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Well I have been down to my shop these last few day's. Man does it feel Fantastic. been busy as a beaver. I made a Regiment plaque for a fellow Veteran, and some Butterflies, I especially like the Tiger Face one. Looking forward to doing more.

One of my neighbors has a '67 Camaro that is in beautiful condition but is considering selling it. Found a pattern in the pattern library and started cutting. I'll give it to him next week.

Farm - my new project and pattern. Making this pattern took more time than usual - I wanted to make view of classic farm scene. I have never been at such place, but I looked through many photos in the Internet and came to this conclusion: it should contains barn, tractor, windmill and granary. I didnt added animals, because pattern consists of many small details, maybe later I will make one more similar pattern (barn with animals). Aslo I made 2 variant of size: 10,5 х 5 inches and enlarged 15,5 х 7,5 inches (pattern includes both sizes). I hope it looks natural, what do you think? Video of making Farm Farm pattern

This was a request from my cousin for her new granddaughter. I did not think I would be able to get all the name letters she wanted on this pattern but she would not take no for answer. I had no recourse's but to give it a try and hope I would be able to get it all in place and be able to cut it all. As you can see, I was forced to not leave any gap between a couple of the letters so I was not sure I would not have a breakout as a result. I held my breath, said a prayer and BINGO, I was able to get it all done. I would have preferred a blue or pink background for a baby cross, depending on the sex of the new born, but my cousin wanted it to be black, so I complied with my customer and made it as demanded. I am ok with this pattern, except I find it rather difficult to find a package to mail it in because it is so broad. Dick heppnerguy

Hi all. I've been posting a few articles in the Articles section and tutorials in the Project Workshop section recently. These were generously provided by SSV members. I think they're really cool. I found a pretty good process of converting these articles to SSV, so I thought I'd put a callout for anybody who wants to submit an article. I'd love to build up our Articles and Project Workshop library. The goal is to make SSV a great resource for all scrollers. Here's a quick breakdown of article types and requirements. It's actually pretty easy. I just need your expertise, and I'll make it look pretty when I post them. Articles Articles can be anything scroll saw related. We're always looking for tutorials on techniques, references. beginner articles, advanced tutorials, finishing techniques, etc. The goal is education and sharing information that is useful for new and seasoned scrollers alike. We want these to feel like a magazine article. Don't worry, you don't have to be an amazing author. Goodness knows I'm not. But we do want it to read like an article with complete sentences and thoroughly explained. Articles can be presented in step-by-step method too, if that is more appropriate. Pictures are worth 1000 words. We want to illustrate what we're talking about the best we can. So please include photos or other illustrations that reinforce what you are discussing. I can crop and color correct photos when I post the article. Most phones takes really great pictures, so don't feel like you have to have an amazing camera. Look through our Articles section for some inspiration and how we have created other articles. Project Workshop Project Workshop is reserved for specific projects, not broad subjects. For example, we're making a farm tractor toy. The idea is someone can follow the instructions step-by-step to make this project. These should be presented in step-by-step format. Each step should have a photo showing that step. Please include a pattern where possible. (Note: Pattern downloads for project workshop is limited to SSV Patrons) Include 2 or 3 photos of the final project to include for the conclusion. Look through our Project Workshop for some inspiration and how we format our tutorials. How To Deliver: Please make sure the article you submit was written by you and they're your photos. I can't post articles from other people or books, even if they're out of print. It's a copyright thing, and I don't want lawyers on my lawn. Keep in mind copyrights when putting together Project Workshop tutorials. We can't make sports teams, or other licensed/copyrighted/trademarked projects. I can convert 2 types of documents easily: Microsoft Word document. You can PM or email me a Microsoft Word document. Google Document You can send me a link to the Google document by clicking the "Share" button in the upper right corner, then enter my email address (listed below) Alternatively, you can click the "Share" button in the upper right corner. Then click "Copy Link" and send me the link via PM or email. When you create your document, please embed your images into the document so I know where your pictures should go in the article. You can also send me the text and images separately through email or PM. I'll convert your article, crop photos, and make nice banners. You will receive credit as the author. My contact info. PM: @Travis Email: travis[at]scrollsawvillage.com

I decided to try bevel cutting the "fossil" pattern by Steve Good. Then I decided to take it up a notch. Instead of clear coating or staining I sprayed it with "stone" paint to give it more of a look of being excavated from rock.

