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Our Granddaughter is going to be having her first baby in a couple of months. Her husband is a hard working cowboy. He herds cows and mends fences and ropes, you know all the cowboy things. My granddaughter buys, breaks and sells horses for her income and does quite well with that. She has ridden and owned horses since she was able to walk. Her mother was also that way growing up and also today. With that background, I asked her if she had a theme going for her new babies bedroom. Of course, it is a country theme. I decide to make a 'cowboy Teddy Bear' to give to her for the babies room. I used a JGR pattern and modified it so it fit with my purpose. I know from my granddaughter's rodeo time, barrel racing, (which she still does) that the belt buckle is an important thing in her and her husbands life, so I had to make one with a horse on it. I used bloodwood, Aspen, and Cedar to make it. The Bloodwood, I found to be quite dense and took extra effort to shape and sand, but since it was the main part of the bear, I had to keep at it until it was as I wanted it to be. I believe it should add and interesting touch to the babies room and I hope one the baby will grow to cherish even after I am gone. I know, I would have loved to have something my grandfather made for me, but I do not. Anyway, here is the first piece of intarsia I have made in quite some time and I may try another once I get my ordered items done. Dick heppnerguy

I looked at this and had to smile. Please done not take this personally, this is just something that hit me. Nothing wrong with what you are doing, in fact it looks good. But, I smile at the different tubes, pipes, vacuums, hoses, blowers, suckers, flex lines, etc., we go through to try to contain that darn dust. I have two saws and they are beginning to look like space machines or something with all the paraphernalia I kept trying, moving, resizing, re-inventing, adjusting, hooking up, to get rid of that darn dust. I think I enjoy the hunt as much as scrolling...... Now I am looking at air filtration, like a ceiling mounted one... Keep at it, and if you see a low cost space suit for sell let me know, I way be interested...

Sheila Landry pattern. 3/4" Red Oak cut with #5 Pegas MGT blades on the old Hegner

Here's a little project you might want to work on for the kids. It's SWIFTY the SUPER WOODEN INCREDIBLY FAST TRAVELING YEASTERBUNNY. Ok, so I went a little far on the name. But this easy to make project will thrill the little ones with the way he glides along. I cut mine from 1/2" plywood. You can cut the wheels on the scroll saw, but I found it easier to cut them with a 3" hole saw and then use the scroll saw to cut the eggs on the wheels. The hole saw will also give you a nice 1/4" center on the wheels to insert and glue a dowel (about 3 1/2" long for each set of wheels). Needed something to keep Swifty centered so I used little straps cut from duct tape. In the pattern book I show some pictures of how it was assembled and there is also an alternate set of wheels which can be cut easier as well. Also put up a short video on YouTube showing SWIFTY in action. Have some fun and let me know how it goes. Free pattern on my Free Page

Y'all know that I can't get enough of the Old West themed pictures. Here's my latest. Pattern and cutting by me. Pegas 2/0 Spiral blades, 1/4" Baltic Ply, 8x10".

I've hooked up my scroll saw to my shop vac, instead of my main dust ctrl (HF 2 hp). However, after a cut I was covered in dust. It was really terrible LOL. So, I changed one of the hose configurations and wow what a difference. Here are before and after pics of the change: Before the change - hose went straight towards the blade about 3 inches from the blade I removed the small adapter piece that was at the front of the hose. Then I added a pvc elbow plus a short length of pvc and now the hose is aimed downward directly next to the blade. It is held in place by several wire ties (I know not the most elegant but it's working). The blower is on the left side so it blows the dust toward the pvc elbow. Much better now and very little to no dust at all. Side view Rear view with the pvc Y connector which was there before... Thanks as always in advance for reading.

Just put the update on. Check it out. Blade alinement and table alinement.

I finally got it lined up. I put a pegas #5 in there also and adjusted everything. Looking good.

Hope you have a screen on it to prevent losing pieces.

Doesn't the large hose/pipe get in the way of cutting?? Obstruct your view???

