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Eight Standing Miniature Birdhouses patterns by the late Diana Thompson. I used Poplar for the birdhouses and Eastern Red Cedar for the birds except for the eight one, I used Lacewood. Cut on the Pegas scroll saw using Pegas #3 and #6 Super Skip blades. After sanding, a dip in diluted Shellac and another light sanding. Comments welcome.

Alex, Thanks for the great patten. Some areas were a challange but it was a joy to cut. I did add some bridges when I thought some pieces would become too floppy. I actually stack cut this to make 2. No harder than cutting one. 1/8" BBPW on 3/16" backer. Shellac and Gloss Lacquer finish.

My high school English teacher always had the senior class memorize the first 18 lines of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales. Written in Old English, it is the story of a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury Cathedral. I included in the frame the line which translates, "Then folk long to go on pilgrimages" along with some nods to some things mentioned in the prologue, the rain, the wind, the sun, and singing birds. I'll be surprising Mrs. Hudson, my English teacher, with it soon. It is around 11" X 14", 3/4" alder wood, painted with acrylic craft paints with a spray clear coat.

I have a couple friends that love baseball and puzzles, so for their birthdays I’ve been making them a puzzle from a Norman Rockwell baseball themed illustration. This year is #10 in the series. The locks around the edge add a little challenge rather than a straight edge to identify the outside "frame" of the puzzle.

The steer head was my first real scroll project using my 90's era, single speed, pin tpe blade scroll saw. The RN is my favorite, its a Steve Good pattern that I modified to include the recipient's initials. I used scrap from pallets and other sources, mostly pine. My latest is the nativity scene, Pictured is a pine practice cut, I did a few in popular for some friends. my cutting was halted in January with my stroke. I am waiting on my new saw, Dewalt 788, to arrive this week. ready to get serious!

I felt this would get seen more here rather than the other forum topics so hopefully I’ll get some good input on this. I built two of these bucket gardens, one for a friend and one for myself. To do over I’d have just used treated lumber or cedar. But now that they are built I’m wondering what would be a decent finish to help preserve the standard construction 2x4’s. Originally I thought I had some leftover exterior paint but when I open the cans they are mostly dried up so I originally thought I could buy cheap lumber and use up my old paints I had laying around. Now that I’ve got to buy something is why I say to do over I’d just use treated lumber. Since this is a garden thing it’s obviously going to be outside and getting watered etc. Not looking to make it last forever but I don’t really want to just leave it raw either. Thinking about cheap options is someone else’s leftover paint from the restore places or some paint that was mixed incorrectly so long as it’s exterior and not interior but thought maybe I ask here as maybe someone has a better idea. Don’t really care too much about looks or colors really within reason, I mean I don’t really want fluorescent bright pink or totally ugly colors . Anyway thoughts on something to use or am I on the right track with just using an exterior paint and call it good. Nothing in this type of setting is going to last forever other than metal so I know it’s going to rot at some point.

Very nice cutting Denny; I found the patterns for these @ : https://www.thewinfieldcollection.com/product/Compound-Cut-Birdhouse-Ornaments-Project-Pattern once the winfield collection site pops up type "mini birdhouse pattern set" in the search box, then scroll all the was down to the bottom. Click on the picture of the standing birdhouses. That should get you there.

I know the Amish build entire furniture line of products from PVC lumber and in all colors and sizes. yes the final product is heavier than wood but no maintenance after. Can stay outdoors in all weather. Finding this type lumber maybe tough. I never looked for it. There is also Trex decking materials. That stuff is heavy too and tough on blades to cut but again nothing to do when done. The PVC that home centers sell can be stacked to make any size lumber you need. No it does not crack in the sun. Used it as trim on shed. As I said I am not a gardener so do not know about those buckets but always heard if planting food that white and certain type white is best. They do not absorb heat as well as break down plastics. Happy Gardening.

Well stop and do the math and I bet you will see you saved $0. No paint needed. Less labor. You always say Time is money. One other thing and no I am not a gardener but I would look into the use of colored buckets for food grown items. I believe white is only accepted colors. Or at least make sure they are food safe buckets.

I was thinking the same thing actually.. If I make any more that's probably what I'll use. This was my first bigger project build and the reason I went with cheap lumber.. plus I thought I had left over paint but it turned out to be no good. I'm also unsure how I'll like this style of gardening. I've done some raised bed gardening but I still put in about a 30 x 30 in ground garden every year so just experimenting and not really wanting to use high priced lumber etc until I know I'm going to like these.

