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Just finished this beautiful Russ Beard pattern of the African White Rhino, it was double stacked on 4mm Baltic Birch Plywood, cut with a #1 Niqua pin less blade, soaked in a BLO/Mineral Spirit Mixture and when dry a few coats of clear varnish.

I have been working on this over the last 3 days. I have about 6 cutting hours into it, I go slow. Cut from 1/4" walnut. First photo: I am just holding it together with the 1/4" spacers between the layers. Third photo: I have it all clamped up right now after gluing. Tomorrow I cut and shape the base, and glue that up before dropping it into linseed oil to bring out the chocolate hue. Second Photo: You can see that the trees are very fine and detailed, thankfully nothing broke. I still have all my fingers too! As I was working on the piece I closed some of the branches so there was better support, made a lot of changes to the design on the fly. I used #1 and #3 Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse Blades. The plan is to add a string of multi-colored micro LED 'fairy' lights between the layers. I enjoy making these layered pieces. When I get it together and lit, I'll post that, and then another after the final linseed finish.

Finished these two items this week, both are Steve good patterns.

I made the pattern for this from a painting that I found online. The original artist was not credited. It's 8 x 10 x 1/8 inch Baltic Birch plywood. Cut with Pegas #1, 2 and 0 spirals.

Here's one hot off the saw. 3/4 Poplar 5 1/2 x 17 1/2" (had to print diagonally on 11 x 17 paper) , #1 FD Polar blades throughout, Red food coloring for the poppies. Poppies from a Jim Blume pattern, eagle emblems from a Steve Good pattern, text is Z003 font.

Has anyone had any experience with the entry level scroll saws such as the Wen, Ryobi, or Shop Fox for casual use? My planned use for a scroll saw is just to support my relief carving/chip carving hobby. I would only use it a few times a month at most to cut something I will carve. Reviews online appear to be mostly paid for by sellers because they say how great the saws are and then you look at online forums and most users say they are bad and that you should buy only a top-level saw so that you won't want to trade up later on. So, are the entry level ones good for casual use or are they really pieces of junk that will break down on you after a dozen or so uses?

Hi I'm a brand new scroller and I am cutting 1/4" and 3/4" poplar. Using Olson precision ground skip revers tooth plan end 5" blade. about what is the best speed to start with. Also how do you know if the saw is set to high or low a speed?

still some work to do, but Progress!

A well thought out and made project. Unique in design too, I love that Dick heppnerguy

Very nice. We all need to show our gratitude for all those who serve and sacrifice for the rest of us. well done project Dick heppnerguy

It is so difficult to loose a family member or even a friend and in you case your sister was both to you. The plaque is so well thought out and I am sure a blessing to her family, immensely. Our prayers are for you and all the family and friends she left behind. Dick heppnerguy

Excellent cutting, RJ

I would like to add a personal opinion here. And yeah, this is probably snobby... I think once this is finished with the linseed and the natural walnut color/grain comes out, you can see why I am so against using softwoods like pine, or even worse plywood. It never ceases to amaze me that people will cut intricate designs that take hours and hours, days and days, but cheap out on the wood. The finished design is beautiful, but the wood used cheapens it in my eyes. Insert the snob comments here. Flame proof undies are on. Yeah, I am kicking myself for not stack-cutting this, but I fought the urge since it was my first time creating this. Next year I will probably do a double or triple 1/4" Mahogany run.

I took elements of some outlines from Pinterest and then added some of my own elements, like the snowman. Not sure if it is Kosher to share though. I also made a lot of penciling changes to the design as I was cutting to make stronger branch connections.

Sorry to hear about your sister. I have lost both my parents but I still have 2 brothers and 2 sisters,, I really only stay in touch with 1 sister. The thing with losing parents is that you lose a lot of information and knowledge. Very nice memorial piece. It seems the last few years, that is all that I have been making.

My word Charlie, your choice of wood is impeccable for your tribute. The grain works for the waves and sand. So much love put into it.

A view of the top of the rack. Latches installed and a fishing rod being held in place. A little more detail work and she's done .

Puzzle Black Lab - Cooper. Yes, the dog's name is Cooper. Cut on the Pegas Scroll Saw using Pegas #3 MGT blades. The puzzle is made from 3/4" Poplar and the base is 3/4" Eastern Red Cedar. After a very light sanding with a Mac Mop, dipped in diluted Shellac and after drying, another light sanding. I glued the puzzle pieces together as this will be a shelf sitter. Comments welcome.

I like those a lot, Dick!

I also use a foot switch that when pressed, sends power to a multiple outlet. I have saw and both fans plugged into the outlet. This allows you to keep both hands on your project and insures that both fans are doing their job. You can also stop saw a lot quicker should you break a blade. Make sawdust, but don’t breathe it.

