting. I wish it came with two. To purchase a second on to fit the vacuum system was around $15 with the shipping. PVC fittings did not fit. Any way this it the messy way it is temporarily set up. One of these days I will find a shorter hose that will hook into my Fein and go to the dust collection on the saws. When I first used it with the HD bucket, It started collapsing the bucket! I solved this problem by removing the 3/4" modular loc-line nozzles on the bottom dust collection so in effect it became 1". I also switch to a Behr Paint bucket I had because it is a heavier bucket. This system, although ugly, works great! For some reason it even reduces the suction noise down to where I can hear the Fein running also.

If the suction is too strong and collapses the bucket, another option is to add another bucket. One stacked inside the other will prevent it from collapsing. Rob

Woodsmith did this and I have seen similar variations. Have a portable vac and the attachments, don't have a cart or cyclone. A grocery store went out of business and we got a grocery cart that I load and unload to take the vac out to the car. 'live in apartment'. Been looking at this hose and the orange one in the comparison below. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AV78B/ref=psdc_13397451_t3_B00FX34QEU RJF

Viva the tinkerers! Let us hope the new Hawk cuts thousands of projects for Kevin.

No fighting or fireworks, just a discussion. It is a discussion that sidetracked the original post which many times does. Others can disagree with me and that is fine. That is what the world is full of opinions. I have to disagree with your take too Blake in that we are or at least I was talking about hobbies and businesses. Gates had a hobby of tinkering with the electronic world and it went from there. Why because he put forth the effort. I bet he ran into a whole lot of problems. A career is different which can grow from that business yes. You mention innovation, that can come from various sources such as a hobby, a career, or from a business. Innovation can grow a business but the root of it started with someone tinkering as a hobby. I go back to your opening statement about scrolling. yes it has been around many years but look at the businesses that grew from it. Pattern making continues to grow with different designs and people starting business based off that. But businesses like that need to expand and grow to be sustainable or else it goes by the waste side and becomes stale. Kevin needs to constantly change his product line or else he becomes stale and left behind. this requires work effort. Not many people are willing to make these commitments and thus the business fails. Another example is inventors. that is their hobby and it leads to things we eventually see. Maybe the word hobby is being misused. But I will bet every business started with someone tinkering in a shop somewhere.

This was my first ship in the Navy.

@innar20Beautiful cuttings. I like them all, but the raccoons really look like they are up to no good . The eagle is a real ripper.

We must agree to disagree. Ain't life grand?

Charles Dearing was going to stop selling his patterns but, he nearly lost everything after a house fire last winter. Bear Woods Supply company sells many of his patterns online. I hope he continues to make his patterns available. Truly a master of spiral blades. He tried flat blades and was abysmal at it. He has a video blog on you tube and jokes about trying to use flat blades.

If you want a clear coat finish Go to Sherwin Williams and ask for a gallon of clear base. This is the base finish paint WITHOUT the color added. It looks milky before it dries but it will dry clear and last a long time outdoors. Try it you might really like it for your project.

I did this, .. I lost my mare a couple of years back and I've never quite got over it. This piece reminded me of her so I cut it. She roamed free in the garden and was a sweet thing and absolutely loved playing with my grandchildren and my puppies, I'll never forget her.

@octoolguy The main part I am having trouble with it the end of the Fein hose that goes into the vacuum when the DS is not connected. Mine has nubbin on it the goes in and you twist to lock the hose in so it doesn't pull out when vacuuming. I it didn't have that Nubbin on it, it would slip right into the inlet on the DS. I do not want to remove the nubbin, so I came up with the rubber nipple hose clamps setup.

Paul, when I first bought my Fein/Dust Deputy, I thought I might have to make something to work with the vac and I found that you can buy just the male end to replace the one on the hose if it became worn. I ordered one but then found a way to do a workaround. Anyway, if you think it might be beneficial, that part is available and I think it was only about $5. I'll try to figure out where I bought it. It's been a while and my memory/ram is not what it used to be.