Weather has not been the best for golf so I decided to cut a few bowls. A dear friend of mine came for a visit andI showed her the bowls and she bought both of them right away. So I lost my bowls LOL

Hi All, I have finished the plates I was cutting for my daughter. I did one of each from WayneMahler and TDpainter and she loves them both. She won't get them until after the Craft Fair we holding at the Kirkcaldy Men's Shed on Saturday where I am hoping to drum up some interest (and raise much needed funds). Don W PS BTW the plates are for my new Great Grand Son.

They are in the current issue of Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts magazine , or you can find them for sale at the Wooden Teddy Bear.

Down Right Super job Dick. I can see why you held your breath and said a few prayers. I would have wanted to use a Pink or Blue Backer as well.

Great painting. Nice cuts as well.

Excellent cut. Try a pizza box for shipping.

That is an excellent cut!

Those are super colorful.

Dick, that came out great! lots of tricky cuts!

Super cutting, Dick

Super clean cutting!

beautiful work

excellent job

Great work, Bobby. I agree, the tiger is really neat!

We both know the value of making someone's prized car into a memorial plaque to display with so much pride. He will love this gift sooooo much Dick heppnerguy

Those are really cool and quite colorful. You brightened my day by displaying the brilliance of your projects. keep up the great work Dick heppnerguy

Awesome work! Glad you got to get back in your shop.

Thanks so much for what you do.

Very nice work.

Down Right Awesome job He will Love it. I'm kind'a partial to Dark Blue

Beautiful work.

Nicely done! I can almost see the red paint with the white strips.

Done for a friends Birthday, I hope she likes it. An @alexfox pattern. 3mm B/B with 6mm ply backer.

Blaughn , Your sign is absolutely stunning! What font did you use?

This is an Alex Fox design that I modified slightly to hold keys. Hard Maple and Walnut. Chris

I have done a fair amount of work with Jatoba wood which US wood dealers usually refer to as Brazilian Cherry. (It has nothing to do with cherry other than the fact it is reddish in color.) It is the most drop-out resistant wood I have used to date. The downside is that it is the hardest and heaviest wood I have ever used. Resawing it on my bandsaw is an extremely slow process and if you try to hurry that you can break the bandsaw blade. Likewise scrolling requires more frequent blade changes. When it is finished it makes a beautiful plaque.

My little buddy, Rocky, long hair apple head chihuahua, follows me everywhere though never gets under my feet.

Love my boxer dogs and so this had to be my first scroll , Only basic but i like it

My dog smiles a lot.......I don't have to feed him, I don't have to take him for a walk and I do not have to follow him around with a pooper-scooper. This is another example of ADDING COLOR TO SCROLLING. The only painting required was to paint the edges yellow. Art work was simply glued on. The finished results LOOKS like it was painted.

Just about any wood can have hidden checks or splits in it. It could be caused by how the tree grew or how the boards were dried. Sometimes the defects are so small as to be practically invisible to the naked eye....that is until you make a delicate cut and a piece unexpectedly breaks off. I'm not sure if any one species is more or less prone to this kind of defect, at least among the common, domestic species. Imported, exotic hardwoods may be a different story. I've always considered red oak to be more easily split than other fine grained wood species. This bias is partially derived from years of splitting firewood. But I've cut some pretty delicate fretwork out of red oak and it hasn't posed any more problems than any other wood I've used. I probably wouldn't use it for delicate, 1/8" thick Christmas ornaments, but fragility in those circumstances can pose a challenge for most any hardwood. I tend to select the wood for a project based on what appearance I want and what I have on hand/available. As long as the piece being cut is 1/4" or thicker, I have no qualms about using just about any domestic hardwood.