My SOs daughter requested me to make a Bethlehem Star to hang on the wall above her Nativity Scene she displays for Christmas. Believe it or not, I could not find any simple patterns of just a star. I finally found an image of a star made/folded out of card stock that was exactly what I was looking for. I converted the folding pattern to a nominal 6 1/2” x 12 12” cutting pattern. This size is proportionally correct for where it will be displayed over the Nativity set. I’m not sure what to call this…it is not Intarsia nor Segmentation nor Fretwork nor ???…, but I did cut it on the Scroll Saw, so I guess I’m allowed to show it off here. The two stars are identical with the small Star about half-size. I used a Pegas #5 mgt R blade to cut the bottom big star from nominal 3/4” (actual 5/8”) thick Whitewood that had very little grain and the small star from the same board milled to 1/2” thick – on the Table Saw. I sculptured the small star to taper the sides of the points, much like how the card stock was shown after it was folded. If I had used a harder wood, the sharp ends of the Stars points may have held their shape better. After sanding, sculpturing and mounting the small star, I applied an Acrylic Air Brush Sealer White prime coat. I then used my Air Brush to paint the star an Acrylic Craft Paint called Pure Gold. After the paint was dry, I applied a coat of craft glue and a thick coat of Fine Gold Glitter. This was the messy part of the entire project, and you can see in the photo, it is hard to remove from where it is not supposed to be. After the Glue dried the entire Star was coated with a Krylon product called Clear Glitter Blast, that is supposed to brighten up the Glitter while securing it in place. Like photos of most Scroll Saw work, all the blemishes are very visible, but when displayed on the wall it doesn’t look bad at all. My Lady is happy, and I think her daughter will be also. Comments and critiques always welcome.

Frank, another beautiful piece, RJ

Agree with all. A wonderful job.

I’m quite enjoying this art form . A lot different from all the toy making I usually do. More challenging in lots of way specially patience. as normal with me it’s all recycled wood.

Thank you Jerry. Her son requested the portrait I made of her which she had in her home.

Great job cutting, painting and fitting. Super nice sentiment.

Mighty fine and very cute!

So very cute, I love them and so will your family. Marg

WoW Dick, you amaze me sometimes. Your getting better and better on that intarsia. I'm afraid to even try doing that.

I run the saw as fast as I can with the blade that I'm using and the type and thickness of wood that I am cutting, but if the wood shows burning either the blade is getting dull or the speed is too fast for the wood being cut. When the wood cuts show burning, you are overheating the blade and this will take the temper out of the blade, making it dull faster and break quicker. It's also hard to steer the work when cutting at high speeds. Find the speed that does not burn the cut and your blade will last longer, your work will look better, and you won't need to sand the burn marks off. Scroll sawing is more of a journey, not so much a destination. Even your pattern following will be more accurate if you slow down, but do try to cut as fast as you are comfortable with as long as you aren't burning the wood and overheating the blade. Some blades let you cut faster without burning, some will not. Waxing the blade with a candle or paraffin will help cut faster, but you have to do it often. Charley .

Bret, I am a scroll saw instructor at the local Woodcraft store. I teach my students to start at a medium speed. On the DeWalt saw, that is 4. If you feel your cutting is going to slow, speed it up until you are comfortable. If you are having trouble staying on the line, slow the speed down. It is a comfort thing. One thought though. When using reverse tooth blades, at very slow speeds, if you are not careful, the reverse teeth tend to lift the wood off the table. So you have to work harder to prevent that.

And I would be the opposite regarding speed. I use fairly low speeds with my cutting. You'll just have to experiment, and what might work today on some wood wont work tomorrow on a different type or thickness. I always found my blades get noticeably hot when using higher speeds. Bob

I cut with the speed at a level that I feel at eas withon My Dewalt 788 it is useally above 5. when cutting puzzles I cut at #6 or 7. with plywood 1/4 thick staacked 3pcs do;ing fretwork @ about 5, but just try different speeds and see what suites you

To answer your second question you have to tell us what kind of saw you have. As far as what speed there is no magic answer. My practice is to set the speed at the fastest you are comfortable with. I scroll a lot and have been scrolling close to 20 years. 95% of the time I am cutting at between 3/4 and full speed.

My sweet sister Amy, 66, passed away as the result of a stroke a week ago. Her happy place was Cape San Blas, Florida. We went there together with our families and shared a beach house for the week of Thanksgiving several times. Those weeks were like Heaven on Earth. She had no grandchildren so was like a bonus grandmother to my 5. She and I shared a love for the song "Here Comes The Sun" as done by James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma. Her son-in-law is a gifted guitarist and played it at the funeral. I cut this the night before to put alongside her beach pictures at the funeral chapel as a tribute to her, and therapy for me. You can see her bird that has left our flock in the upper right. Amy was able to donate her kidneys, liver, and eye lenses. Cherish your loved ones each day.

Scroll Saw Dust Control I use a desk fan on right side of saw. Fan blows saw dust across Scroll saw table right to left, also keeps your cut line clear. I also have a 20” box Fan on left side blowing away from saw with 20” filter on intake side to pull and trap dust away from scroller.

there's another factor that comes into play with blade speed. Accuracy. How do YOU want your project to look in the end? Do you want a project with raggy cuts & out of round curves, etc.? OR, do you want a project that's presentable? Evenly cut lines, nice rounded curves, etc.? I've been scrolling over 25 years, & have never had a reason to get above 5 on speed. Take into consideration the type & thickness of wood you're cutting. The softer & thinner the wood, the less aggressive blade you need. The thicker & harder the wood, the more aggressive the blade needs to be. Caution needs to taken w/wood like pine. The blade will have a tendency to follow the grain of the wood. My advice would be to get yourself a sample pack of blades from wooden teddy bear, try the different blades @different speeds in your poplar, see what works best for you. That's the only way to really find out what works & what doesn't. Remember, as has been mentioned, the speed of the saw is just the blade speed. The rest of the speed comes from you. You can only push so fast, & still be accurate.