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So to day I post my African Big Five cut (remember my Lion Project) well this is it. The Big Five is very special to all South Africans because it’s part our heritage. Before I tell you what the problems were and how I approached them, please don’t tell me you don’t like the colour of the back round or the texture of the board is not right that’s immaterial, just look at the cuttings and the work, put into it. All the patterns are Russ Beard Patterns, the cuttings were all double stack 4mm Birch Plywood the Lion is the Centre price and was cut on a 11”x14” my standard board size, the Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino had to be reduced in size keeping a eye on the aspect to keep the proportions right, but by reducing the size made the cuts more difficult, adding to the problem only the Lion was a Free Standing Pattern the others were all inboard patterns so with Russ’s approval and help from my wife Loraine how is a great artist we converted the patterns on the fly to stand alone pattern of Ouse the Elephant had to bigger to.Time plenty hours, holes I estimate between 3000-5000 holes cuts. The patterns were soaked in Danish Oil drained and excess wiped off allowed to dry for two days and the two coats clear varnish. This type of cut deserves a very special back round so I will be taking a photo of the African Savannah and glue that to the backer and the the cuts on top of that in layers. I’m very happy with the results even though the stain was unpredictable the colour of the animals can vary from area to area so it does not bother me.

Very Different that all my others, but at first sight I knew I had to give it a try. I do like the outcome. Adding the words can after cutting the Stack of Three and finishing the one with Red. Any Comments is Always Good...............Tks Danny :+}

I believe this can be put under the Bragging Rights forum very easily. Many beautiful pieces have passed through this site over the years and many of you either sell your items or give them away to family and friends and charities. So the question is what over the years has been your best seller or piece that gets asked for or you just decide to make and hand out. ?? Or both? What seller and what hand out? I will start and must preface this by saying I have been selling and making things for friends and family for over 40 years now and have made over 500 different items. Would have to pull out the records to know exact numbers and even that would not tell the whole story because I use to make things for Steebar many moons ago when the original owner was still alive and they were a good company to deal with. He would put them in his catalog. Many times John Nelson made the patterns that I would do prototype of and work out tweaks. But these watches have to be #1 for sales. and the heart has also a lot of sales but is also one that I gave out very often because it fits homes well. So lets see yours too.

My go-to is the Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse (FD UR). For most work, I use a #5. However, on the nativity, I used a #7 since there was a boatload of long straight lines. I did try a pegas, but just do not like how it finishes. I am now cutting the tree nativity, and I am using a #3 FD UR since that has a lot of turns and small spaces. When I get to the outside I'll use the #5. Here's my progress so far on the tree nativity. I have over 2 hours so far, including drilling my pierce holes. I was starting to get frustrated as the blade came untensioned a couple of times at a critical point, I think I am just tired because I have been at the saw since 6:30 this morning with only a few breaks. I sometimes forget to stop.

So here I am taking four days off from work. Last night after work, I decided to cut out a nativity scene. This is a Steve Good design that I changed slightly from 3/4 to 1/2" thick, to have a base that allows an LED tea light to go behind it. I cut the walnut one out last night (sanded the base already). My wife liked it so much that she wanted one for the house and then suggested I make some for gifts to give out prior to Christmas (usually on Thanksgiving). So this morning I stack cut the two cherry pieces. I also decided to cut out a couple of "scrap" wood-wheeled toys, each made out of two different species of wood. Also on the saw will be a larger more intricate design by Sue May, this one I am cutting out of canary wood. I will have to cut a few more of the nativities for gifts for some of the Spanish officers I work with at NATO. That's tomorrow... Then I have a 3D multi-piece Nativity set I am going to cut for my grandson. Just looking for the right design that is not "tchotchke" as my Yiddish grandmother would say. So much for taking time off huh? What all do you have on your production line for Christmas?

After 7+ years of making things with a scroll saw, I wish I had kept a record of the pieces I gave to friends and family. My memory of what I gave to who and when, has gotten me into trouble twice with friends, and very often with my wife. Conversations are like "didn't you already give them one" and I go "I don't know" My advice to the newer scrollers (and others too), keep a log of everything. It seems like a waste of time, but you will be glad you did someday.