The original designer wants to control how their patterns are distributed. When they upload a pattern to SSV, it's saying it is a gift to the members of SSV. But I'm sure they'd be upset if that file is being shared among FB, other forums, other websites and blogs without their knowledge or consent. So, if it's not a pattern you designed yourself, you should point them to the place they can download it for themselves. Granted, on SSV, they have to be a member (membership is free) to access the Pattern Library. But I don't think that's too much to ask, especially if they're getting access to 5,000+ free scroll saw patterns. We limit access to the Pattern Library to members, because a few years back, we ran into someone on EBay stealing our patterns and reselling them. When I complained, they said it was Free and they can do whatever they want. I eventually got Ebay to intervene and shut down the theft. At any rate, sharing a link to where they can download the pattern themselves is the best approach.

Well stated Melanie. When I see a request for a pattern, I do try to find the link for the person as well. I have never shared a pattern that I have purchased, always direct them to the seller. I also really hate those people who just say "Google it". I think if the original poster found it, why can't they post the link?!

I am Blessed to know and have worked with Charley. I have never met a person who would go the extra mile to help anyone more then Charley. He is a man of many talents.

I make several copies then lay them out to get what I need and make copies. I'm not smart enough to make the computer do it for me. Fredfret

This mostly describes how to make compound cut reindeer, but the technique applies to all compound (3D) cutting on a scroll saw. You are going to have to have a good pin less blade saw that has been aligned well to be successful. The blade must be absolutely straight (90 deg) to the saw table in both the side to side and front to back directions. The DeWalt 788 or better model saw of similar design will work well for this, but even the DeWalt has problems since it does not have an adjustment for getting the front to back blade angle perfectly to 90 degrees. You will need to elongate the mounting holes that hold the blade mechanism in either the upper or lower yellow arms in order to move the blade to perfectly straight. It won't take much, about an additional screw diameter, but it makes a big difference when compound cutting. Tune your saw well before trying this. I've been making compound cut reindeer for 8 years now, and give them away to any woman, sales person, cashier, Waitress, Nurse, etc. who helps me in some way during the Christmas Season. Last year I made 428 and gave them all away. Each year the quantity made increases. At the end of their transaction with me I hold out my hand, palm down, toward them with a reindeer in my palm, and I wish them a Very Merry Christmas. When they reach out toward me I drop a reindeer in their hand. I make 4 sizes. The largest is about 3 1/2" high and the size that I make the most of. I can do one in about 6 minutes now. The middle sizes are either given away, as is, or I glue a pin to one side of them. The smallest, at about 1" high become ear rings. I drill a tiny hole just under their antlers and insert a gold or silver ring that is large enough to clear the antlers. On this ring I attach the ear ring hook for pierced ears. I make a left and a right version so the reindeer face the wearer. These take me about 9 minutes each to make, so they are for special women. A pair is placed in a 3 X 2 box with padding and then given to those special women. I don't sell these. You have to do something for me to get them, but I get many thanks, sometimes a hug, and occasionally a kiss on the cheek. The girls at Lowes now call me Reindeer Charley, and they all have at least one. You can also find tiny hersds of them sitting high on a shelf in many of the restaurants that I frequent. The pattern that I use is a slightly modified version of the one that's available through Mathias Wandell's www.woofgears.ca website http://woodgears.ca/reindeer/plans.html I just cleaned it up a little (smoothed the lines), changed the size to suit my needs of using it on my scroll saw, and put as many copies of it on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper as I could, to save paper. I print them on an old HP laser printer. because they hold up better than inkjet. When cutting them out, cut the face view first and the side view pattern out together as one with the face view on the left. Don't cut the two views apart. The line between the views is the fold line. Keeping the two views attached to each other keeps them in alignment. The only scissors cut hat needs to be accurate is the one on