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#1 ·
Introduction - Sign Up and Objective

Hi, Everybody!

My name is Sheila Landry, although many of you may know me as 'Scrollgirl'. I've had that nickname for over fifteen years now and chose it because I LOVE SCROLL SAWING!

I work as a contributing editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine and I also have my own pattern business called Sheila Landry Designs where I sell my original scroll saw and painting patterns.

I was asked by MsDebbie if I would like to host an online scroll saw class here on Lumberjocks and I gave her a resounding YES as an answer! So here we are!

During my first year here on Lumberjocks, I realized that many of you have sad and lonely scroll saws sitting in a dark, deep corner of your shop or basement, covered with dust and rotting. Others have fresh and new scroll saws, shiny out of the box, and you want to be able to use these saws to create beautiful and magical woodworking projects, but don't really know where to start. And there are still more of you who already make wonderful projects, and may just want to come along for the ride to help contribute to the class and perhaps learn something new in the process.

Everyone is welcome!

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


In conducting this class, I want you all to know that no matter what your skill, I am looking forward to having you here. I am going to pace the class slowly so that it is geared for the absolute beginner (After all - we aren't going anywhere, are we?) and if it moves a bit too slow for some people, that will be a good time for those people to chime in and also help out with their own experiences and advice.

Scroll sawing - as with many things - is not an exact science. There are many roads to the destination. While one thing may work well for one person, other things may work well for others. There are several "right" ways to do things and as long as they are safe, than I will encourage you to use the method that you are most comfortable with.

As far as safety goes, you need to use your normal safety practices that you do in your shop when using the scroll saw. Use your own judgment and follow your manufacturer's instructions on the equipment and supplies. I cannot accept responsibility for accidents resulting from how you use the information provided here. I merely want to show you which techniques work for me.

With that said, I hope this class proves to be both fun and educational to you all. There are many different applications in which you can use your scroll saw in creating other, larger projects. Or you can use it on its own to make projects ranging to basic and simple to very intricate and elaborate. There really is no limit, which is why I find working with the scroll saw so exciting. It is a very versatile tool that requires a small amount of space (I scroll saw on the side of my kitchen!) and makes very little mess, unlike larger saws or other tools. It is a great way to do a little creative woodworking even if you have a very limited area to work in and budget.

In creating the projects for the class, I have decided that since there are many different techniques and aspects to scroll sawing, the best way to show you these is by us creating several smaller projects. I will be sharing with you many different small ornament patterns that I have designed, and each which will focus on a particular technique. This will allow us to work on different thicknesses of wood using different sizes and types of blades. It will also be less costly to you than investing in one large project or lots of materials. You will be able to use scraps from around your shop to practice on and keep you cost minimal. You can also practice by making the items several times if necessary, to really understand what you are learning to do.

I will give a general supply list on the next post. But for now, I would like to as you to 'sign up' so I have an idea of how many people are going to follow along. Please acknowledge your participation either in the comment section here, or via a personal message to me. I ask that you give me your name (first name is fine, but both names is OK too), email, experience you have on the scroll saw, and if you wish, a couple of lines as to your goals for the class or what you want to see here. It will help me make a better class for you and address your needs better.

I will be mainly teaching through this blog, but I will also have some videos from time to time to illustrate different cutting techniques and other issues that come up. I will do as many videos as possible, but I don't want to limit those who are on dial-up connections and don't have access to internet videos, as some have brought to my attention. Even if I do a illustrate an idea using a video, I will still have photographs presented here to try to show the same thing on the blog, so everyone can follow.

So that is it for now. I will do my best to make this a fun and educational experience for all of us. I hope that you will join us!
 

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#152 ·
Basic Supplies and (EGADS!) Homework!

Well, it looks like we are going to have a great group here! I am really happy with the enthusiasm of everyone who wants to participate, and also the cheerleaders. You can all get back in your seats now and we can start to get down to business.

Cat White Black Felidae Carnivore


I wanted to get this post up here by the weekend so that if you need to get some supplies to start, you will have some time to do so. One thing that I really like about scroll sawing is that it takes very little 'equipment' to make things work. My partner recently got a lathe and it is amazing to both of us how many different parts and chucks and tools you 'need' to make things work.

With scroll sawing, all you really need is a saw and a drill press (and you can even get by if you have to using a regular drill or even a Dremel and some drill bits.) Aside from some sand paper and a few supplies - that is it! You can be well on your way to scroll sawing!