Was a pain on my Craftsman. After a few projects I even figured out it was more in the way and made it harder to turn the wood. It’s still on there, just raised it up out of the way. The one with my new Delta came unattached. Never even tried to figure out how it goes on.

And the raccoons are in the pattern library here in the Village. It is “raccon2” (note the typo in raccoon if searching)

Ray I know 3 people who have started pen turning as a hobby and converted into a business and in fact 2 have developed a brand name and are seen at all large pen shows right there with the Mont Blancs of the world. Charge over $2000 for a single pen. That comes with name recognition. You are not getting that with scrolling fret work. Nobody said and for sure not me, that every business attempt was successful. The point I said was every business started as a hobby. Maybe I am not making my point clear so I will back off. But Ray ask yourself this how many business are started another way and how many businesses are failed because of some reason and list the reasons in your head. I never said that everyone is cut out to be a business man. It takes drive and sometimes luck. Kevin is right about income and being able to live comfortably on it. Many factors come into play when a family is in the mix. Place you live is also a factor. Ray to me you are think scrolling and that is it. There is no way you could know what hobbies turned into business because hobbies take in so many different activities and not just scrolling. Of course you have to like doing what you are doing to take it to the next level. Have no other way to put it but every business started as a hobby somewhere down the road. I am done.

I totally forgot, a local store owner messaged me saying she has 3 more of the storage bins I use that she said I can have... I need to pick those up... then I'll have to fill them up. LOL

Three things I like better about the DS over the DD, 1: does not stand as tall above the bucket so less top heavy. 2: easier to remove the lid from the bucket to empty the bucket, than to remove the DD lid from the bucket. Those lids for 5 gallon buckets do not come off easy for my old stiff hands and 3: a little cheaper setup.

Here is link to article from Patriotic Woodworker site on using clear base for an exterior finish. https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/topic/24280-tgif-paint-on-a-clear-finish/?tab=comments#comment-176189 Larry

According to a study I read a year or so ago... about 1% succeed at it.. I've failed 3 other business's.. due to the fact the actual "Process" wasn't fun..after going at it from a business standpoint.. I don't feel that way I my venture that I'm on now... YET anyway.. Some of you guys might find some interest in a person named Gary Vee He's on youtube and most other social sites.. FB Instagram twitter etc etc... I find his perspective of things very much in line of how I think of things.. and not many folks view finance, income, and happiness the same way I do.. I've said it before.. that there are people that can live a comfortable life on $30,000 a year.. and there are others that cannot live a life on 200,000 a year.. some of that is because they are chasing happiness and trying to keep up with the Jones.. LOL Get a minute and look for this Gary Vees video.. I'll warn you though.. He talks a bit like a sailor ( language ) if you're offended easily or have young ones around that shouldn't hear that.. If you're on FB look for him there too.. all his content is the same themed.. but different takes of the same subject across the different social sites.. so youtube might have longer videos than some of the other sites that he just does short clips.. I've kinda kept my mouth / keyboard shut on this topic this time.. I disagree with many of the opinions posted here.. but it's real interesting to see others perspective on the subject.. I'd like to see more replies of others opinions. hopefully un-heated discussion...

Looks good - and, if it works, Great! I looked at the Dust Stoppers. They looked to be little commercial version of Thien Filters, developed by Phil Thien, a number of years ago. I built one to fit a 39 gallon trash can as the first stage for my DC a few years ago. It took my filter bag changes from once a month down to once every 4 - 5 months. SInce the Filter is in the shop, I don't have to go outside, in the snow or rain, to empty it. I think you'll like the Dust Stopper.