the bottom end of their hoofs. With the pattern sized and cut out of the printed paper, cut blocks of wood just slightly taller than the pattern and wide enough for the side view of the pattern. I use 3/4 pine for the largest reindeer, hard pine, if I can get it in adequate quantities for the three largest sizes. A carpenter friend brings me scraps of construction SPF wood shorts, anything worth picking up (a foot of more long),.that I cut to size when available. When I don't have enough of these pieces, I buy white pine in sizes from 1 X 2 to 1 X 10 #2 grade at Lowes and sometimes at Home Depot..I hand select the boards to be almost knot free for large areas and then I cut the clean straight grain pieces from them and feed the fire with all of the knots and crazy grain.You could buy select grade wood, but if you are careful when selecting, you can get #2 grade and waste 30% of it because of the knots and wild grain and still save money. I try to pick the wood that appears almost quarter sawn (grain running almost straight across the 3/4 width) and has almost invisible grain lines.. Strong and dark grain lines make cutting more difficult and the darker brown lines make the reindeer look almost like a hybrid between a reindeer and a zebra after cutting them out. I use hard maple for the smallest ear ring reindeer because. they need the additional strength to survive even the cutting process. I cut these tiny reindeer from 3/4 X 3/4 hard maple. Trying to cut them from softer wood usually ends up having them fall apart as they are cut. Even with hard maple they are very delicate. I fold each pattern on the vertical line between the two views. I just align this fold line top and bottom to the corner of a block of a block of wood and run my finger down the pattern fold line to crease it along the line Then I remove the pattern and bend it further to about 90 degrees. I'll usually cut and fold all of the patterns that were cut from one sheet of paper before continuing. I use common stationery store rubber cement, and go through several of the large jars of it every year. I apply it with the bottle brush to the one wide side as well as the narrow side on the left of the block of wood, You can move the pattern around to get the fold line on the corner of the wood and the reindeer's feet at the bottom edge of the block of wood. Rubber cement is relatively cheap and works well for compound cutting because you never have to remove it after you have cut the pattern. The finished reindeer, or other compound cut project, comes from the center of the block of wood and the paper pattern gets discarded with the scrap wood. Any excess wood above or to the right of the reindeer pattern just becomes waste. I like to have about 1/4" of wood above the reindeer pattern so I can start the cut before cutting into the pattern. A little extra wood on the right side of the pattern keeps the blade from breaking out of the block as you cut the tail of the reindeer. You will need a good clamp to keep all of the cuttings together while cutting the reindeer from the pattern. The block of wood must be kept together until all of the sawing is complete. You will be cutting the reindeer two times, once for the face view and once for the side view. If any of the pieces are removed before or during the cuts, the blade will cut faster through these areas and it will be harder to stay on the pattern lines . Here is how I make the clamps - You will need to purchase two pieces of 10-32 all threaded rod about 8" long, four 10-32 hex nuts, four washers to fit the #10 all thread rods, and two 10-32 wing nuts. Look for straight rods by rolling them on a flat surface before buying them. They need to be very straight. If they are curved, it will be very noticeable when you roll them on a flat surface. I buy stainless rods because they are stronger. The regular steel 10-32 all thread will gradually stretch and curve in repeated use and become unuseable. The nuts and washers can be mild steel. If you have a Lowes nearby, all of this hardware especially the all thread rods, can be found in the "specialty hardware" gray metal drawers that are in the nuts, bolts, and screws aisle. I use two pieces of 3/4 birch cabinet plywood because of it's strength, but solid hardwood 3.4 X 1" X the length needed will work.. I cut two identical piecesof 3/4" birch cabinet plywood about 1" wide and about 2" longer than the pattern that I will be cutting. The length can be longer, but not excessively long. I clamp both pieces together, side by side,with their veneer faces against each other, aligning both the edges and ends. You could use double sided tape instead of the clamp to hold them together and in alignment , but both pieces will need to be perfectly aligned with each othe through this next step. I