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We were so happy that our son and granddaughters made the trip from IL to Texas during spring break to spend the past few days with us. My grand daughter showed me artwork she designed on her laptop. I asked her if she would be interested in going to my shop to make it into a picture in wood. She agreed which totally tickled me. Nothing better than being able to share my passion with someone I love. I think she did an awesome job. I found it interesting that she liked my Hegner much better than my Pegas. She said that she felt like she had much more control.

Family birthdays coming up and what to do? I know - look over scroll saw patterns and find something the ladies will like. Decided on this one and the sister-in-law liked it, so I made this one for our daughter. And learned another something in the doing - to get good joints, cut outside the lines and not on the line (at least it worked for me). The tissue holder has enough space inside to insert a colored backing of your choice for the cutouts to showoff the cutouts. 1/4 inch wood, so next time I'll try my luck at stack cutting 2 or 3. Still have to touch this one up and as usual can't decide on the finish. Luckily, I have wife who is full of those kinds of ideas.

Another Steve Good pattern. Matches my others.

The sheet of 1/8th inch has been staring at me for too long, so I found this SG pattern and went for it. 7 layers if you count the backer (Steve did, so I'm going to too). For a change I timed myself on the top layer and it took just over an hour to cut it out. A little under 8"x10" Learned some more in the process . . . A torch is nice for burning off the fuzees, but be sure to clean off the ash/carbon left behind. I had to adjust the feed rate and saw blade speed - that took a few minutes to get used to. The plywood wants to bow - and that's not a bad thing as it gives more depth to the butterfly. But it complicates things a bit when it comes to framing it. Ah, the details never end, do they? Looking at it now makes me wonder how it would be to cut it out using 1/4" wood. Hmmmm.

This is another free bird pattern which I found on the Craftsmanspace website. I used Inscape to resize and convert to a red line with light grey Pattern. The cut panel is 5/32” x 10” x 14” Birch solid core Plywood affixed to a ¼” x 12” x 16” BB Ply backer. And, although the site stated that it was a scroll saw pattern, it was a very difficult cut as many of the lines were very close to each other, just about touching, even at the larger size I chose to make it. Also, this pattern was different in that the cuts created both a “positive” and “negative” images making the coloring slightly more difficult as both the backer and cut panel required to be painted. After applying a coat Gesso to the backer and areas on the top panel that was to be painted, all the painting was done with Acrylic Art paints except the border which was painted with a Blue rattle can spray paint. The final panel was protected with multiple coats of clear gloss spray Lacquer. There was no colored illustration available, so after looking at some bird photos, it seemed to me that the birds looked a lot like Black Cap Chickadees, so it was yellow for the birds with red flowers and green leaves. And, once again, the panel was set loose in a simple 1 3/4” wide Poplar frame, which after treating with a wood condition, was stained with Minwax Honey Maple stain and then protected with spray clear satin polyurethane. I’m thinking this will be the last of the “birds” I do for a while as I’m sure most of you are bored with these posts. I have to find some new different challenges.

Seems to me like I spend a lot of time in my shop, but get very little finished.... Well I did finish one yesterday. It is another Fiona Kingdon pattern. Called "Foliate Crucifix". Cut in maple, 10" in diameter 1/2" thick. Finish is dipped in BLO/MS then sprayed with 4 coats of Deft satin lacquer.

A project finished Monday. This is a Steve Good pattern. I used 1/4" solid Walnut and backed with 3/8" Baltic Birch plywood. I used 3/8" so that it would hold the hanger without going through the wood. Cut on the Pegas Scroll Saw using #1R MGT blades on all interior cuts and #3R on the exterior cuts. The finish is one coat spray Shellac as a sanding sealer. Then two coats MinWax Lacquer Clear Satin, sanding in between coats. I should have used 1/8" so that the white would show through the Walnut. 150 holes. Comments welcome.

Well, three weeks after breaking my arm I have enough mobility to get some work done. Won't be working on the Mandala's for awhile though. This was a custom order that I got just before I broke my arm. 1/2" bb ply with 1/4" backer. I don't remember the font but it was a part of the Windows list at the office. Glad I was able to get it done. I need to put one more coat of oil on it before passing it to the customer.

