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Haven't post anything for a while. The Columbo pattern is by Jim Blume. Made from 1.5 bamboo ply in a store bought frame, 8.3" x 11.7". Marg

First off, welcome. You found the right place to get all your questions answered. The Excalibur has gone through a lot over the years. First made in Canada, then Taiwan. Those were great saws. Then they went to China and became far less reliable than they had been. Not all bad, just not the same quality. With proper care and adjustment, they will last a long time. Look at the I. D. plate to see where yours came from. As for blades, any brand of 5-inch scroll saw blades will work but the preferred brands that most of us use are Flying Dutchman and Pegas. One of our members has a business, (Artcraftersonline.com), that sells both the Pegas blades and also the Pegas saw that is very similar to the Excalibur but a much better saw. The FD blades can be purchased through Mike's Workshop or Wooden Teddy Bear, both online sources. My preference is Pegas but many others are lovers of the FD blades. If you want to buy from a store front, look for Olsen blades. They are the best ones sold from storefront venders. Denny Knappen who is a member here owns the online store I mentioned above, is where I buy my Pegas blades. His prices are the best and his service can not be beaten. Another suggestion,, if you are going to get serious about scrolling is to upgrade the upper and lower blade clamps on your saw to the Pegas holders. They are an upgrade that can't be beat. I have them on both of my saws.

1/2" tongue and groove overall size 15" x 22". Top section cut with FD Polar #1 followed by FD new spiral #2/0. Most other cuts with FD Polar #1. The horses were cut out and then the fretwork inside the figure cut. I shaded the horses and shilloett with charcoal pencils to make them stand out a little.

I have the EX21 and I use Pegas blades. I not only sell them, I use them. My go to blades are Pegas Modified Geometry (MGT) blades.

I was cutting out these ornaments this evening, stack of 5, 1/8" basswood, when I noticed that the stack had shifted ever so slightly. When I tried to feed the blade through the next pilot hole I couldn't because of the shift. My pilot holes in this were #65, .035"; so I used a #71 drill bit, .025" to get the hole realigned, then used three #65 drill bits to keep the whole thing aligned while I used hot glue to hold the silly thing together while I finished cutting. Yea, it worked.

I did this from a decal made for putting on a wall. I tried thicker wood but it didn’t look right. I tried a couple woods other than walnut but it didn’t look as good. I think this is one of my favorites I’ve done. I’m gonna give it to an old family friend.

I got this finished. It will be a gift for my daughter's partner. He is a huge watch fan. Pattern from the latest SSWC magazine. Cut from Cherry. Insert purchased on Amazon after not finding anything local. Had a few issues with the side cut on the buckle. Ended up using the belt sander instead of cutting. Used a #5 MG blade. Finish is 2 coats of Walrus Oil and one coat of beeswax/mineral oil.

Hi I have been asked if I could do some thing like the below https://www.instagram.com/p/C9McNg3gDmS/?igsh=dGlkZnhveGs2cmxt How would I go about this is a guide or templates any where. Words would be Geoff, Rachel Any advise tip greatly received thanks.

Thanks that's what I was looking for

All they have done is cut out the names using a 3D technique and then cut them apart and staggered them. You can find tutorials on 3D scrolling on YouTube. Search for Gwinnett woodworkers. They have a few. The one you show here looks like it was done using 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" wood in the appropriate length. The pattern is then done with the names one above the other in a way that each name will be centered on each side of the wood blank with the centerline squarely on one edge of the blank. Very important that it be centered alone one edge. Drill blade entry hokes in each letter and then cut them out. I'd use a #5 or 7 super skip tooth blade to clear the sawdust out of the kerf. Once finished with those cuts just run the piece through a table saw to separate all the letters. Then mount them to a suitable base in an offset configuration. I know this may be confusing so I suggest trying to find a video first

Welcome to the Village! Guess I can't really add to what the others have already said

Terrific job. I am sure they will love it, well done. Marg

Since finishing the humming bird lamps and the River Boat projects, I had fallen into a derth of scrolling ideas. It was, a sort of been there, done that. My wife noticed I was getting ansey and bored and I needed another project. She says I want you to make another Christmas project? I say ok and then a little while later she shows up with 3 patterns for Christmas wreaths she bought from Scroll Saw Artist! I'm back in the game! The 3 were not too bad to cut but the poinsetta veining took a little time. Originally, we were going to do regular candles but have kind of moved away from that and she found some LED candles on the web with timers that worked perfect. Project was 1/2" BBPW with shellac and satin Lacquer. It ain't Christmas yet, what will I do next? Added some pictures with candles and wife ordered cushions with pictures of us and the dog.