then mark for one drilled hole at each end through the two pieces 1/2" from each side and 1/2" from each end. The drill will need to be a size slightly larger in diameter than the threaded rod and cut through both pieces of wood with the veneer side up on a drill press. The holes need to be straight and completely through both of the pieces of wood.. Then separate the two pieces of wood and remove the double sided tape, if you used it. Now install a hex nut on each piece of all thread and run it on until each nut is about 1 1/4 inch from the end of the rod. Now install a washer on the short end of each rod, then insert this end of each rod through one of the holes in one of the piecees of wood, then install another washer and follow with another hex nut on each short rod end of the rod, Now move the nuts until they are on both sides of the wood and about three threads from the ends of the threaded rods. Tighten the nuts against the wood with wrenches. You don't want these to loosen in use. Now place the second piece of wood on the long end of these threaded rods. Install a washer and then a wing nut on each rod. Your clamp is now complete. It should resemble a square with the two pieces of wood making up opposite sides and the two threaded rods making up the other two opposite sides. You are now ready to begin cutting out a reindeer. Place a block of wood into the center of this clamp, with the clamp lying flat on your scroll saw table. With the block of wood flat against the table and both boards of the clamp also sitting flat on the table, move the two pieces of wood together against the block of wood. I always begin cutting with the face view facing up and the block of wood roughly centered in the clamp. Then alternately tighten both wing nuts to keep the pressure of the clamp roughly even on both ends of the block of wood Tighten them about as tight as you can using only your fingers. The goal here is to keep the block of wood from moving, including the pieces that are being cut from it. After each antler to hoof cut, or hoof to antler cut (one end of the block of wood to the other) you are going to have to re-tighten these wing nuts about 1 turn each because the blade will have removed it's thickness from the wood, making the block slightly narrower and the clamp will be loose. None of the pieces of the reindeer block can move with respect to each other or the reindeer will not turn out right. I always start cutting at the top of the right antler and then work my way down to the hoof on the right side of the reindeer and continue clockwise around the face view pattern lines of the face view of the reindeer. I cut all the way down and out of the block of wood at his right hoof.Then I tighten the wing nuts of the clamp. I then cut back into the block on the left side ofhis right hoof and up between his legs, then back down the right side of his left front leg and back out of the block. At this point, a tiny piece of blue masking tape, placed to hold the loose piece of wood between his legs, but not covering the pattern line on the left side of his left leg will keep the piece in place. Then I cut up the left side of his left hoof and all the way up to the tip of his left antler and then out of the top end of the block of wood. Again, tighten the thumb screw wing nuts. Then cut down into the space between his antlers, around and back out the top of the block of wood at the left side of his right antler. His face view should now be completely cut out, but not his side view. Hold the pieces tightly together with your fingers as you loosen the wing nuts of the clamp, Loosen the clamp way apart and, while still holding the pieces of the blockof wood tightly together, rotate the block and lay it flat against the saw table with the side view of the reindeer now facing up, and tighten the wing nuts to clamp the clamp against the block of wood again. The block of wood cut pieces must be held tightly together and perfectly aligned with each other with the clamp. They must also be flush with the bottom of the clamp and the saw table. Again I cut clockwise beginning at the highest right antler and continuing clockwise around the reindeer, tightening the clamp after you make the antler to hoof rut and again after you make a hoof to antler cut. If you have cut all the pattern lines,made smooth, non-stopping cuts, stayed on or just outside the pattern lines by no more than one blade width anywhere, you should have a perfect little reindeer. You can now loosen the wing nuts of the clamp and remove the block of wood. What you now have is a reindeer that's hidden inside of a rectangular egg like shell. Carefully slide and lift the pieces of outer shell off, and in the middle of the block of wood you will have a tiny reindeer. Be careful around his legs