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I'm doing an Inkscape video series on Scroll Saw Goodies. This first video explains what Inkscape is and how to get it. I go through and prepare a downloaded pattern (kindly provided by Clayton!) for printing. I do this technique each and every time I print a pattern and it works really well for me. Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help. Enjoy!

Saw's Bevel Gauge Most saws have a basic bevel gauge built in. Often times this is below the saw along the rocker. A simple needle points to the gauge marked on the rocker to indicate the angle. My scroll saw has a gauge built into the table, which makes it easy to see. This is a good way to get in the general ballpark, but not very accurate nor repeatable. Use this gauge if you don't need repeatable angles, or if accurate angle isn't necessary. Protractor A simple protractor is an easy way to get an accurate reading. You can pick one up for a couple of dollars at an office supply store. Make sure you buy a small enough one where you can lay the protractor against the blade. Line up the bottom of the protractor to the center mark, then adjust your table to the appropriate angle. Paper Protractor I like using a paper protractor. Download this paper template here. Use spray adhesive to attach it to some 1/4" plywood, then cut it out with your scroll saw. The nice thing about paper protractors is you can write on them. Use a red pen and draw a straight line from center point to the appropriate angle. Then simply adjust the table and line up the red line with your blade. You can also write notes on the protractor for each project (IE Bowl. 20 degrees for 3/4" stock.) Digital Angle Gauge I use a digital angle gauge. I picked mine up for about $30 on Amazon. This is super accurate, getting within 1/10th of a degree. You turn it on, place it on the bed of your scroll saw, then push the "Zero" button to zero out the gauge. Then you can start tilting your saw until you get your exact angle. This is my favorite method. I also love being able to use the gauge on other tools where I need an accurate angle. The magnetic bottom will attach to a table saw blade as you tilt the blade. Smart Phone Phones now days are amazing. They even have a built in angle gauge. I usually have mine within easy reach and it's very convenient. I use the iPhone, and the gauge is listed under the "compass" app, which is pre-loaded on your phone. Swipe to the left to get off the compass and onto the angle gauge (level). Place the phone on it's edge, then tilt your bed. Be careful to keep a hold of your phone. You don't want it to slide off onto the concrete floor (I won't tell you how I know this). This is super convenient. The only draw backs is your table has to be level with the floor to begin with (no zeroing option) and it only measures to the degree, not a fraction of a degree. I'm sure there are other free apps that address these issues, but the built in app works well enough. TCF002_Protractors.pdf

Originally published in The Village Square - June 2010 Introduction For those of you who like to scroll saw, you know how tedious it can be to cut around very small pieces. After years of wear (and sometimes even weeks) the hole in your scroll saw table gets scuffed and enlarged from repeated rubbing of the blade. This occurrence is not generally due to user error, but is what I would refer to as the nature of the beast. In my 13+ years of scroll sawing, it is rare that I come across a scroll saw table that doesn't have this type of wear soon after its initial use. For the most part, this does not interfere with production, but when cutting small, delicate pieces it can cause the problem of lack of support as well as losing the piece as it is cut off. In order to rectify this, many scrollers make what is referred to as a zero clearance plate for their saw. The purpose of the zero clearance plate is to provide better support for small and delicate pieces, as well as avoid losing them in the pile of sawdust underneath. There are several ways you can make this add-on for your saw. I will be focusing on what I feel to be the easiest, quickest (albeit, temporary) method of making this plate. It is a great quick fix for those of you who don't need or want a more permanent type or don't want to use it all the time, and can be installed in less than five minutes. Assembly First of all, make sure your scroll saw table is clean. Give it a spray with WD-40 and use some fine grit sandpaper to clean any adhesive or debris that may have collected on it. (Fig 1) After sanding, use a paper towel to clean off the WD-40. This will leave the surface slick and oily. You will now need to use Windex or another window cleaner or alcohol to remove the oily residue. You want the table as clean and grease free as possible. Next, take an empty two liter pop bottle and cut a rounded rectangle from the plastic. The rectangle should be about three inches square with rounded corners. (Fig 2) Use your drill press and a small bit (about 1/16th of an inch) to drill a small hole in the center of the plastic piece. (Fig 3) Go to your scroll saw and place a small blade in the blade holder. Release the top of the blade and thread the plastic piece through, curved side down. Reattach the blade and tighten the tension. (Fig 4) Square out the plastic and use clear packaging tape to tape the plate into place. I use strips of at least 6" long. Place four stripes two vertical to each side of the blade and two horizontal at the front and back of the blade. Do this carefully so you don’t get any wrinkles in the tape which would interfere with your cutting.