You could be pushing to the left or right since you are cutting dense wood

I usually use thin lauan (plywood) as a backer for my scroll work. The backer is usually painted black to give a background color. The color is not always black, just mostly. I recently saw an advertisement for a "Peel and Stick" wallpaper and thought that it might be nice to use the Peel and Stick instead of paint on the lauan. Maybe even contact paper. Do you glue a backer on some of your scroll work and do you paint it or do something else? Maybe something outdoorsy for birds and animals..

ok heres a few more pictures of the stuff iv made. The first one is a toy climbing firemen. Iv made all kinds of these. The next one is from a pattern I sort of made myself. I found a picture of some foot ball helments and decided to make a msu/ um foot ball tick tack toe game. I got the idea from remembering that my brother in law and his son always watched the msu/um football games and they were fans of opposing teams. lol Then theres the candy corn monsters...a witch, vamper and frankinstien. Next is the santa candy cane holder. I used sawdust mixed with glue to make the beard and fluffy trim on the santa. Thanksgiving is my favorit holiday but there are never really a lot of thanksgiving decorations around to buy sooo I make my own. this pattern of a pilgrim with his gun and turkey walking past corn my ex got I think at home depo or some place like that. it has thanksgiving and christmass patterns and a few other simple patterns to make. I don't glue the pilgrim and corn to the base because its easer to store if it can be taken apart. well that's it for now lol

Your setup looks good. I've had to add a vacuum relief to avoid the collapsed 5 gal bucket. By the way, how do you like your delta scrollsaw? I've had a delta ss350 but would love a newer saw but most are above my budget. Thanks.

And........? What was the problem? You can't leave us hanging like an Alfred Hitchcock ending.

Quick update. I replaced all the clamp parts and realined the blade and found out that the adjusting knob under the table wasn't right on zero either. I guess the red pointer was off a little to. After adjusting everything I finished cutting the rest of the 7/8 puzzle pattern and everything was right on. I want to thank everyone for there great advice and Jim for his blade clamp setup. Thanks again.

As a framer, we have scrap mat board of many different colors. Works great as a backer.

I can think of 3 things to check: blade alignment - you have already checked. blade sharpness - dull blades will cause your problem. Type of blade - #3 FD UR may not be appropriate. I had the same problem cutting hard maple with FD blades many years ago. So I called Mike and sent him wood samples. He had the same problem. Then I switched to Pegas modified geometry blades and have not looked back. Try Pegas #5 modified geometry blades. If that blade doesn't work on your project I don't know what would work. bb

I'll have to join Barb here in her question. Seems that everything is in the way of vision, changing the blade etc etc.

blade tension is another item to be aware of,

I had to hang a track light today, which kicked my butt. Finding studs in my textured ceilings are a real PITA! Anyway, I did manage to cut one puzzle today. And a BIG shout out and thank you so much to @heppnerguy, Dick for some great advice on how to cut straight lines Dick - it worked like a charm... YOU THE MAN!!!! So here is the newest addition to my collection, cut in Maple, Pegas #3. Not sanded or finished yet, that is later in the week. Also I left the wheels patterns on because the detail cuts require a small drill which I somehow lost during the hurricane and just re-ordered for delivery tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks as always in advance for reading

Less variations in patterns and colors, but I wonder if peel & stick tiles would be a good option? Many have surface variation, adding a little depth to the backer. Another option might be scrapbook paper as found in Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or Joann's. There are tons of options with these.

I found a bunch of patterns set up for cutting pre-hurricane, so I knocked out a few. At least I got to scroll for a few minutes. Nothing special, but interesting what/how I was doing in 2018 an now. A few ornaments, earrings and backdrop odds and ends Thanks as always for reading

Thanks, for not being offended by my post. I have been working on my scroll saw dust collection quit a bit lately trying to improve it and it just made ms think, how much time we spend on that. And thanks, the Wen is the one I have been looking at...

Kevin, I just went out there and did what you said. I cut into a block of wood and it looks like it' a hair off. Not really that much but I guess it doesn't take much. The piece of wood I used with the pencil mark seem to line up but the cut one doesn't. I guess the cut one is the way to go. Seems more accurate.I'll put the new clamp parts in tomorrow and reset everything. I'll let everyone know how I make out. Thanks again.