But for our purposes, I will give a general supply list of the most common items you will want to use. You probably have most of them in your shop already!

I am finding that the biggest discrepancy we are going to have is the many different kinds of saws people have. I started with a Delta saw in 1997 and then moved up to a DeWalt which I kept until a few months ago when I got my Excalibur. Even though I have been doing this for quite a long time, I haven't had a lot of experience on many of the other saws and will need to go by what I have heard from others.

I am going to start out by saying that I encourage you to do some of your own research on the saw you own if you are having issues with it, as it will be impossible for me to help everybody with specifics on saws that I have never worked with. (This is actually homework in disguise - but I was hoping you wouldn't notice because there is more to come!) You can always ask a general question on the class blogs too because chances are someone here may be able to help. If you want to know of a GREAT source for information on scroll saws of all type, you should go to Rick Hutchenson's site at

www.scrollsaws.com

Not only is Rick one of the smartest guys I know, but he has one of the most comprehensive sites that I have ever seen in regards to scroll saws. (Plus, he is a really nice and helpful guy!) On his site, there are tips on maintenance, trouble shooting and all kinds of information and videos about just about any saw you can imagine. Rick has a collection of literally hundreds of saws and has first-hand knowledge on many of them. He has lots of experience testing tools and consulting with big companies such as Delta and he will give you whatever information you may need to get your saw in tip tip shape. He also has some great patterns if you are in the shopping mood for lots of woodworking projects and videos.

So let's get on with the supply list:

I use Olson Scroll saw blades almost exclusively. I know there are many brands on the market, but Olson blades are my favorite. I love the control you have with them and I have yet to find better blades anywhere. I know that there are some who swear by other blades, but this is my own personal preference and I stand by my decision. You need to work with what is good for you and what you are comfortable with, but these are my favorites.

Here is a link to a blade chart from Olson which will help you choose the right blade for whatever you are planning to cut. Remember - this is only a suggested guideline and you may choose something else depending on things like the type of wood you are cutting and the thickness and hardness. But it is a good starting point and reference:

Olson Blade Chart

You can download and print it out for future reference. You may want to even laminate it and keep it by your saw for a quick reference. (By the way - this is NOT homework! It is kind of a little treat to help you along! )

I like using reverse-tooth blades because when you use them there is less sanding involved. Reverse-tooth blades are blades where the lower inch or so of the blade has the teeth pointing up (traditionally, the teeth should point down on scroll saw blades!) this helps prevent tear out on the back side of your piece and as I said, minimizes the amount of sanding you need to do on the back side when you are finished. Some say that reverse tooth are a little harder to control - especially when you are beginning - but I find the difference is marginal if anything and the good still outweighs the bad on them. I would suggest you give them a try and I would bet that once you use them, you won't want to go back.

Now I have a homework assignment for you. (Here it is - there is no hiding this one from you!)

My partner wrote an article called Scroll Saw Blade Selection that will help familiarize you with scroll saw blades. This is a great basic article for you to get a handle on the types of blades and their characteristics so that you make the best choice for your project.

As far as the blades you will be using for class, here is a list of the blades that I tend to use most of the time.

#2/0 Regular reverse-tooth
#2 Regular reverse-tooth
#3 Mach Speed reverse-tooth blades (Olson's new blade)
#5 Regular reverse-tooth
#9 Regular reverse-tooth (I rarely use these, but for thicker projects they work nice)

I bet you were expecting a longer list than that! But honestly, those five pretty much cover most of the things that I cut - and they probably will handle most of what you do also.

The other supplies you will need is of course - wood. What kind of wood, you ask? I find that hard wood with even grain such as maple and birch do a fine job for delicate fretwork. Pine is OK to practice on, as it is cheap and usually plentiful, but the soft texture and sap usually doesn't make the best choice for fretwork. If I were to tell you a certain type of wood that is a good overall wood for scrolling I would say maple. But any scraps you have around will do. Most of the projects we are going to do here will be smaller, so just about all the wood will be 1/2" or less in thickness. I will be more specific on suggestions prior to each project. For starters, let's say that we will start with 1/2" maple. If you don't have maple, don't kill yourself trying to find some. Anything similar will do. I am going to have some practice sheets for you to learn some really basic things like casting on and off and basic maneuvering to start with and that should do fine.

You will also need some temporary spray adhesive to apply your pattern. Two popular kinds are made by Elmer's and 3M.