Well right after I made my last post quoting the info on QuickClamp, I thought that could be interpreted two ways so I emailed Advanced Machinery and asked... This was the response I received a few minutes.... (the kind of service you get from them), "wolfgang@advmachinery.com 12:57 PM (2 hours ago) to me Needs to be tightened down. The blade is held differently than it is in regular clamps which hold blades at the tip of the 'V' and pivoting would actually be a disadvantage and cause earlier breakage."

Hi I have had a hegner for years and I love it. According to Advanced Machinery loosen up your tension on that back end of the saw, MAKE SURE there is no oil on those threads or the whole thing in fact. YOu only want to put light oil on those two spots marked with and arrow. Now that you have the tension loose, clamp the blade down and start tensioning up. When you just feel that tension start, tighten 3/4 of a turn and listen for a HI C note or ping on you blade. That should be sufficient. The heavier the blade it might not require as much tension. Also make sure if you have the quick disconnect on the top that you loosen that nut above the blade holder just so you get a little wiggle out of it so it has some play. Good luck Bill

You should get a pattern of the second picture of her holding her art work, cut it and send to her... with love from grandpa....

I have made baskets from slices of trees. I will hunt down a picture.

Like this you mean? Or an extruded car? or

Too much expendable income? Maybe if it was your last buck, you'd think twice. I know since I have been forced onto a fixed income, I really think about what I spend. And then I spend it anyway. lol

Well I am back in my shop, making some sawdust, I made AlexFox pattern. Love it!! and Steve Good pattern.This is my first time doing layered patterns. I will be doing more in the near future.

Another quick cut, probably 6 hours total in the project. I wanted to give a tip from Steve Good's newsletter a try. He'd written about another scroller who wrote in to him and said that he (the other scroller) gave the back of each of his projects a quick spritz with rattlecan shellac before applying the pattern and drilling pilot holes, and the shellac helped to keep the fuzzies to a minimum regardless of whether a reverse-tooth blade was used or not. I decided to give it a try. A quick spray (ProTip: when spraying outside, pay attention to the direction of errant wind gusts. Took me a couple of days to clean off my glasses.), let it dry, flipped it over and taped/glued the pattern. I used a spiral blade for some of the cuts (still not a fan of them, they're handy but my ability to draw a straight line is...um...nonexistent) and a straight blade for the vast majority, and dang if it doesn't work! There were fuzzies, but they were tiny and rigid/brittle and most disappeared with a quick pass of some 220-grit on a palm sander. I think I'll be using this trick from now on.

Rob here in California. I like to do small woodworking projects (carve some birds, , etc.), nothing too fancy but I'm feeling the call of the scroll saw and I've decided to get one. I've done a ton of reading/research and have thought about either the Dewalt 788 or it's twin the Delta 40-694. I'm usually a 'buy once, cry once' guy when it comes to good tools so I've just been thinking about waiting for one or the other to go on sale from Amazon/HD/Lowes and ordering a new one . I do keep my eyes open on Craigslist, Offerup, Facebook Marketplace, (and now here!) but not a big fan of some of the shenanigans that goes on online and don't want to waste too much time or energy there. Anyway, happy to be here and hope to be scrolling soon. Rob

Well done! Steve Good also offered a new pattern with a butterfly today which says Spring Time on it. I thought it was rather cute. God Bless! Spirithorse

Bill, this is a quote from Advanced. Machinery about the Quikclamp. The regular clamps need the wiggle room, not the Quickclamp: "Use the QuickClamp instead of a standard blade clamp at the upper end of your sawblade, and align your blade instantly! A positive stop helps you put your blade in the same position every time, and the easy-grip knurled aluminum knob places pressure directly on the blade for slip-free tightening. Unlike the standard HEGNER blade clamp, the QuickClamp is designed to be locked into place in the upper arm of your HEGNER saw at all times. And since it doesn't require a wrench, it's super-fast to release and re-tighten for speedy blade changes, especially for frequent inside cuts! The QuickClamp is supplied complete as shown, and accepts all blade sizes." I took this to mean it should not have the wiggle. hummmm, there are two way I can interpret this, I took it to mean it would be in there solid,,, no wiggle. I know in the manual it talks about backing off that knob a little, with the regular clamps, but you don't remove the regular clamps either... What say you other Hegner owners?

They mainly break in the lower to middle area.

Very well done.... She will be pleased.

excellent job

she did an awesome job

Awesomeness!!