I built a wooden stand/table for my EX21. I incorporated 2 Harbor Freight 6" wheels with 1/2" axles in the rear two legs. I added 2 pvc handles along side of the table that slide in/out of themselves so that I can lift the back end (nearest to me) and move the saw in and out of my shop. I have a 6" drop off from the shop down to the driveway. I made a ramp that helps get in and out of the shop.

Lots of good advice here. One thing that really changed the way that I scroll was when I started burning the fuzzies off the back of the piece. I use a micro torch similar to this one. Burn the fuzzies and wipe with a piece of sand paper (just barely sanding) and the fuzzies are gone. Being able to reduce the amount of sanding after the project allowed me to really focus on cutting the lines so I rarely have to sand my cuts. If using a micro torch is too scary to start, you can get the same effect using a cigarette lighter. the tip will get hot so you can only burn a little at a time before you fingers get too warm.

Why did I put this in the "Bragging Rights" section? Well we all have, I think, had a failure or two along the adventure of scrolling... I have had more than a few and always chalked it up to learning or "that's life" and gone on.. This is a total failure on my part, and bragging because it is my biggest so far in my life as a scrollperson.... I wrote "scroller" but could not decided if that was sexist, or not, so I changed it. I started this project after seeing the completed ones Heppnerguy and rdatelle posted. They were beautiful and well done. I wanted to do one in prep for a finescrollsaw clock I have wanted to do for several years. Smart guy me, decided that I would do it in Cherry Wood. Long story, short, after around 8 weeks of hard work, I declared a failure and quit. The scrolling part was not real difficult, and the type I love doing. The putting it together was my down fall. This is 1/4" and 1/8" cherry with detailed scrolling in it. I never realized how fragile, (ha, every time I type the word "fragile" I think of "The Christmas Story" on TV.) it would be. Every time I tried to glue parts together, I would break a part somewhere... every time!! There are at least 15 repaired or re-cut parts on this clock. The last one, the back leg, that I tried to put a screw through, that was pre-drilled and countersunk, split in half,,, I said, for the sake of my sanity , enough is enough, life, for me, is two short, I quit! Oh, even when I ordered the clock movement of it,,,,, they sent the wrong one, seemed like an omen to me... So, it sits on the floor in my family/computer/wife won't allow me in the livingroom, room. Waiting for the spring wiener roast, I think, would be appropiate. Ahh., thanks, I confessed, got it off my chest and can move on.

I know others have done this one, so I thought I’d show mine!

One more down another drying on the workshop table. Should be able to post it tomorrow, I hope This is another of the request pieces from a cousin for Christmas presents. This is also a Steve Good pattern that she picked when she was with us a couple of weeks ago. I have to say, it was a fun and easy one to cut and I found that I enjoyed it when it was finished. I would have never chosen to cut it just from looking at it on Steve's page, but now I have to say, I am glad she did choose it. Dick heppnerguy

Hi everyone, I'm having a problem Cutting a puzzle out of 7/8 maple. After I cut the piece and take it out, one end is fatter that the other. I checked the blade and it's straight and I'm going slow making the turns. The bottom part is wider that the top where the pattern lines are. Don't know what else to do. Any ideas. I'm using a #3UR blade to. Could that be the problem.

Nope not at all. I've been working with it for 2 days now, cut 6 puzzles and no issues with interference at all. I load blades from the bottom so again no interference. I do have to lift and prop the arm higher to do fret work/feed the blade but that's just a technique adjustment

Not yet no, still testing out the overall feel. The pieces wouldn't go far anyway

How about a painter's suit with full headgear?