Liquid Cosmetics Paint Personal care Material property


Others will do as well, but these are two brands that I have used successfully for years. A word of caution though - Elmer's (and probably the other companies too) makes many different strengths of spray adhesives ranging from temporary to extra-strength, which could probably be used to glue the tiles on the space shuttle successfully. So be sure to avoid those at all cost! I am going to show you two ways to apply your pattern, as well as suggest others that have been used successfully, but it is important that you use temporary spray adhesive to be able to get your pattern off the wood once finished cutting.

The only other things you will need are blue painter's tape (try to get it at least 2" wide) and some clear packaging tape, also 2" wide that you should be able to find at the dollar store. You don't need the thicker and expensive kind - the cheap kind will do fine.

Other than those few things, you will only need your normal shop supplies, such as various sized drill bits and a drill press or drill and sandpaper in various grits. Then we will be ready to go!

I will probably have the next lesson up sometime early next week. That will give you all time to gather your basic supplies and do your homework! I hope I covered everything you need to know to get started. I will be checking here frequently to answer any questions you may have. Thanks again for reading and I look forward to getting to know all of you better and showing you how fun and versatile the scroll saw can be.

Have a great weekend everyone! I look forward to getting started and moving ahead with this. Let the adventure begin!! :D
 

Attachments

#153 ·
Basic Supplies and (EGADS!) Homework!

Well, it looks like we are going to have a great group here! I am really happy with the enthusiasm of everyone who wants to participate, and also the cheerleaders. You can all get back in your seats now and we can start to get down to business.

Cat White Black Felidae Carnivore


I wanted to get this post up here by the weekend so that if you need to get some supplies to start, you will have some time to do so. One thing that I really like about scroll sawing is that it takes very little 'equipment' to make things work. My partner recently got a lathe and it is amazing to both of us how many different parts and chucks and tools you 'need' to make things work.

With scroll sawing, all you really need is a saw and a drill press (and you can even get by if you have to using a regular drill or even a Dremel and some drill bits.) Aside from some sand paper and a few supplies - that is it! You can be well on your way to scroll sawing!

But for our purposes, I will give a general supply list of the most common items you will want to use. You probably have most of them in your shop already!

I am finding that the biggest discrepancy we are going to have is the many different kinds of saws people have. I started with a Delta saw in 1997 and then moved up to a DeWalt which I kept until a few months ago when I got my Excalibur. Even though I have been doing this for quite a long time, I haven't had a lot of experience on many of the other saws and will need to go by what I have heard from others.

I am going to start out by saying that I encourage you to do some of your own research on the saw you own if you are having issues with it, as it will be impossible for me to help everybody with specifics on saws that I have never worked with. (This is actually homework in disguise - but I was hoping you wouldn't notice because there is more to come!) You can always ask a general question on the class blogs too because chances are someone here may be able to help. If you want to know of a GREAT source for information on scroll saws of all type, you should go to Rick Hutchenson's site at

www.scrollsaws.com

Not only is Rick one of the smartest guys I know, but he has one of the most comprehensive sites that I have ever seen in regards to scroll saws. (Plus, he is a really nice and helpful guy!) On his site, there are tips on maintenance, trouble shooting and all kinds of information and videos about just about any saw you can imagine. Rick has a collection of literally hundreds of saws and has first-hand knowledge on many of them. He has lots of experience testing tools and consulting with big companies such as Delta and he will give you whatever information you may need to get your saw in tip tip shape. He also has some great patterns if you are in the shopping mood for lots of woodworking projects and videos.

So let's get on with the supply list:

I use Olson Scroll saw blades almost exclusively. I know there are many brands on the market, but Olson blades are my favorite. I love the control you have with them and I have yet to find better blades anywhere. I know that there are some who swear by other blades, but this is my own personal preference and I stand by my decision. You need to work with what is good for you and what you are comfortable with, but these are my favorites.

Here is a link to a blade chart from Olson which will help you choose the right blade for whatever you are planning to cut. Remember - this is only a suggested guideline and you may choose something else depending on things like the type of wood you are cutting and the thickness and hardness. But it is a good starting point and reference:

Olson Blade Chart

You can download and print it out for future reference. You may want to even laminate it and keep it by your saw for a quick reference. (By the way - this is NOT homework! It is kind of a little treat to help you along! )

I like using reverse-tooth blades because when you use them there is less sanding involved. Reverse-tooth blades are blades where the lower inch or so of the blade has the teeth pointing up (traditionally, the teeth should point down on scroll saw blades!) this helps prevent tear out on the back side of your piece and as I said, minimizes the amount of sanding you need to do on the back side when you are finished. Some say that reverse tooth are a little harder to control - especially when you are beginning - but I find the difference is marginal if anything and the good still outweighs the bad on them. I would suggest you give them a try and I would bet that once you use them, you won't want to go back.