(Figs 5 & 6) There you have it! An easy, effective and quick zero clearance scroll saw table! Conclusion I found that this type of plate works great. After a few projects, the hole does start to get bigger and sometimes the tape will roll up slightly at the edges after a bit of use. If this occurs, I just take a sharp scraping knife and trim off the loose edges of the tape. After a while, I replace the plate, cleaning my table as stated before. Even though I need to replace the plate periodically, I still use this method as opposed to a more permanent one because it is inevitable that even on wooden overlay plates which are popular, the hole will show signs of wear and get larger. Also with a wooden plate, you are raising the surface of your table the thickness of the wood and this could affect the performance of reverse-tooth blades, which I use often. Many people also use this method using old credit cards or other plastic, but I found that they are a bit thicker than the pop bottle plastic and form a ridge which causes problems when feeding delicate work through. I keep a several blank plates in my supply drawer, as I cut anywhere from four to eight of them from a discarded pop bottle at a time, which lasts a while. I hope you try this method and it works well for you. If you have any questions or comments about this article, please contact me at the email address below and I will be happy to assist you. If you have any questions regarding this project, please email me at sheilalandrydesigns@gmail.com. You may also see and purchase other patterns at www.sheilalandrydesigns.com and download free articles and a catalog of my designs. Come join me on Facebook at Sheila Landry Designs Scroll Saw Art! See previews and updates of articles and projects.

Applying Patterns Transfer Method Drawing - One of the most direct ways of putting a pattern to your workpiece is simply draw your pattern onto the wood. This is a good method for simple patterns or to rough out a shape. However, it gets difficult for complex patterns and is limited by your drawing ability. Carbon Paper - Carbon paper is an easy method to transfer your pattern directly to the wood. Place your carbon paper between the pattern and the workpiece, and trace your pattern. The pressure from your pencil will transfer the carbon from the carbon paper to your workpiece. Graphite - If you don't have carbon paper, you can make your own. Flip over your pattern. With a soft pencil, lay down a thick layer of pencil. Once you have a nice thick layer, flip your pattern over and retrace your pattern onto the wood. The graphite from your pencil will transfer to your workpiece. Heat- This method requires a photocopy or a laser print. Make sure you flip your pattern in your imaging software so it prints backwards. Using a household iron will melt the toner on the paper and transfer it to the wood. Turn your iron up to the highest setting. Tape your pattern face down on the wood and iron the back of the pattern. Add firm pressure and go slowly. It will take time to transfer the wood, so check your work periodically. They also make special tools for using this transfer method. Acetone - This method requires a photocopy or a laser print. Make sure you flip your pattern in your imaging software so it prints backwards. The acetone will soften the toner and transfer it to the wood. Soak a paper town and apply the acetone to the back of your pattern. When the paper turns translucent, use the back of a spoon to rub the pattern into the wood. Warning: Acetone is highly flammable and has noxious fumes. Use safely in a well-ventilated area and away from flame. Inkjet - This method requires an inkjet printer. Make sure you flip your pattern in your imaging software so it prints backwards. Take a sheet of labels and peel off all of the labels. What's left behind is a waxy surface. When you print our pattern, the ink from your inkjet printer will stay on the surface and will remain wet for quite a while. Carefully place your label sheet face down onto your wood and wipe the back of the pattern with a paper towel to transfer the wet ink to the wood. This method can also be used with butcher paper. Cut the butcher paper to fit your printer and print it onto the waxy surface. Using Substrates The most common way scrollers attach patterns to their workpiece is by using a substrate. A substrate is a material put directly onto the wood, then the pattern is glued to the substrate. This method protects the wood from the glue and often makes pattern removal easier. Depending on the substrate, it may also offer lubrication for the blade to minimize burn marks. Blue Painter's Tape (Substrate) - The most common substrate scrollers use is blue painter's tape. Painter's tape has low tack which makes pattern removal easy. The wax on the tape also acts as a lubricant for the blade. A good quality painter's tape is recommended as their cheap counterparts rip too easily and may leave behind a sticky residue. Contact Paper (Substrate) - Contact paper are used as shelf liners and can be found in the kitchen area of your favorite store. Contact paper comes in large rolls, which is wide enough to accommodate most projects. Simply roll out what