I won't mention which political party is the cause of all this stupidity. We all know which one it is. So, when the election rolls around, be sure you vote wisely. Even if he has to rule from a jail cell.

Went to my local hardware that I'm always going to often so they know who I am, LOL.. The owner of the place was there and I was looking at the paints etc. asked if I needed some help. Cheapest exterior paint they had was $24 a quart. Not knowing if a quart would do it for both of my gardens I really didn't want a oddball mixed color but I asked anyway if he had anything that was mixed wrong color. He said no not really but I do have some old oil based exterior paint that I'm not supposed to sell anymore.. then took me in the back and open the cans to show me the colors he had. Only had gallon cans and I didn't think I'd need a whole gallon but when he told me he'd take $20 each for them I ended up bringing home slate grey.. I'm so glad I got the gallon as that wood is really soaking up the paint.. I've used over a quart already but only painted maybe 80% of both of them. I stood them up on end so really just have both ends to paint since I couldn't reach the top too well and the bottom of coarse was sitting on the ground. I'll need to paint at least one more coat so I'm pretty sure I'll use at least 3/4 of that gallon on these. He put the paint on the shaker for me and stood there talking for a minute. He said they outlawed all the oil base paints and he had to get all new equipment as the old equipment wouldn't measure the new stuff correctly. Said he had to scrap all his color pigments and he had a lot that was scraped. Had to package all the stuff up and send it FedEx to a hazmat place where they supposedly dispose of it all properly. He was saying it's getting crazy with all the regulations. Mention even some LED lights he can no longer sell. They have to put out a certain amount of Lumens per watt now.. and some of the older bulbs he had to take off his shelves.. Getting to the point where I feel like I'm living in California near Ray @OCtoolguy LOL. I'm going through the same stuff with my clocks on Amazon.. I may have to start selling them without the battery, LOL.. Amazon has been taking down my clock listings due to not being in compliance with their new rules for selling things with batteries.. They have a hole list of stupid stuff to fill out to be in compliance. I have over 600 clocks in inventory and I think once I sell them out on Etsy and other sites I'm going to be don't with that bit too. It's getting pretty ridiculous with all this environmental crap.. One day I'm probably going to be required to measure how much sawdust I'm polluting the air with and pay a hazard tax if I want to keep selling, LOL Hopefully this doesn't go into a political thing here, I'm just having a rant because of Amazons Battery issue and then the guy talking at the Hardware today about things..

Kevin, very nice, who said he can only do clocks and ornaments, as for a finish I have used exterior oil base spar varnish, RJ

I have three methods to use to drill holes. 1. cordless Dremel tool with a drill chuck accessory combined with a Dremel plunge router attachment. a. advantages; quick easy portable, unlimited throat ( no cord ). b disadvantages; limited power (generally not an issue), limited run time ( generally not an issue ) not suited to some of the drilling tasks that I have ( edge drilling ). 2. Drill Press, along with a micro chuck for those tiny bits ( #71 ), cross slide vise for precision edge drilling. a advantages; no running out of power during a long run of drilling holes. Precision for some edge drilling tasks, the double lidded basket that I'm working on needs hinge pin holes drilled in the edge of the lid, it's an 1/8" hole in a 5/16 thick piece, that leaves 3/64 on the sides, not much meat and I can't miss, the cross slide vise allows me to clamp the lid to be drilled and adjust exactly where the drill bit will enter the piece 3. drill guide for a handheld drill. This is Okay for rough work but just doesn't have the precision that I want.

Octoolguy, She hasn't been back to the site since Sat afternoon, so she hasn't seen my post or any past it. Hopefully we haven't driven her away with the bickering.

Sad as it may be, our importer knows nothing about scroll saw work, it was all his fathers doing, but when he passed away the son took over and the business is on a slow decline.

Now if I were to make these I would have used the PVC lumber they sell now adays in Home Depot and Lowes. This stuff started way before Biden so get off the horse. Look at California and all the nutty rules and laws they have. Start there. If you have not bought any interior paint for your house look at those prices. I am going through this now and painting my entire interior. Just the primer has risen $15 a gallon more than 1 year ago when I started this project. You are going to see more and more regulations in the future weather you like it or not. Oh by they way do not look now but we are destroying our Earth. The clock battery thing Kevin, you can thank the lawyers and how we have become so sue happy. Everyone wants that quick buck. On another site there is a huge discussion about the SawStop tablesaws. There is going to be a law passed that no saw can be sold without the flesh sensing properties.