Now I have a homework assignment for you. (Here it is - there is no hiding this one from you!)

My partner wrote an article called Scroll Saw Blade Selection that will help familiarize you with scroll saw blades. This is a great basic article for you to get a handle on the types of blades and their characteristics so that you make the best choice for your project.

As far as the blades you will be using for class, here is a list of the blades that I tend to use most of the time.

#2/0 Regular reverse-tooth
#2 Regular reverse-tooth
#3 Mach Speed reverse-tooth blades (Olson's new blade)
#5 Regular reverse-tooth
#9 Regular reverse-tooth (I rarely use these, but for thicker projects they work nice)

I bet you were expecting a longer list than that! But honestly, those five pretty much cover most of the things that I cut - and they probably will handle most of what you do also.

The other supplies you will need is of course - wood. What kind of wood, you ask? I find that hard wood with even grain such as maple and birch do a fine job for delicate fretwork. Pine is OK to practice on, as it is cheap and usually plentiful, but the soft texture and sap usually doesn't make the best choice for fretwork. If I were to tell you a certain type of wood that is a good overall wood for scrolling I would say maple. But any scraps you have around will do. Most of the projects we are going to do here will be smaller, so just about all the wood will be 1/2" or less in thickness. I will be more specific on suggestions prior to each project. For starters, let's say that we will start with 1/2" maple. If you don't have maple, don't kill yourself trying to find some. Anything similar will do. I am going to have some practice sheets for you to learn some really basic things like casting on and off and basic maneuvering to start with and that should do fine.

You will also need some temporary spray adhesive to apply your pattern. Two popular kinds are made by Elmer's and 3M.

Liquid Cosmetics Paint Personal care Material property


Others will do as well, but these are two brands that I have used successfully for years. A word of caution though - Elmer's (and probably the other companies too) makes many different strengths of spray adhesives ranging from temporary to extra-strength, which could probably be used to glue the tiles on the space shuttle successfully. So be sure to avoid those at all cost! I am going to show you two ways to apply your pattern, as well as suggest others that have been used successfully, but it is important that you use temporary spray adhesive to be able to get your pattern off the wood once finished cutting.

The only other things you will need are blue painter's tape (try to get it at least 2" wide) and some clear packaging tape, also 2" wide that you should be able to find at the dollar store. You don't need the thicker and expensive kind - the cheap kind will do fine.

Other than those few things, you will only need your normal shop supplies, such as various sized drill bits and a drill press or drill and sandpaper in various grits. Then we will be ready to go!

I will probably have the next lesson up sometime early next week. That will give you all time to gather your basic supplies and do your homework! I hope I covered everything you need to know to get started. I will be checking here frequently to answer any questions you may have. Thanks again for reading and I look forward to getting to know all of you better and showing you how fun and versatile the scroll saw can be.

Have a great weekend everyone! I look forward to getting started and moving ahead with this. Let the adventure begin!! :D
Food Fruit Natural foods Staple food Apple
 

Attachments

#199 ·
Applying the Pattern for Scroll Sawing

I hope everyone was able to find the supplies that I suggested in the last part. If anyone had any trouble, please let me know, either through a personal message or on the comment section here and between myself and the others here, we should be able to help you.

We are now ready to apply our patterns to the wood in preparation for cutting. But first of all you need a pattern. I have made up a sheet of some simple shapes that you can use as a practice scroll saw pattern. Just click on the link here and it should bring you to the pattern:

Scroll Saw Training Pattern

It is located in my shared Google Documents folder.

Once you are on that page, you can download the page to your own computer as a PDF file and print as many copies as you need to use for practice.

For those of you who are not familiar with how to do that, please follow these steps:

-On the upper left corner of the page, right under the 'Google docs' logo, you will see the word 'file.' Click on it.

Product Rectangle Font Screenshot Technology


-The menu will drop down and you will see the choice 'Download Original'.