you need and apply the contact paper to your workpiece. Glad Press'n Seal (Substrate) -Glad Press'n Seal has a surprisingly strong bond when attached to a workpiece. Tear off enough to fit your workpiece. With the back of a credit card, press the Press'n Seal into the wood and trim off the excess. Since Glad Press'n Seal does not use any glues, there is no chance of leaving behind a sticky residue. PVA Glue (Attach) - You can use a basic white glue to attach your pattern to the substrate. Simply spread the glue onto the back of the pattern, and place it onto the substrate. Smooth out any air bubbles and wait at least an hour for the glue to dry. Glue Stick (Attach) - If PVA glue is too messy, you can use a glue stick. Some glue sticks have a colorant added. When the glue is wet, the glue shows purple but will dry clear. This type of glue stick makes it easy to know where you've applied glue. The drying time is much quicker; 15-20 minutes or less. Rubber Cement (Attach) - Rubber cement will add a really strong bond. To use, apply a thin coat of rubber cement to the back of your pattern and a thin layer to the back of your substrate. Allow each to dry until it becomes tacky like a Post It Note. Then carefully apply the pattern to the substrate. When the two layers of rubber cement meet, it will create a permanent bond. Full Sheet Label (Attach) - Here is a super-easy way to add your pattern to your substrate. Simply print your pattern on a full sheet label. Peel off the back of the label and attach to your substrate. Full sheet labels can get costly, but what you lose in expense, you make up for in convenience. Spray Adhesive (Attach) - The most common way for scrollers to glue a pattern is by using a spray adhesive. There are 2 ways to do this. The main way is to spray the back of the pattern and wait for it to dry so it's tacky like a Post It Note. Once dry, you attach it to the substrate. For a more permanent bond, spray both the back of the pattern and the substrate. Wait for each to dry so it's tacky like a Post It Note, then carefully attach the pattern to the substrate. Once the two glue surfaces meet, it will create a permanent bond. Directly To The Wood The method that is growing in popularity is gluing the pattern directly to the wood. Using a spray adhesive, spray the back of the pattern (don't spray the wood). When the glue has dried so it's tacky like a Post It Note, apply the pattern to the workpiece. This method is growing in popularity because it requires no additional materials. Pattern removal is easy and will practically fall off with a little mineral spirits. (See Pattern Removal below.) Removing Patterns Peeling - This is the most obvious way of removing your pattern. This works especially well when using a substrate as the pattern and the substrate peel off together. If getting the edge of your fingernail under the pattern is difficult, use a Xacto blade to help it along. Be especially careful when removing patterns from your workpiece. Peeling may add additional stress to the already delicate fretwork and we don't want to break off any fragile pieces. Sanding - You can also sand the pattern off. This method works great when using an image transfer where the pattern is transferred directly to the wood. You can also sand away paper patterns. But be careful. The friction of the sandpaper may soften some of the glue and work the glue into the wood fibers. Just take it slow and don't spend too much time in any one place. Take extra care when sanding delicate fretwork. The action of the sander may add extra stress to the delicate fretwork. You may choose to use a less aggressive sander like a vibrating mouse sander or simply sand it by hand. You can use a sanding pad for additional support and keep it from sliding around while you work. Heat Gun - A heat gun will soften up the glue and make pattern removal much easier. A high-intensity heat gun used for stripping paint and wallpaper works best. You might be able to use a hairdryer. Just put it on its highest setting and work one section at a time. Mineral Spirits - A popular way of removing patterns is using Mineral Spirits. Mineral Spirits is a solvent, so it will soften and dissolve the glue. You can buy odorless mineral spirits, so it's great for indoor use. Just make sure you protect your work surface. Mineral spirits work especially well when you attach your pattern directly to the wood. Just wet the pattern. Once it turns translucent, the pattern practically falls off on its own. Just peel it away and you're good as new. Mineral spirits is also good for removing any sticky residue left behind from tape or glue. Just apply and wipe away. For easy application, add it to a spray bottle. That way it's ready to go whenever you are. Simply spray the back of the pattern and remove. ---------- So, what did I forget? Do you use a different technique I didn't cover here? Let us know below.

Here's my latest video tutorial. This time, I'm using Inkscape to prepare an oversized pattern for printing. The pattern was kindly provided by our one and only Christina. Thanks Christina! There are times when we want to print a pattern that is larger than a standard sheet of paper. Whether it be for a large fretwork project, intarsia, lath art, or yard art, Inkscape makes it easy. The video goes over importing a pattern, resizing, cleaning up the pattern, adding registration marks, and finally printing! Enjoy the show!