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A friend, furniture maker and source of nice scraps of wood, requested a small Christian cross. I did this one, using some of the wood he gave me. The wood is Acacia from his family ranch in central Texas. I resawed it to 1/4" thickness and is about 8" tall. The first picture shows the 3 parts separate and the second picture shows the 3 parts assembled. For those who are religious, it has the symbology of the holy trinity.

Hey strangers, long time no see... I hope everyone is doing well. Busy times as always for me with the day job and two side businesses. Winter has been stockpiling season. I cut about 250 puzzles to bulk up to around 500 on hand, and now working on key/leash racks. 44 of them stacked in the photo below. I'll store them as they are and then I'll finish them and add hooks as I need them. Hope to cut another 100 or so before my first event of the year coming up in mid-April. What's new and exciting?

With the help of a friend, because I can't paint, I offer you this mike Williams goobler and hen pattern. It's almost turkey season where I live so these are quite popular. This is going for an auction to raise money for my sister that has colon cancer. Birch wood, spiral 0 blades.

Pattern by Mike Williams Coloring done with water color crayons

Thanks to “Beaver” who give me the plans for the case. Now I have to make two more for my other models.

Cut in live edge air dried red oak with a pine backer. About 9 x 9.

My wife got us a re-home Eclectus parrot last summer, and has been looking at different tree perches and table-top stands online. Those things are EXPENSIVE!!!! So she had showed me a small A-frame style stand, of course I said I could make one for a LOT cheaper. One trip to Lowes for a 1x12x6' piece of pine, a 3/4" dowel, and a set of paddle drillbits (my current set went up to 1/2", the two larger bits being sacrificed to the "you must lose something" house move several years back), a little bit of tinkering in Inkscape, and I think I have a passable stand. We also made one out of PVC pipe, wrapped the cross-piece in athletic tape for grip, and use it in the bathroom, but no scrolling was done on it. Stack cut the two sides so they're equal and the drill holes matched up. Scrolled the center portion, and then scrolled the outer edge. About an hour on the saw and drill press. Sanded down the ends of the dowels a tad bit, everything is pressure-fit together. Since parrots are known to nibble on their stands, this will remain raw wood. They are also very susceptible to fumes, we have to take her out of a room for a couple of hours when doing touchup painting on the walls, so staining would require a long drying time to make sure that nothing is off-gassing anymore. Rosie hopped over to it from my arm with only a little bit of coaxing (and a walnut bribe....spoiled rotten, she is), and seems to approve. She likes being near her people, so we bring her over (she's less than a year old, and previous owner had her wings clipped at some point so she's still learning how to fly....she's starting to figure out that its easier to land with her claws than just slamming belly-first into the perch and scrabbling for a foot hold. Next, steering!!!) whenever we're congregating in the kitchen.

Here’s a clown I made, pattern by Garnet Hall

After reading Jaun's question about available magazines relating to scrolling, it made me think. I used to subscribe to "Scroll Saw, Woodworking and Crafts, but I found it became a bit same same. However that is not what this is about. I would deliberately not read the instructions attached to a pattern or project until I had thought through how I would make the item. Then when reading the article there would be "I never thought of that!" or "Nah, that's a much too complicated process to achieve that" etc. Just little mind games I would play.

Thanks for the reminder. Been busy doing Easter projects and forgot all about St. Patrick's Day. Here are a couple of patterns that may be useful. Funny how there are so many variations as to what folks believe Leprechauns to be like. By the way, the second pattern is titled "Who ate my Lucky Charms?" Be well all.

Typical male......

Google public domain photos.

I did a lot of top feeding on my Hawk, after doing it for a while it became a reflex motion. faster than bottom feeding large projects.

I am a top feeder. Seems to get work done faster and less strain on my back from bending down to see. I try to get the blade into the hole and at perpendicular tp the clamp on both sides. After a while you will learn muscle memory and things just move along just like setting the bottom clamp with out looking. If you can see the hole in the table and can look through it to get to the opening it becomes much easier.

I kind of do the same thing John! Sorry Marg!

Nice representation. Just a thought,If they were compound cut "on a slight angle" each piece would nest slightly higher than the previous, adding a greater dimension and interest. I am by no means demeaning your cutting, just expressing thoughts out-loud and the option of another technique.

Atta Boy Frank, never say die. You're going to love that saw once you strip off the junk you don't need.

OK, guys and gals, you started this on the other thread. But it deserves its own thread. True confession: I think of myself as a top-feeder, but I feel like I am cheating. Question: How do you do it? This question is for other top-feeders only. Bottom-feeders kindly observe respectfully. Background: I started scrolling with a non-moveable arm machine (Porter-Cable). For fretwork I developed the technique of removing the blade at both ends, inserting it through the workpiece, reattaching the blade at both ends and then resetting the tension. I seriously bent some blades before developing this technique. Frustration quickly set in and, after reading up on machines here on this forum, I purchased a Pegas with the intention of doing top-feeding. I love my Pegas scroll saw, but... The problem: The arm raises up and stays up and it is easy to lower it to the hole in the workpiece. The problem is how to get the blade through the hole in the table. I have no problem clamping the blade by feel in the lower clamp. How I do it: I tried everything I could think of and none of them worked. So, I now raise the arm to full height, raise the workpiece to the blade and feed the blade through and, taking a clue from our friends the bottom-feeders, bending over to see what I am doing, lower the workpiece and arm and visually guide the blade through the hole in the table. That’s when I feel like I am cheating. A true top-feeder should not have to bend over to look, that should be for bottom-feeders only. Previous attempts: At first, I tried carefully positioning the hole in the workpiece over the hole in the table but never was able to make that work consistently. Then I bought a laser pointer to point at the table feed-hole, suggested by Steve Good, but could not find a place to mount it. My best previous technique was to lift the workpiece and guide the blade by feeling both the blade and the table feed-hole, but never felt like this was the final answer. Question rephrased: How do you do top-feeding without bending over and looking?