Ray you can disagree and I will disagree with you and my reason is you did not want it to be a business nor did your friends If you want to take your hobby to the next level of a business then you do what it takes to get it there. Half hearted attempts will get you 0. They made a half hearted attempt plain and simple. Did not want to do the work and blame government and anything else. How did Gates get started. How many businesses started out of a basement or a garage because they were driven. This hobby is not self sustaining enough to become a full time business. There is not enough customers to make it a business. Yes people like Kevin can make some money doing it but it is not sustainable. Those customers coming back over and over far and few between. He is constantly looking for new customers. I use him as an example because he is the only one here who has made an attempt at a business and that said he is a one man business. I stand by my thought every business was at one time someone's hobby. When I said I did scrolling and had a business it was similar to what Kevin is doing now but I knew and could see over the years the decline for the work we do. Not even close today what it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago. I had a good job that I did like to go to every day but did enough scrolling on the side that I was forced to call it a business. yes it was work and yes the gov. had their hands in the till but that is life. I got out because as I said it was not sustainable and if someone says it is they are kidding themselves. yes you can make a few dollars if you push yourself. It will not fall in your lap.

I could do that. The top clamp would be unchanged and my four bottom clamps would have to be adjusted to be in sync with the top clamp. I think I'm not quite ready to do that.

I made this a couple years ago. I used synthetic decking material. This is the color it came in. It is available in a couple of colors in 1 x 12s. I used no finish on it. The backer is the same material. Used waterproof glue to glue it together. Just giving an idea.

I think scrollers cafe (scrollerscafe.com) is a very nice group. LumberJock, not just scroll saw but good for all wood working. These are just other forums...

Paint needs something to grip. Rough your project a bit with sandpaper. Use a primer rated for outdoors and check the paint is good for exterior. Pretty much the same steps as painting a house which lasts for years. RJF

I have been very busy but I have some fretwork to do for SSWWC. I took another hard look at my saw discovered that the the upper arm pivot bolt had backed out a bit allowing the upper arm to move a bit side to side. I was sure I had checked that, but evidently not. Snugging that up eliminated the side to side movement. Too snug and the arm gets a tad stiff. So Kevin I will follow your lead and When I get a chance will tear down my saw and replace all of the bearings. The connecting rod is new. but the arm pivots are the originals. Also the rear tensioning wedge assembly is showing signs of wear. If I am reading my hour meter correctly I think I have at least 4K hours on this saw.

They look great Jeff. Happy to help any way I can.

Very nice Jeff. I do like the Mum one. My mother used to say "Just try me! "

I buy the cheap plastic gates all the time. Tennis balls work OK for the smaller diameter hoses, but my dust collector works on 5" and 4" piping to the major tools. The scroll saw, drill press and a couple of smaller sanders get the 2.5" hoses. To keep your gates from clogging, cut the ends of the gates. That way the gate pushes the sawdust right out the end of the gate and never blocks the gate. If the gate is getting a little sticky, some dry silicone spray does the trick.

Thanks Mr. Kevin! The last 6 weeks has been in & out of the hospital.......Again. They installed a picc line in my left arm durin' one hospital stay to run antibiotics thru. Our Sawbones finally come around with the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. She was pumpin' 4 different antibiotics thru me, and one oral for about 7 weeks. And I just finished up another round of antibiotics by IV. 10 days of it! Hopefully I'm startin to get back on my feet! I just don't get around many folks! To damn much of a chance of gettin somethin I don't want, brother! I've learned with the Hawks, at the length the arms are, they ain't goin to cut anywhere near as fast as the shorter link saws, Mr. Kevin. There is no possible way it can be done! On the flip side of that coin, the Hawks may not cut AS FAST per say as yer yeller or grey breeds, BUT, THE PRECISION of the Hawk by far outsteps any saw I've ever used or seen on the market, in my opinion. For whatever that's worth, I reckon. I do know a couple fellers that run several board feet a week thru their Hawks, & will tell ya they won't own anything but a Hawk. Others gripe about'em on accounta they cut to slow. Truthfully, experience can make a saw do anything the operator needs it to do. It's all in how the saw is set up, run, & tuned. Mr. Kevin, I appreciate your acknowledgment, brother! It's always good to hear what ya have to say about my ten cent opinion. Keep makin sawdust, my friend! Sawdust703 (brad)

Not much of a back story with this one, but this was something I did when I started scrolling - the pattern just made me laugh, so I had to do it.