Love the Poinsettia it's my favorite. Great work on all, well done. Marg

Very nice use of the wood grain. Great idea!

I can't say much about the saw other than what I've heard. However, most (if not all) scroll saws use a 5-inch blade. The difference is either blades with pins or pinless. From what I understand your saw uses pinless blades. There are many brands (Pegas, Flying Dutchman, Olson to name a few) that would work on your saw. It's not unusual for blades to break so they are usually sold by the dozens. Denny, a member on this forum, sells Pegas blades which is my primary choice. His website is artcraftersonline.com and is very helpful in helping you select the correct blade for the work you intend to do with your saw. I would suggest giving him a call to discuss your needs.

Just finished this beautiful Russ Beard pattern, I double stacked 4mm Birch Plywood, cut with a Niqua #1 pin less blade, soaked in BLO/Mineral Spirits mixture, will get a light sanding and the a few Coates of clear Lacquer spray. This will be my last cut for 2024 and probably for a while, need to sell some of my cuts to cover the costs of the consumables. Planning on making some frames ( going to try a different technique) do some general wood workin and because we stay on the coast the sea air is very corrosive so I’m planning to wash all my machines, check them for any signs of rust and just generally give the all a good service.

Sorry I missed it earlier. That is fantastic.

Looks like Wichita answered the question. As a frame shop, we use the ATG every day.

When I stack cut, I use small nails in waste areas, so I do not have to worry about shifting. That is in addition to taping.

Great save Wichman "WHO" would of that of that? Fab4

I know I have not been scrolling in a while my school had an entrepreneur day so I thought it would be a good time to start again so I made a Christmas tree and a snowflake. again, I used plywood to paint it and I tried stack cutting for the first time the tape method it was fun and sorry I sold them already, so I don't have any pictures

Hi Barb: Looks great, unlike a lot of us, you seem to have a lot of time on your hands...lol (somebody had to say it!!!) keep up the beautiful work Fab4

Blade drift is pretty common with a lot of scroll saw blades. Something about the way they are manufactured that makes them that way. It isn't a universal thing. There are some brands/types that are better/worse than others. What I do if I find a blade is tracking off the line (typically it will pull to the right) is to shift my chair slightly over to the right of the saw, so that I'm actually facing the blade at an angle, but I trick my brain into thinking I'm pushing straight into the blade. It doesn't take very much. Maybe give it a try and see what it does for you.

Practice, lots of practice. You are unintentionally pushing the work piece to one side or the other. Remember, the blades are 5 inches long and very thin so they are going to flex. It's up to you to keep them straight. Practice.

Very nice work Don @Insane Dust Maker. I hope you are able to sell stuff to support your scrolling obsession. Put a coat of wax on your machines to protect them from corrosion. I like to use Johnson's Floor Wax like this SC Johnson Discontinued Paste Wax: Furniture CLEAN-SHINE-PROTECT Wood Ful1 16 oz | eBay. But it has been discontinued and people are asking insane prices for a can of it. My can is almost gone and I will have to find another wax like that. I am sure you can find something in SA for a reasonable price. Do not use anything (i.e. car wax) that has silicon in it as that will get on the wood and cause problems with finishing the wood.

I use a recipe based on this video. Nick's recipe download.

I use Kevins recipe of beeswax and mineral oil. A little goes a long way. Like Bill said a gallon of mineral oil would last a long time. i also use shellac, which is food safe, quite often. if I know I will be sitting a piece for awhile, I will use Minwax Antique Oil, but it does take a bit to cure. It’s also my favorite finish to use. I agree with BadBob. Key word is cured.

A lot goes into cure times too besides what is said on a can of finish.. such as temperature and humidity levels etc.. I'm sure you know all that.. just pointing that out to anyone else that may not..