and antlers because they are very fragile. Don't force any pieces, especially those between his legs and antlers. To help with these pieces I made a tool from about 5" of 1/8" dowel, sharpening both ends with a pencil sharpener to about a small blunt point. I use this tool to gently push the pieces out from between his legs and antlers. A little careful de-fuzzing of his legs, and two small black magic marker dots added for his eyes (Just below the front edge of the front antler on each side) and a big red magic marker dot on his nose (if his name is Rudolph). Then a dip in your clear finish of choice, let him dry, and you have a completed reindeer. You will probably make several reindeer before you get a good one. Don't give up. They get easier after you get some experience. I can now cut out one of the larger 3 1/2" reindeer in about 6 minutes, but your first ones will take you much longer. Don't even try to race the clock when you are first starting. Concern yourself with making smooth lines that are on or very close to the pattern lines, and on the waste side. If you can make smooth lines and can stay within about one blade width of the outside of the line you will have a pretty good looking reindeer. Not all reindeer will look exactly alike. It will depend on how well you follow or stay on the pattern lines. No two people look the same either, except for identical twins, and if they turn out with all their antlers and four legs and they stand up on their own, consider them to be a success. All other compound (3D) patterns are cut in much this same way. Each has some unique tricks that you will need to learn as you make a few pieces of firewood, but hang in there and don't get discouraged. I started compound cutting about 10 years ago and I rarely do any flat pattern cutting any more. I like the challenge of compound cutting and making smaller and smaller things on my scroll saw. Be prepared for the look of amazement that most people get on their faces the first time that they see your work. Many people have seen flat scroll saw work, but very few have ever seen compound cut scroll saw pieces. Many will think you carved them or laser cut them.. When I first started making compound cut reindeer I would power carve them after cutting them out to make them rounder and more realistic. I would even try to apply thinned stains with tiny paint brushes to make them look more realistic. No one seemed to appreciate all this extra work and they seemed even happier when I just leave them the natural whits wood, so I stopped the time consuming power carving and I now just coat them with a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 mixture of BLO, paint thinner and poly, dipped with a fine solid wire wrapped loosely around their neck. Then hang them by the wire to dry. A few minutes after dipping I touch their hoofs with a paper towel to remove any excess drip finish. I have a long wire across the ceiling that I hang them from. Then I leave them drying until the next day. I can put finish on 30-40 at a time. The long wire stretched across my shop just below the ceiling holds them just above my head height, so they are out of my way, but I can still easily reach them.. I will try to help anyone with questions about making these reindeer. This is a good time for experimenting with compound cutting. This same technique is used for making any of the compound cut projects, whether they be reindeer, chess pieces, tulips, elephants, mailboxes, etc., and because Santa's Workshop reindeer manufacturing doesn't need to begin begin seriously seriously for several more months.. The reindeer are an easy pattern to start with. Thanks to Matthias Wandel for the source pattern. Once you can make reindeer well, there are several soft cover books full of patterns by Diana Thompson that are excellent. Her mailbox on stand with vines is quite a challenge, so wait until you have the concept of compound (3D) cutting well figured out before trying it. She has one book on Christmas Ornaments that is great too. In her book "3D Patterns for the Scroll Saw" you will find many patterns that seem to be Dr Zeus character inspired and they are a lot of fun to cut out. The kids immediately love these when they see them. I also have one book by Frank Pozgai that I'm not at all impressed with and I will not recommend. Some of his patterns appear to have never been tested before he published them, as they won't cut out correctly. The easiest patterns to cut are those in which the image is identical in both views, like most of the chess pieces Diana's Tulip from the book above is one of these. Steve Goode has some good chess piece patterns on his website too. Please ask questions if you try compound (3D) cutting and you have problems. I will do my best to help you. Charley