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Put this up today Steve Good pattern.

Got a couple more finished. The mouse is a Janette Square design. Woods used Walnut, Wenge, Aspen and Spanish Cedar. The snowglobe was designed by Lori Jenks. Woods used Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Aspen, Elm. I ended up taking off the "glitter", couldn't get it to stick on. Third photo is the final of the snowglobe. I used a paint pen to put on the silver dots. Both were very quick and easy patterns.

There is a poem entitled 'I Long for the Northland 'that expresses the poet's love of the Boreal Forrest that stretches all the way across Canada. I've designed a plaque to hang in a new building on Pellow's Island and that plaque features the poem. Corporal J. Romanson of the Canadian Army wrote the poem during the second-world-war. My Father, Christopher Pellow, also in the Canadian army in Europe, clipped the poem from an army publication and sent it home from France to my mother and me, having first underlined the parts that meant the most to him. I changed a few of the words in order to better describe the part of the Boreal Forrest around Hearst Ontario. Here Is a photo of the clipped poem: It’s tacked to a wall in our cabin. Here is a photo of the plaque: I cut it in 3mm thick Baltic Birch plywood using 2/0 Pegas spiral blades. It’s backed with another 3mm thick plywood panel. The frame is rough-cut Pine. I've recorded this project in another Scrollsaw Village thread. Here is a link: I'm cutting a plaque that has a lot of small letters using a spiral blade - Works In Progress & Tutorials - Scroll Saw Village My dad purchased Pellow’s Island in 1925, thus in 2025, our family will have been guardians of the island for a century. I’m partway through composing a poem that I’m entitling ‘Returning to the Northland’ that celebrates that guardianship. My intention is to record that poem in a companion plaque (this time using 6mm thick plywood —which will make the cutting easier).

Hi, I'm Jim, and I've been scroll-sawing for about 3 years now. I mostly do wood-cut versions of old video game sprites. I do a big Super Mario World-based Halloween display every year, do some commissions and art shows, and have done a big public display once now. I've been mostly focused on the design of the pieces and painting aspects but I'm a mediocre to poor cutter and am looking to improve. I attached some samples, happy to be here!

I preparation for a class I am doing on Compound cutting I modified Steve Good bird house by adding a stand. I also modified so I that you have don't have to trap after cutting the first side. (see picture below for another sample) Cut with poplar. Bird unknown.

I've been scroll sawing for a few years, I mostly do wood-cut version of old video game sprites. I've been gradually having an issue with pieces from my scroll saw that I don't have with my jigsaw. After I paint the sides, no matter how much I sand, and how smooth they feel before painting, they start getting frayed. In the first pic from a Halloween decoration, the black-painted piece, this is off my jigsaw. I barely had to sand it. In the second pic, from my scroll saw, I sanded this edge down and it felt smooth, then I painted it and it frayed, sanded again, re-painted. After every painting, it frays. When you step back and look at the whole piece you don't notice and it's fine, but this feels like it's getting worse. I mostly use 1/2 inch sande plywood from Home Depot, but I will also sometimes use a baltic birch from a lumber yard. Sometimes I mix in 1/4 inch pieces for 3D effect. The issue is not as bad from the baltic but it still happens. I use the Behr interior paints from Home Depot for the colors. Just looking to try and improve my skills.

Most interior paints are latex (water-based). The water is probably swelling the wood fibers in the end grain layers of the plywood. You could try sealing the edges with a shellac or sanding sealer before painting. I'm not sure if it will help, but it's worth a try.

https://www.h2ouse.org/sande-plywood/ I built my entire shop from Sande wood. Stable wood and back when I did my shop some 30 years ago or so. I got it at Home Depot very reasonable. One thing very different with BB(more layers and thinner layers) and Sande plywood is amount of layers. When they make plywood they alternate grain direction on layers to give stability and less warping and one reason you do not see as much grain raising as his problem.

First let me say that, we...here on the East Coast of Central Florida..., weathered huricane Milton with all being OK. Never lost power, no damage other than a lot of rake-up branches and leaves from neighboring trees. Others here in Florida did not fare as well and I know a number of our SSV members may be amoung them. Our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes for a quick recovery, go out to all who may have been affected. Now to the post! This project was completed over the past week while waiting for Milton to arrive. I purchased a digital download (JPG) of a printable cartoon clipart wall décor of a Cute Turtle off ETSY. I imported the image into Inkscape and converted it into a scrollable segmentation 12” x 10” pattern. The conversion was mainly a manual trace. The Inkscape 'trace bitmap' command realy does not work well to produce this kind of pattern. This piece is also for my Lady’s soon-to-be Grandson. I used nominal 3/4" x 12” wide premium pine and cut the pattern with Pegas #1 MGT R blades. I used Intarsia techniques to shape the pieces and after painting, the pieces were mounted on a 1/8” thick BB ply backer with the edges painted black. Painting was done using my Air Brush with Artist Acrylic Air brush paints with some detail brush work. I’m still not able to do very fine detailing with the Air Brush. The painted and assembled piece was protected with multiple coats of a Clear Gloss Acrylic Finish spray. Comments and critiques are always welcome.