I've been messing with this for some time now. I have a small stack of diagrams as to how I wanted to setup my dust collection system. None of them met with total approval so off to the hardware store I went. Half way there not only did I notice I hadn't brought any of my plans, I had left home without my glasses! So, after squinting my way through the fittings and adapters I headed home armed with a length of 3/4" pvc pipe and one of 1", along with a bag of assorted fittings etc.I decided I was overthinking this thing and decided to just go for it. My only hard fast rule was, I wanted a limited amount of 90 degree turns and I wanted a friction fit instead of glued so I could modify it and be able to easily disassemble incase of the inevitable clogs. I knew I wanted the upper pickup to be of 3/4" Loc-Line and I had already purchased some from Amazon. $11 and because I've had the struggle with the small one that comes with the saw, I opted for the pliers. $14. Glad I did! I may never use it again but 3/4" Loc-Line is pretty stout. So after mounting that side, I modified a Y, a pc of 1" pvc and a reducer for the cyclone side. I had a length of vac hose I had used to add length to my shop vac and because it is very flexible I used it for the upper pickup to the cyclone. I made a homemade screen for the upper pickup. The Dewalt table doesn't have a completely flat underside so, I used 3 small magnets from Harbor Freight that are approximately 1/4" x 3/4" x 2" ($.99 for 2) to put in the pie shaped indents on the bottom of the table. That brought the lower pickup hose high enough to stay relatively in place near the blade. I did have to add a tie off to keep it from swiveling if I bumped it. I very happy with the setup!! Nearly 95% dust pickup. The only changes I'd like to make is to replace the upper and lower pickup lines with clear ones so it's easy to see any clogs. I tried clear vinyl hose but at that diameter they are far too stiff. I may check a Medical Supply place for the clear lines.

Thx for the update, and your work on our site, but don’t you mean if it is misbehaving you will check it out, Thx RJ

Yep. sometimes I am dumber than wood!!

I agree with Bill the pattern MAY interfere with the fretwork. I feel the same about people who cut intricate patterns into highly figured wood. The wood detracts from the cutting and the cutting from the wood.just my 2cents

May not be a good idea because attaching the backer might be a problem.

I've never tried anything like that, but I would worry that patterned backers like that might be too busy and distract the eye from the actual scrolled piece in front if it.

Small is good and they are good. Well done. Marg

You did a terrific job, well done. Marg

Introducing The Spoon Bunny Brothers.

I,m impressed with the size airflow.You but little strain on the vaccumn that way. I,ve got dust collectors and hoses for all my machines but can,t get to them from hoaring.

That came out nice.very well done

just got a call back from Ray at Seyco! At almost 8 PM ! First time I've talked to him...really nice guy. He quickly helped me with a couple of questions...now all's right with the world...or at least my saw. Now...if I can just get a couple more puzzle animals cut before tomorrow's show....#3 of 5 this week.

I wouldn't worry about only cutting one puzzle when it turns out like that! Well done!

What kind of saw you running? A very aggressive cutting saw can / will do the same thing if there is a lot of front to back motion of the blade..

Again a rather simple piece but one I have made before and have always enjoyed it. This is a Sue Mey pattern. I have quite a few of her patterns and I really like her style. It was an easy cut but looks great on the wall. Starting the next request piece tomorrow. Dick heppnerguy

I am new to this site but have been scrolling for almost two years now and loving every minute. I think the first thing to learn and practice is patience, patience and patience. Like any new endeavor it takes time to learn, and that is one of the best parts of the process. Even after completing initial and basic projects the feelings of accomplishment and reward are fantastic and grow and continue with each successive project and difficulty level. Like a lot of others, i was drawn to scrolling and went out and found an old craftsman at a garage sale for $40.00. After a lot of practice and experimentation I knew that this was something i would enjoy. So I invested in a DW788 and made a comfortable work space in my shop and haven't looked back. I think that is very important too, if your going to be spending a lot time at it, make yourself comfortable. Get a good comfortable and supportive chair, get the lighting that you need, get the ventilation that you need & you HAVE to have your music. One of the other big factors that I have learned is to not be afraid to experiment, the potential for this tool is only limited by your imagination and sense of adventure. With sites like this and other avenues, there is a large resource out there. And no matter what your level is or the level that you want to get to, get yourself some good equipment, make yourself comfortable, be safe and amaze yourself at what you can learn and are capable of. Mike These are an example of some the patterns that are available online and with patience were not that difficult.