Here you go. It's a modest shop as it shares the garage with my Mustang. My space is about 20' x 5'. Although I can still work while the 'Stang is in the garage, I prefer the car out so I have a bit more space to think My table saw I tuck away and roll outside to use since it generates a lot of sawdust. I keep my rattle cans and sandpaper on the lower shelves of that rolling cart too. I also have a larger belt/disc sander on the shelf, along with my laser so you do not see those. I have rolling metal shelves on the other side of the garage, I store wood and "waste" wood, and also by the garage door I have my air compressor with my hose on a retractable reel, with about 50' of hose. I just installed the piping for the dust collection system, I added a cyclone bucket to it. I am still figuring out how I want to do the right side of the sanding bench where the smaller belt/disc sander is. Right now I just use the expandable hose when I want to use it plugging it in where my grinder/ flex drum sander plugs in. I am using blast gates to control everything. My vacuum system goes on anytime I turn on a piece of equipment. Most controlled by a dead man's foot pedal. My scroll saw is the only tool that does not turn the vac on as it does not draw enough current to trigger my controller. The electric is the next thing I will neaten up after I finish the dust collection. I am also going to get another workbench with built-in vice and dogs, and I am waiting for my new Wen 4214 drill press to come in tomorrow. I wanted something with cranks and a laser.

Kevin I do remember Sylvia but remember her as JR. Ranger or something like that if we are talking about the same person. She made me some patterns over the years. I asked her to make some patterns for spinning tops that I was making and they became big over the years when I first started turning on a lathe some time ago now. I wanted to combine my scrolling and my turning hobbies and this is what I came up with. There was and I believe there still is a huge spinning top following and I know I use to see turning clubs at woodworking shows always making tops for the kids as they watch them turn on the lathe. I believe there is a charity thing with tops for kids thing too. It is funny because I stopped making them some time ago now but just a couple days ago I had pulled an old project I started about 10 years ago which was a cabinet to display my special pens. I wanted to complete the project now that I got my den finished and want to hang it in there. Long and behold when I pulled it out from under a ton of other projects I started years ago, within it were a bunch of spinning top bases that I had cut out and spun down and just needed the stems and bottom spinning tips made That brought back memories. Here is an example of what I am talking about. The top has 3 layers and the top layer is the scrolled pattern she made for me. She made me about 20 other patterns too. It is funny because she mentioned to me also not to give or sell the patterns to anyone. She made them for me. She use to be on other scrolling forums and was very nice person.

These are a few more examples of adding color to scrolling..... it's a scary time of the year......

I think you would be okay. If you're in doubt and don't want to drill the mounting holes, perhaps try clamping the saw in place first.

Like everyone else said, speed does not matter. However, you have to ask what is your goal when you sit down to scroll. I am one of the really slow guys, I am the turtle... but I have been at this for a long time. I get into this zen mode and just enjoy creating, letting the process take over. My main goal is to nail my lines perfectly every time I cut. I mainly do Intarsia and multi-species wood puzzles so I am cutting each of the pieces separately and then they need to fit together as if they were cut from one piece of wood. I do not want to mess around with fine fitting, I want my pieces to fit right off the scroll saw. Thus deliberatly slow. Below is something I just got off the saw. I cut the walnut piece by itself last night and then did a stack cut on the cherry one (so there's another lurking) this morning. From start to finish it took me 3 hours to cut out just one piece and one base. Of course, I still have sanding and glue-up to do. I am waiting a 36mm Forstner bit to come in tomorrow so I can make the tea light "cup". They are small 1.25" flickering LED candles. That will sit in the little circle behind the nativity scene. I have noise-canceling earbuds, that are blue-tooth and I listen to music as I cut. I just relax and enjoy... PS to add: I looked closely at your piece. That's some damn fine cutting you did for a newbie! In particular for thin wood. Keep the same pace and relax and don't worry.. You will be just fine!

Keith is great to work with, always gets me exactly what I want. 5/8" Red Oak, cut with Paga #5 MGT blades.

Standing at my work bench using my scroll saw was killing my back so a made a wood stand for my scroll saw. I tried a few different heights and slants with the saw so I could see the whole cutting area while sitting. The question is: can I bolt the saw to the tabletop and not cause too much vibration? I sometimes find it difficult getting out of a chair and am afraid that I may grab onto the table and the saw ending up on me or the floor. The photo(s) are of the table. I still have to work on the slant, so I am using temporary plywood slims until I find the right slant.

Got them off amazon. Height adjustable, and on casters. Oh and I figured out how to do the dust collection on my small belt sander and my table saw. Just hooked it all up.

Don't do fine work scrolling while listening to the guitar solo of Free Bird!!! I made that mistake this morning!!!

Like Ray says, a picture might help, but I doubt that it is from the blade.

Here another one fresh out of my shop. I cut one of this pattern not too long ago but I cut it on a little bit darker board and it was no way I was able to make it stand out very well so I did it over again and I am better with this one then the first one. It is for a Christmas present for one of the family member with a couple of cats that they love and I hope this one will find a nice place in their home. Dick heppnerguy

Boy I have a Family of Cat Lovers. And Me is Also one. Just wonder and say also I would love to cut that. For Gifts to a few special people. Thanks.... Danny :+}

Magnificent! That is a beautiful, well thought out piece of art! Thank you for posting it.