Product Font Rectangle Line Screenshot


-Click on it. You will then see a dialog box that comes up to ask you if you want to open or save the file. Choose to open the file with whatever PDF reader program you have on your computer. (Mine is Adobe Acrobat 8.1, as shown here)

Computer Rectangle Personal computer Font Line


When you click on 'OK', it should open in your PDF reader program. Then you can save it where you want on your computer and print it out as many times as needed. I would suggest that you make a new folder for all the class materials I will be providing throughout the lessons. That way they are all in one place if you need them.

Now we are ready to apply the pattern.

Cut the pieces apart and loosely place them on your wood.

Wood Font Pattern Circle Paper


For practice purposes, I am using a piece of pine that is about 5/8" thick and the piece on the right is some brown maple that is a bit shy of 1/2" thick. As I said in the previous lesson, in many patterns (except the ones that are assembled pieces, such as boxes and slotted ornaments) it really doesn't matter if your wood is exactly the size suggested. That is the nice thing with scroll sawing - it allows you to use lots of smaller odd pieces you may have around your shop.

I like to use blue painter's tape on my wood prior to applying the pattern with spray adhesive. The purpose of doing this is so that the pattern comes off easily and also the adhesive in the tape helps keep the blade cool and prevents burning of many hard woods. It also helps prolong the life of your scroll saw blade.

I just tried this method recently when I was in New York for the woodworking show I attended there. Prior to that, I applied the pattern right to the wood, and then applied a layer of clear packaging tape over it to prevent burning. This also worked fine, but sometimes it was difficult to remove the paper pattern, as different types of spray adhesives react differently with different temperatures, wood types and several other factors. When not using the blue tape, you had to be far more careful about allowing the adhesive to 'rest' or tack up a bit before applying the pattern to the wood. Otherwise it would be difficult to remove when you were finished scroll sawing. On the other end of the scale, if you waited too long to apply it, it would not stick enough and the pattern would be falling off during scrolling, which was both aggravating and increased your chances of ruining your project. Using the blue tape underneath eliminates the guesswork and makes the process much easier.

Simply cover the piece of wood you are going to cut with an even layer of blue tape:

Rectangle Wood Electrical tape Electric blue Flooring


Use an empty box lid or other large, flat surface (I use a large pizza box) and spray the back of the pattern pieces with an even misting of spray adhesive.

Brown Hand Liquid Fluid Wood


Wait a few minutes until they begin to feel tacky and similar to the feel of masking tape before applying them to your wood. If you don't wait and they feel slippery, they may not stick well. If you wait too long and they don't adhere correctly, you can just wait a minute or so and then spray another coat and try again.

Azure Textile Gesture Rectangle Font


You can see what I did here on this piece was to line up the square with the square edge of the wood. Sometimes it is difficult to scroll a straight line and if you have a perfectly straight edge, it is kind of nice to get a head start and have one of them done for you already.

If you want to see a short video that I made last year of me spraying on the adhesive and gluing the pattern directly to the wood, you can watch the video below:



It is the same procedure as with using the blue tape, and it may give you a little better idea of how much spray you need to use.

That is all that I am going to cover in this segment. The next segment we will actually be cutting and we will learn good ways to cast on and cast off of our piece.

I will be using the #5 reverse tooth blades in cutting these pieces, but with these simple designs and depending on which wood you have, you may use something similar. Remember I said that there are a lot of 'right' ways to accomplish things in scroll sawing and we don't all have to use the exact same things. It is what is most comfortable to us.

I hope to post the next segment very shortly, but I want to be sure that everyone understands things up to this point. Please feel free to comment and ask questions if you have any and I will be happy to help you.

Thank you for reading!

As an extra note - please let me know if you have any trouble with downloading the pattern or any of the links. I am new to using Google Docs and I hope this method is going to be the easiest way to get you patterns. The size of the larger circle should be 3". Hopefully, after downloading it, the size will not be affected. Let me know if it is different please. :)
 

Attachments

#200 ·
Applying the Pattern for Scroll Sawing

I hope everyone was able to find the supplies that I suggested in the last part. If anyone had any trouble, please let me know, either through a personal message or on the comment section here and between myself and the others here, we should be able to help you.

We are now ready to apply our patterns to the wood in preparation for cutting. But first of all you need a pattern. I have made up a sheet of some simple shapes that you can use as a practice scroll saw pattern. Just click on the link here and it should bring you to the pattern:

Scroll Saw Training Pattern

It is located in my shared Google Documents folder.

Once you are on that page, you can download the page to your own computer as a PDF file and print as many copies as you need to use for practice.

For those of you who are not familiar with how to do that, please follow these steps:

-On the upper left corner of the page, right under the 'Google docs' logo, you will see the word 'file.' Click on it.