Too much thinking. Just get it fairly tight and cut on a piece of scrap real quick. You should have decent control. If it is hard to stay on line, its too loose. If you are scared of it being too tight, its too tight. Thats it. You really only need it to perform they way it is designed. I do think I have actually seen a little device that hooks onto a saw and you would plink the blade like a guitar string and it would register. Then you would adjust it accordingly. I have heard the note should be a C but have yet to test it out.

Hi Brad, Good to see you postin again, I'd been wondering about you and hoping you 're doing good and just making sawdust Yes the speed on my 1998 226 Ultra, my BM-26, and my DeWalt all have the maximum 1750 SPM speed.. The Excalibur and the very old 1993 Hawk 220VS is maxed out at 1500 SPM ... All three of my Hawks will get that blade flex on high speed.. though it's worst on the larger two saws.. in part because they can run faster.. and.. the longer arms.. The Excalibur and the DeWalt have very short arms.. right at the front of the saw.. only about 4-5 inch long arms.. and the design is a rocking motion..rather than a straight up / down motion of the longer arm saw types.. which is why I stood and still stand by my theory that the short link arm saws such as the Excalibur, DeWalt and like saws cut faster.. I went round and round with a few on here in the last couple years about this subject.. many disagree.. yet many that have had and used both styles of saws agree that the Hawks cut slower than the others.. assume the Hengers are a slower cut too as with any of the longer armed saws.. You are very correct about keeping the saw in tune... and maintained.. it doesn't take much to get that massive arms to get the blade going all wonky.. just a dry bearing dragging ever so slightly in the connecting rod ( rod between motor and lower arm) really messed up my tune on my Hawk Ultra last year.. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on.. because I check all the "normal" things to look at.. finally I just took the whole thing apart.. those bearings the grease had dried up.. and was causing enough drag to mess up that blade motion.. Anyway, Good to see you scouting the forums and putting your 2 cents in..

Quite magnificent Rob. A bit over the top for me but I sure can appreciate the craftsmanship. Perception is a funny thing. I called the missus into look at the clip and her first words were "Imagine all the dusting"

This is number 9 that I have made for my best customer, It is 14.5 inches x 9 inches & was cut with 3/0 new spirals & No 1 ultra reverse blades. I really like the way this one turned out. Cheers Peter P.S the pattern is by Noel from the Scrollers Cafe.

Here are a few I have done lately..the beware of dog and home is where the cat is are my patterns and the other three are Steve Good patterns...all very popular sellers.

A selection from my toy making days. I used to see yellow, my hair would be yellow, my clothes everything was yellow when I made the ducks. Besides the ull alongs like in the photo I used to make flappers that had a handle that you'd push and their feet, made out of vinyl would flap on the ground. I'd do dozens at a time as I just couldn't keep up with them. From memory they sold for about $20 each. All the googly eyes are recessed and superglued in place

I'll jump in. This project is a grasshopper pull toy I made several years ago. It was a big hit with the kids that got it. Primarily, it was a bandsaw - drill press project. The wheels cut with a hole saw. The axles, 1/4" dowel stock. The joints for the legs, eyes and ends of the antennas were all from a craft store. The antennas themselves were electrical wire left at the garage when we purchased the house 32 years ago. The concept was from a woodworker on another site. I'm sure there will be some great items from the intarsia, segmentation folks.

Been really busy trying to get things finished up for the Denton, TX Arts and Jazz Festival April 26th - 28th. I found this clip art on Etsy. I made the plaque out of beech and walnut.

A very big thank you to grandpa Paul. The pattern he made was great and the birthday boy ( the boy) loved it

Take the warning labels off of everything. Let the gene pool sort itself out.