Thank you for you comments, sadly I’m in limbo at the moment most of my workshops is being packed up due to anticipated re location to Cape Town, so I will only be able to do the backer, back round and framing sometime in January. I only have the scroll saw available so I’m just cutting and cutting.

Very nice work Danny. I don't think I have ever seen a cross pattern quite like that one.

What a stunning piece of work Don! I can't wait to see the completed piece. If you hadn't said anything about the colours, I certainly wouldn't know.

From the top pull down menu Edit> Preferences> Interface> Theming> Uncheck the "use dark theme" box

It is a Taiwan-made saw and definitely worth the cost to rebuild. I have replaced every replacement part on mine using parts from Seyco. It was worth every penny. Looking at the brass plate, it appears to have been purchased from Seyco. Give them a call.

Put a little rubber between the saw and the stand to dampen more vibration, then bolt it all down together. I am going to use those rubber mats for weight lifting as I have a bunch in my shop for standing on.

I struggled with vibrations while using my Hegner for some time. It turned out to be too much flex in the stand I built for it causing the vibrations to basically amplify themselves and it would SHAKE. I built a new cabinet stand for it from 2x4 and bolted a 2x4 butcher block style top to it, then the saw to that. Its quite smooth now. You didn't say what stand you are using for your saw, so first be sure that it is absolutely rigid. Then make it heavier, and if that does not work bolt it to the floor. 3 concrete anchors will sink fast and easy with a hammer drill. Drive them in and then bolt it down and it won't move. Once properly installed though, concrete anchors will not come out; they would have to be covered to hide them.

Awesome thank you all for your help. Hopefully I will be back scrolling soon

I bought my first scroll saw around 1996. To this day, I do not regard myself as a fast scroller. In fact, compared to a lot of other veteran scrollers I know, I'm pretty slow. I've been a member of a scroll saw club for almost 20 years. I've seen, first hand, the work of true masters. I will never be able to measure up to them in skill or accomplishment. I long ago realized that putting added pressure on myself to meet some sort of "standard" was not the way to enjoy this hobby.

I am shifting into Christmas mode right now too. This is today's production line. I have another 5 or 6 more nativities to do!

it looks beautiful, RJ

It was a one piece.

excellent job

I had to take down a large elm in my front yard. The gentleman who cut down the tree has a band saw lumber mill. He slabbed the tree up for me, 1/2" slabs, and I air dried them in my yard. I ended up with 135, 1/2", slabs and 25 2" slabs. The largest slabs are 18 to 20" wide and 100 " long. The sawyer was not able to cut the largest section of the tree as it would not fit in the saw bed (too big).

Great work.

Thanks all for the kind words. Scrolling is something you never feel like you have completely mastered. I look at my projects and always see where I could have done better. I started scrolling in 2016 with a Craftsman and joined SSV shortly after. Since I retired in 2018, I am able to scroll about 2-3 hours a day. Since then I have gone used a Dewalt, Hegner, and have a 16" Excalibur.

That is called being a master at scrolling... Straight lines an circles are the hardest to do.. You so it so well!

Those are beautiful cuts. the lines are super. Red oak is a nice hard... wood...

awesome job

I think you got it Dick! Looks great.

Looks great Dick, both the cutting and the painting. Marg

Most new cans have these rings that you put your finger nails under and pull. I found a finger nail saver, can opener tool from Niles Bottle stoppers. This is my 3rd one so far. This is donated to a local "Cat Crew" that Traps Newter Release neighbor cats. She sent me a picture of her cat and I used it as a pattern. I used red gum wood to capture the red tone of the cat. Some wood grains go between the eyes. The offset tool allows space for fingers to get grab the wood better. This allows for a good pull. I used Arm R Seal for finish / protection, 5 coats. Cat food can get messy. The 2nd pic shows the cats face. I just printed and glued to wood. Then drew lines where I wanted to cut. #4 Spiral makes good eyeliner and lipstick. #2 spiral was used for trimming whiskers. Me. Mark Eason

What a fun idea. I especially like how you added your cat that brought a lot more interest in the project Dick heppnerguy

A couple I did some time back, a flying bat and a lighted cat lantern.

Backlit Haunted House

nice job

Greatwork allround.

My version of "The Punisher"

I have only done one real colorful project. A little birdhouse using an Alex Fox pattern:

Here is a springtime gnome, that I cut it is a Steve Good pattern.

Made this Alex Fox pattern for my brother-in-law and a very good friend with a Harley