Product Rectangle Font Screenshot Technology


-The menu will drop down and you will see the choice 'Download Original'.

Product Font Rectangle Line Screenshot


-Click on it. You will then see a dialog box that comes up to ask you if you want to open or save the file. Choose to open the file with whatever PDF reader program you have on your computer. (Mine is Adobe Acrobat 8.1, as shown here)

Computer Rectangle Personal computer Font Line


When you click on 'OK', it should open in your PDF reader program. Then you can save it where you want on your computer and print it out as many times as needed. I would suggest that you make a new folder for all the class materials I will be providing throughout the lessons. That way they are all in one place if you need them.

Now we are ready to apply the pattern.

Cut the pieces apart and loosely place them on your wood.

Wood Font Pattern Circle Paper


For practice purposes, I am using a piece of pine that is about 5/8" thick and the piece on the right is some brown maple that is a bit shy of 1/2" thick. As I said in the previous lesson, in many patterns (except the ones that are assembled pieces, such as boxes and slotted ornaments) it really doesn't matter if your wood is exactly the size suggested. That is the nice thing with scroll sawing - it allows you to use lots of smaller odd pieces you may have around your shop.

I like to use blue painter's tape on my wood prior to applying the pattern with spray adhesive. The purpose of doing this is so that the pattern comes off easily and also the adhesive in the tape helps keep the blade cool and prevents burning of many hard woods. It also helps prolong the life of your scroll saw blade.

I just tried this method recently when I was in New York for the woodworking show I attended there. Prior to that, I applied the pattern right to the wood, and then applied a layer of clear packaging tape over it to prevent burning. This also worked fine, but sometimes it was difficult to remove the paper pattern, as different types of spray adhesives react differently with different temperatures, wood types and several other factors. When not using the blue tape, you had to be far more careful about allowing the adhesive to 'rest' or tack up a bit before applying the pattern to the wood. Otherwise it would be difficult to remove when you were finished scroll sawing. On the other end of the scale, if you waited too long to apply it, it would not stick enough and the pattern would be falling off during scrolling, which was both aggravating and increased your chances of ruining your project. Using the blue tape underneath eliminates the guesswork and makes the process much easier.

Simply cover the piece of wood you are going to cut with an even layer of blue tape:

Rectangle Wood Electrical tape Electric blue Flooring


Use an empty box lid or other large, flat surface (I use a large pizza box) and spray the back of the pattern pieces with an even misting of spray adhesive.

Brown Hand Liquid Fluid Wood


Wait a few minutes until they begin to feel tacky and similar to the feel of masking tape before applying them to your wood. If you don't wait and they feel slippery, they may not stick well. If you wait too long and they don't adhere correctly, you can just wait a minute or so and then spray another coat and try again.

Azure Textile Gesture Rectangle Font


You can see what I did here on this piece was to line up the square with the square edge of the wood. Sometimes it is difficult to scroll a straight line and if you have a perfectly straight edge, it is kind of nice to get a head start and have one of them done for you already.

If you want to see a short video that I made last year of me spraying on the adhesive and gluing the pattern directly to the wood, you can watch the video below:



It is the same procedure as with using the blue tape, and it may give you a little better idea of how much spray you need to use.

That is all that I am going to cover in this segment. The next segment we will actually be cutting and we will learn good ways to cast on and cast off of our piece.

I will be using the #5 reverse tooth blades in cutting these pieces, but with these simple designs and depending on which wood you have, you may use something similar. Remember I said that there are a lot of 'right' ways to accomplish things in scroll sawing and we don't all have to use the exact same things. It is what is most comfortable to us.

I hope to post the next segment very shortly, but I want to be sure that everyone understands things up to this point. Please feel free to comment and ask questions if you have any and I will be happy to help you.

Thank you for reading!

As an extra note - please let me know if you have any trouble with downloading the pattern or any of the links. I am new to using Google Docs and I hope this method is going to be the easiest way to get you patterns. The size of the larger circle should be 3". Hopefully, after downloading it, the size will not be affected. Let me know if it is different please. :)
Great idea with the blue tape, I will try that next time! I recently did my first scroll project and the pattern did start unsticking halfway through, especially on edge curves.
 

Attachments

#250 ·
Let the Scrolling Begin - Casting on and Casting Off

Now that everyone has their patterns applied to the wood, we are finally ready to turn on our saws and do some cutting.