The grains in those look so complimentary. Very nice cutting.

Great idea @FrankEV! I gave it a try using acacia and red oak and here is the very preliminary result, still a good bit of sanding and finishing work to go.

I find it easier to bottom feed leaving the lower clamp intact and being able to see the top clamp for re-attachment. I tried top feeding and fought with not being able to see what I was doing with the bottom clamp.

Beautiful bird and good work on the perch.

From what I remembered, if you purchased the images (calendar or cards) you can use them as you please. You market them as your photos but you can make puzzles and sell them. I'm no lawyer, but just passing on what I read. Others can chime in.

Probably old news but you can search through Pinterest to find photos and if you word your search right it can be to find only copyright free images. Steve Good also posted in his blog a good while back about a site called something like Vectzez (sp) for free images and pattern pieces. You also search for free vector images which work well too.

I'm not sure what type of images you are looking for, but in the past I would collect calendars that have nice pictures, mostly landscape, and use them for puzzles. Even Christmas cards were good sellers as puzzles. I remember from a puzzle site years ago that Carter Johnson was a member of and most members used these types of sources for puzzles.

Well, I have now done some top feeding (about a dozen holes on different regions of the panel). What do I think about it? My short answer is: "It's a lot like snowboarding -I have learned how to snowboard and taken a few runs down steep hills -but it's strange to go down a hill standing sideways. I will, most often, choose to ski down the hill facing forward." So, I consider top feeding to be something in my bag of tricks, and will use it for holes located in the middle of large panels.

nice job

very nice job

I have no doubt that it will sell well it is beautiful

Who reads? Just look at the pictures / patterns..

They painter did a perfect job, excellent team work. Good luck with the auction, I hope it does well. Wishing your sister all the best. Marg

Another work: Little Jaguar, pattern by Ivan Nikoleav (thank you for sharing!). Birch plywood 4 mm - appr. 11 x 8 inch.

Nice looking little drill stand, but very limited as it has very small throat. Having said that, if it is all you need it is all you need.

Very nice. Just a thought. If you had stack cut two layers, say Acacia and Maple, you could have a two sets when assembled. One dark, light, dark and one light, dark, light.

The case is nice but, as always, your truck is awesome.

Well, to the trained eye, watch for the size of the table, whether it has the center piece for the blade hole, look at the type of spring at the rear. Newer ones have a coil spring rather than the zig-zag type. It should have the tension lever at the front(rear ?) and a Quick clamp to make it all right. Then, ask for all the blade clamp holders, and the Tee wrench. A quick look at the bellows too. They are usually shot but can be replaced by a CV boot. Make sure it's a variable speed too. If it has all that stuff and looks like it's not been run over by a truck, it's a good deal at $500-600. Nothing more because they pop up all the time. I'm watching one now that has nothing mentioned and the seller thinkis it's worth $1000 because he looked them up on the net and knows nothing about all the changes over the years. I've contacted many sellers trying to educate them The one I bought for $40 I told the seller they were nuts and it was worth 10 times that amount to the right buyer. She said they just wanted it out of their garage so I drove about 75 miles each way to get it.

I suggest a hex socket rather than a hex wrench.. That guard was one of the first things I removed from mine as well.. LOL Don't know if they have the size in this set that you need but just to show what I mean by Hex socket.. https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-drive-metric-hex-socket-set-6-pc-69546.html

Very nice. I can't paint either, but the colors really make it pop

Great Artwork...wonderful sawing and the paintinh ist great! All the best for your Family!!!

wow finish is superior

exceptional

I like your work, the painting is beautiful. Of course, I wish the best for your sister and family.

I never got used to top feeding.. I've mentally in my head made myself do it a few times but it's just natural for me to bottom feed. I only have ever angled my table in the 20 years of sawing about 4 times.. One was just to make a bowl, and the other time was to try doing inlay.. Now days I do inlay on the CNC as it's more precise and no drilling holes needed.. All that said, I'll more likely go with Pegas because I do like the way these saws cut.. slightly more aggressive and easier on blades. Real delicate thin stock cutting I still like my Hawk way better.. But cutting thick stock with not many inside cuts I'd rather cut on the EX. I've got 410 hours on that EX since I rebuilt it.. most of them hours has been recent as I haven't touched the Hawk since last October, I've been making a lot of puzzles and clocks lately..

terrific job, it's beautiful

I love it! Every time I see one of these clowns I think of Red Skelton.

Been a few since I've done any Celtic knotwork, but here's a couple from not too long ago.

This is a box I made from a bit of scrap walnut. The box is 2 1/2” X 2 1/2” X 1 1/2”. made from one inch walnut with 1/4” walnut top and bottom. I flocked the inside. It will hold the necklace.

More amazing service from Denny. I ordered more blades late last Friday - figured they would ship Monday and I would get them by this Thursday. Denny shipped them Saturday morning and they we in my mail delivery today (Monday). That's central Tennessee the eastern Wisconsin in two days. Thanks Denny!!! https://www.artcraftersonline.com

Thank you all, really appreciated. Rodney, I always use regular flat blades of 28 tpi , I tried to use spiral a few times but don't like them. And goldfish, there were only about 500 entry holes and took about 24 hrs of cutting. Great way to pass time and relax.