Wow if that’s her first project on a scroll saw she cut much straighter lines then I ever did my first time. Well done to her and a very special time for both of you.

I recall how happy you were with your Hawks. BUT then you got you first little Hegner. And then your second. No looking back.

Very cool Dave! I think Paul’s idea of making a patter of the picture and cutting it is a great idea!

I was having horrible vibration problems on my Hegner until I figured out it was my bench. In my attempts to fix the vibrations, I tried stick-on tire weights from Harbor Freight on the saws upper arm, to the rear of the pivot. I don't recall how many I used anymore, but it was in my belief a lot. It did not help at all, but oddly did not worsen things either. I talked with some of the engineers at work, and they said that the static balance is completely different than the dynamic balance. They said that it was some pretty complex math. My problems were caused by flex in the bench. Once I built a new, heavier, super rigid bench, it runs like glass. Maybe make sure that whatever you have it attached to is not teetering on three of four legs, and the table/bench top is not flexing. Maybe stack weights on the bench too - I had over 100lbs extra piled on to try and fix mine. Also be sure the fasteners are snugged up good and not loose. Another option may be to put a piece of rubber mat under the saw to absorb some vibration. Last ditch would be to bolt the entire bench to the floor; but I would guess for most that is unfeaseable/unacceptable. Best of luck!

Hey Everyone ! I'm The Artisan Pirate ! Primarily I am a Scroll Saw artist but I dabble in all forms of woodworking and just enjoy working with my hands ! I am from Burlington NC, a textile town and I started learning woodworking from my Grandfather on my Mother's side over Christmas Break when I was 14 (32 Now) and the scroll saw was the tool I took to the most !! Just upgraded to the Delta 20 inch scroll saw and I love it ! I have social media and a YouTube channel (links Below) I am friends with Steve Good and he has given me permission to film alot of YouTube content around his patterns that he makes, and before covid, I used to dress up like a pirate and do birthday parties and community events where people could get photos with me ! thats about all for now ! Anything else you wanna know just ask ! And please follow me on Instagram and Subscribe to me on YouTube !! And most importantly, please stay safe in this world ! Also, I love to sticker swap ! Contact Me At These Links; - E-Mail; artisanpirate@gmail.com - Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/artisanpirate/ - Twitter; https://twitter.com/artisan_pirate - Also, contact me through Social Media if you would like to Sticker Swap ! #ArtisanPirate

Amen on that one

Nicely done Barb.

I thought that you were going to start slowly????????????? Great work Bobby. I bet the smell of saw dust was heavenly. Marg

Welcome to the Village Jerry! A scroll saw is a great tool for cutting 3/4” pine! When you say you are having trouble making good clean cuts, are you using a scroll saw or a jig saw? Using a scroll saw with the right blade you should get a very clean cut. You will never get a clean cut using a jigsaw. Using a scroll saw, you are limited to the the length of the of the arms of the saw. So, with a 16” saw you are limited to 32” if you cut from two directions. If you have a 21” saw, you can cut 42” from two directions. You can get unlimited capacity if you use spiral blades, but you won’t get as smooth a cut. So, tell us what you have and what you are using so we can help you better.

I promoted Captain Morgan to Admiral considering the good job he did in keeping me sane during 2020

Good stuff Roly I've been wanting to make some of them for a while now, just have to get my arse into gear and make a start on my wish list.

That's why I have so many double tools and things. Went to Harbor Freight and saw a push stick for a table saw for 99 cents. I can use that so I bought it. Then found two just like it at home. Sometimes I just buy something without thinking. Old age I guess.

Paul, buy the book I suggested. It will tell you everything you need to know. I guarantee that it will be almost as good as a video or an in person class. I took the class and then read the book. They are/were the same. The Art of Marquetry. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Marquetry-Schiffer-Book-Woodworkers/dp/076430237X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+art+of+marquetry&qid=1616377929&sr=8-1 $16.99.

Here ya go, it's a long video but I found it very interesting.

I just don't have time for another hobby or the room to do it. I work in like 144 square inches on my work bench. I was making a picture frame today and gluing it up. I had to keep moving things as I would turn it to glue up the corners.