Since the practice patterns that I have given you have no inside cuts, we are going to learn some practical ways to start and finish our cutting lines. I call this 'casting on' and 'casting off' the wood.

Most people - especially when starting out - just aim for the part of the design that is closest to the edge and start cutting. This isn't always the best option , as it sometimes leave little bumps or points where the blade meets up from where it went in.

Also, there are times when you dive in at a point that may be strong when you begin your cutting, but will be much weaker by the time you come around the line and try to cast off. This could result in a problem shaving off that little section that is left and possible cause damage to your piece. With a little thought and planning, this could be avoided and things can be much easier and look better on your scroll work.

Here is a picture of some of the pattern pieces with curved edges from our practice sheet:

Azure Textile Gesture Creative arts Font


I have mounted them on a 3/8" piece of maple for this practice exercise. You can use just about any wood you have extra in your shop. You will just need to adjust which blade you use accordingly.

To cut the pieces out, I chose a #3 Mach blade by Olson. The reason I chose this blade is because I want something that will cut through the maple easily, but also something that I will be able to control enough so that I will be able to follow the lines comfortably.

If I am using a blade that is too big, I will have too much friction from the blade and it will not only be difficult to maneuver it around the design, but it will also increase the chance of 'chatter' (where the blade grabs the piece of wood and it jumps from your hands and rattles up and down on the saw table.) If I use a blade that is too small, I will have difficulty following the line, as the blade will want to follow the grain of the wood and it will take more effort to push the wood through the saw.

Using the proper blade size will minimize these two things considerably.

You should be able to gently guide the piece through the saw, allowing it to do the work for you and it should not be something that you need to labor on.

If you don't have the same type or thickness of wood, or are using different blades, test them out on a scrap and see how they perform. Most times you could use a range of sizes to cut the same piece and it will still work out fine for you. It just depends on your personal preference that you will develop as you learn.

Once you choose the type of blade you are going to use, install it in your saw. Prior to installing the blade, I strongly recommend that you clean the ends of the blade in some mineral spirits so that you remove any oil or coating that the blades may have on them from packaging and shipping. Not all blades have this, but I found that many companies do put a coating of some sorts on them to prevent rust and this coating can cause blades to slip out of the blade holder when you are cutting. If this happens and you are not initially aware of it, it is possible that the coating can transfer to your blade holders on your saw and perpetuate the problem, even with blades that are clean. If this happens, it is necessary to also clean the blade holders of your saw in the same manner. I have found that many blade slipping problems can be solved by doing this, and it is better to start clean and stay clean by performing this simple step.

Simply Dip the end of the blade into some mineral spirits:

Food Ingredient Finger Cup Drinkware


I use a small plastic cubby with a sponge in the bottom to keep some mineral spirits handy by my saw. Then I use a clean paper towel to wipe the ends of the blade off completely:

Wood Nail Thumb Flooring Human leg


We are now ready to install the blade. Since everyone here has different saws, you need to get to know how to do so properly on your own saw.

Once the blade is installed, the next step is to set the proper tension. This can be one of the trickiest parts of using a scroll saw, and something that is best learned by practice and experience.

Many times I receive questions from people asking how to tell if they have the proper tension. While it is difficult to be exact without being there with you, there are some basic guidelines that you should follow that will help you out.

I feel that the tension should be set fairly tight. When you pluck the blade, you should hear a high pitched 'ping' and there should be little flex in the blade when you push your finger against it (the saw should be OFF!)

The best way to know if you have the proper tension is to do a test cut. If you are cutting and the blade is bowing and you have to use a lot of pressure, chances are the blade tension is too loose. A sharp blade that is the proper size should cut through the wood fairly easily without excessive pressure. You should also be able to follow a line fairly easily without the blade wandering and following the grain. If it does this and you feel that it is tensioned enough, you may need to increase the size of the blade you are using.

On the other hand, if you find that you are breaking blades prematurely when they are still sharp, that could be a sign that you are tensioning the saw too much. This would occur more frequently when you are using very small blades. If you notice this happening, try to back off the tension just a little bit and see how you do. If you try this and find that now you can't follow your line, again try going up another blade size.

I realize that blade sizes and amount of tension can be a very complicated issues. It is difficult to summarize everything and every case scenario in one lesson. My plan for the class here is for us to do several different cutting projects using many different techniques, types of wood, thicknesses and so forth so that we can gain a feel for what to use when we are choosing our own projects. In essence, I want to give you the basic building blocks of information you can apply to other circumstances in your own practical uses. I also encourage you to ask questions at the end of this lesson so we can discuss your concerns and help others in the process.