This time, it's bats in a bottle.

Jim, someone posted before they took a break from scrolling and built a model train platform, maybe do something else not woodworking related for a few months then come back to scrolling, RJ

@Dave Monk @BadBob @don in brooklin on @barb.j.enders - Here is my first test chess piece. It took just under an hour... I started with a #5 FD UR blade, but after that broke... plus it was slow going... I went up to a #7 and it worked a lot better. I think I could get away with a #9 on some of the easier pieces, but overall I am pleased with my first attempt. Still, a lot to master. A few more practice pieces to go. I took Don's tip and left some wood at the bottom, and that was the final cut. I did not have my table saw set up, so I did it on the scroll. And this was a 3x0.50 glued-up aspen. It worked well. Not sure how much the gorilla glue affects the cut though, granted it is 2 thin layers, but I would think it has a similar effect like cutting plywood. One question. After you do your inside cuts, do you trap those, or do you clear them before doing the perimeter cut? It was a bit hairy getting the pieces out after I completed all the cuts. I left everything trapped. PS: Now I wait for my 'real' 1.5x1.5 stock to come in so I can start on a set for real.

My main effort is to build out a shop just the same. I try to make sure I can make this stuff so kids and families can decorate with them and not get too expensive so sande has been great. I have had people point out bits of edge texture in a good way and say it them feel more “real”, so this hasn’t been a killer issue, but since I have design and workflow down pat I want to tighten the craft side up.

Thank you for all the help. I was assuming the paint was the issue, but then the pic with the black paint is from the same piece of wood with the same Behr interior and it’s fine with almost no sanding. I have been looking at possible better blades. My jigsaw was rough as well before I got better blades and I was shocked how much it changed things.

Both very nice. Clear Kryon glitter blast works good to hold glitter in place and adds brilliants.

I don’t know what sande plywood is, but I use Baltic birch plywood paint all sides except the bottom. I use acrylic paints. I don’t seal the edges and haven’t had the problem you are experiencing.

I will seal the edges of plywood with Elmet's Glue All. Other white or yellow pva glues will also work, but the Elmer's is cheaper. Just apply a thin coat to all exposed edges using a brush, or your finger on straight edges. I usually don't even sand the sealer after it dries. Try it on a scrap piece of plywood to see if you like the results. Tom

It sounds like the imported drawing is larger than the page in Inkscape and is hiding the page. You can make the page in Inkscape larger with the Document properties under the file drop down or reduce the size of the imported drawing. Reduce the size using the sizing arrows when you select the imported drawing. I usually center the drawing on the page by eye using the select tool and dragging the drawing into position. Tom

Awesome job on the mouse. Christmas tree also. I don’t recall seeing the mouse in the magazine. I’ll have to go back and take a look at it.

That is end grain on plywood. It is swelling the grain because of the water based paint. Sealing it as suggested is probably a way out. Or use hard woods. Sande plywood is not the best plywood on the market. The top surface is fine but end grain will expand when wet.

rest in peace Jim. Sincerely condolences to his family. God Bless.

More excellent work, RJ

When you normally do compound cutting you cut the first side and then you "trap" the floating piece by wrapping in clear tape or by rotating in the clamps you have done. This method is - you start in the bottom hole and cut the pattern and end up in the other hole. You now turn the piece to other side and do the same thing. There is now need to wrap or trap. Once both sides are cut you cut the straight line above the holes and birdhouse falls out. NOTE: This only works for something that has a flat bottom like the standing birdhouse and like chess pieces. The photo above was for a chess piece. I will post pattern but I want to get Steve's blessing.

That is so sad. At least she could donate them, or drop them off at the local Salvation Army (or equivalent) store, so it can live on with some other child. I am making a few heirloom pieces for my grandson (and soon to be another). The everyday type toys, when outgrown I would expect some to be donated, and a few to be put away for the great-great-grandchildren after I am gone from this world. I hope when my GS reaches 6 or 7, he can be working by my side learning how to make toys and other wood art.

Throws them out?!?! For me it all boils down to just wanting to try a new hobby and see if I could actually make anything. I made hundreds of things now it's off to a new quest, working with epoxy resin!

If you don't care where they go, find a local charity (a LOCAL one, not a local branch of a national - those big ones are sketchy) and donate to them. They can use them at fundraiser sales for financial support. Locally for us, when I get to that point that I have extras, they will be sent to Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue or Journey Home; both are local animal rescues. Incidentally, if anyone near Grand Forks, ND is looking for a cat, we have are fostering a 1 year old that is good with cats, dogs, and kids, and just loves to be held and will even talk with you; we also have to 6 week old kittens who will be needing a home in about a month.

I use two plastic spring clamps. I like them because they don't loosen as I cut, and no tape is required.

Thank you for this information, I read the article too. I happen to have a project I want to do and I want to use Marine plywood however it’s expensive. I just googled my Home Depot and they don’t have Sande plywood unless they carry it under a different name. Maybe we can’t get it in Canada.

My wife and I are saying that this will be our last year too. November will be our last show. I still will make and donate some toys but no more shows. My grandson,7, loves my toys but his mother (daughter in law) just throws them out.