Perhaps 20 or more years ago I attended a woodworking show where I watched a dime being crossed out on a Hegner. At that time I didn't know a scroll saw from a ham sandwich. The demo was fascinating. I was the only one watching at that particular moment and was given a long demo. He said that the Hegner was the only saw that had a perfect up and down motion. Course that comment stuck in my mind. Now of course, I know that is not true, just a sales pitch. However I was fascinated but I recall the show special was something like $800. I could be all wet on that. But, eversince then I wanted one. Not for scrolling per se but for cutting out small brass clock parts. I had been using a piercing saw or fret saw. It was not until I discovered scrolling art work did I finally get two used Hegners, an 18" and 14". Scrolling has never been the same. Sorry for the Highjacked thread.

Any saw that uses parallel arms to move the blade up and down, will move that blade ever so slightly front to rear. The longer the arms, the less that motion will be. This is because the arms each pivot around a point, that is located the same distance from the ends, making the arms sweep out a circle. The two arms work together to keep the blade oriented vertical, but the arc makes the blade move fore and aft slightly. Longer arms will have a greater arc, so less fore-aft; shorter arms will have a smaller arc so more fore-aft. I hope that makes sense. Its kinda hard to describe.

Trapper John, what time of day are the zoom meetings and what day of the week?

The Marquetry discussion seems to have tapered off. Since last posting I have joined the "American Marquetry Society" and participated in a few of the weekly Zoom meetings conducted by its parent, "The Marquetry Society." This group is based in England and the attendees comprise a most helpful group of well-established marqueteers. Their work is most impressive and their willingness to share and discuss technique reflects patience (no doubt a benefit enhanced by the practice of the art form) and experience. For a rank beginner like me, the difficulty with this informal structure is that at present I have nothing to show or discuss. Ernie Mills, the U.S. Rep, has a website known as "Marquetry Magic," ( See www.marquetrymagic.com) which is well worth visiting. Be sure to check out the section entitled "Tutorials.". After selecting this option scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and select the link to "The Beginner's Guide." After introductory material is covered there is a section entitled "Basic Techniques" which is well worth your time to review. The basic "Leaf Pattern" seems to be a classic introduction to the window method of cutting veneer. There are also several variants of the exercise to be found on Youtube. No matter your skill level this exercise is well worth the small amount of time and materials required to complete it. For this novice the simple act of cutting the first piece of veneer was a learning experience, in that I quickly found that choice of knife handles and blades was important to my success. If it doesn't "feel" right to me I tend to distract myself and to begin fussing with my work. (I also learned that not all #11 Xacto replacement blades are created equally, but that's another story.) Although I ultimately plan to use a scroll saw for my marquetry work, I concluded that learning several different approaches to cutting and developing "windows" into my work would only be helpful. Ernie Mills has been most encouraging and helpful in launching my efforts and I highly recommend joining the American Marquetry Society for its benefits. Since marquetry, as opposed to inlay, is a relatively obscure approach to woodworking and art (especially in the U.S.) it would be useful to have a regular forum for exchange of ideas and information about projects on this site.

Welcome to the Village, from 100 miles north of you. I live in Kalispell, MT. I was born and raised in Missoula, and in response to Scrappile, Malfunction Junction is indeed alive and well. It is the intersection of Brooks St., South Avenue, and South Russell. If you look at it through Google Maps you can understand the name. But I digress. I like your setup. The dust collection system intrigues me. How well does it work? Jim

Welcome to the village from East Tennessee. Nice work area. If you are just getting into Intarsia, I would highly recommend checking out a Judy Gale Robert’s’ website. https://intarsia.com She is one of the preeminent Intarsia experts in the world and she has so,e great help articles on her site. She also has several free patterns on there as well.

I haven't done big cats, but I did this stack of cats for my sister's birthday last year. Three of the cats are painted to represent the three cats that she has owned.

Dan I tried doing it that way and still couldn't get rid of it. Not a big deal but frustrating.

I can't seem to get rid of the last thing I posted. I've tried every way I can think of to delete this last post. I just found another great video that I think that anybody who is interested in learning the basics on marquetry will find interesting. This man knows of what he speaks. And he keeps it simple. He taught his nine year old Granddaughter how to do it and she does a great job.

Maybe one of our marquetry pros can put together a step-by-step tutorial of a simple project and we could all get started. Wink, wink. I'd be willing to join in.

Every year I make something for my mother to gift to people who help her out. Both are Steve Good designs, with the second one modified with acrylic angels to see the tree.