So on to cutting . . .

Let's start with the bear. I have drawn an arrow on the pattern piece which points to a suggested entry point if I were cutting this piece out.

Textile Grey Slope Twig Creative arts


Many times I have seen new scrollers start to cut a piece like this by going straight to the nose of the bear since it is the closest part of the piece to the edge of the board. I don't recommend doing this for two reasons:

-In general, I don't recommend beginning a cut on an outside curve.

-It doesn't give you a chance to get a 'feel' for what you are cutting and make minor adjustments before you get to the cutting line.

Let's discuss my reasons for these suggestions. We'll start with the first reason - not beginning the cut on an outside curve.

When you scroll saw, the place that you start and stop your cut can sometimes leave a small bump where the blade enters the wood and ultimately exits. This is especially true when you are starting out in scroll sawing and are still learning to control the blade. But it is common, and happens to many of us who have scrolled a long time, too. You can see what I mean by the picture below:

Finger Wood Top Thumb Circle


This occurs because the blade doesn't meet up exactly at the point where it enters on your line. With a bit of practice, you usually can keep this little bump to a minimum, but many times to some extent there is a small mark.

Now on pieces such as this oval, we have no choice but to cast on to an outer curve. The entire piece is rounded and there is no other option. It is nothing to worry about, and we can easily sand the edge to minimize the spot or eliminate it altogether.

But for many pieces, we have other options. For example, if we would have chosen to cast on at the nose of the bear, sanding that bump could become a bit of a problem. If the nose were on the grain of the wood in a certain direction, we would take the chance of losing a little piece while sanding, or having it shaped funny. Also, by casting on to pieces at the outside curves, you may find the pieces will be weakened at the end of the cut, such as when you are cutting scrolls and curls.

So for now, I am suggesting that you cast on to your piece on an inside curve or corner. This way if there is a discrepancy between where the blade enters and exits, it is well hidden in a curve or corner of the piece and not as obvious.

The second reason that I like to begin deeper into the piece and a bit away from the edge of the wood is that it gives you a little time to get the 'feel' of what you are doing. By cutting through the wood for an inch or two, you can make fine adjustments to things like tension and speed and find your comfort zone while you are still in the waste area of a piece and before you start the actual cutting.

You may feel the blade pulling to one side or another and decide that you need a bit more tension. You may also have to push a bit too hard to get through the wood and decide to change the blade to a new one or even a size larger. These few seconds can mean a lot to you and allow you to feel comfortable with what you are doing before you even begin to cut your piece. You can save yourself many headaches this way and feel confident that once you are cutting, you have everything set correctly.

So now we begin to cut the bear. First you follow in the waste area and aim for the entry point :

Gesture Finger Creative arts Thumb Electric blue


You will notice that your saw will cut slightly to the right and not exactly straight ahead. Due to the characteristics of blades and the way they are made, this is typical and expected. We will talk about that more in a subsequent lesson when we are looking at cutting straight lines.

It is important to relax and go at a nice, even pace. Make sure that your shoulders are relaxed and that your elbows are down and you are not tense.

Gently guide the piece through the saw. Let the saw do the work. You aren't in a race and don't need to speed through things. The most important thing is control. Use your fingertips to gently hold down and guide the piece through the blade.

Since you are aiming for the cutting line on the neck of the bear, start to back off your forward pressure and momentum approximately 1/4" from the line. That way you won't over cut too far and go into the piece. Remember even a correctly tensioned blade is slightly flexed toward the back as you are pushing forward, and slowing down allows it to relax into a perpendicular position again. The illustrations below show this.

First this is an illustration of the how the blade is flexing to the back while you are pushing the piece forward:

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Circle


And then when you stop pushing forward, it allows the blade to come to a perpendicular position:

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Triangle


This is when you should pivot and turn your piece.

Finger Wood Creative arts Circle Thumb


Once you made your 90 degree turn, you are ready to cut along your piece. Use your fingertips to gently guide the piece through the blade. Remember to let the blade do the work for you and you are in essence 'steering' the piece through.

Slow down at the sharp curves and allow the piece to pivot left or right before you continue your forward motion.

If you go off of the line, gently and gradually work back toward it. With most pieces, this slight variance won't even be noticed, and as you get better, it will be easier to stay on the line more and more.

When you come around to your starting point, aim as closely as you can to the point where you began cutting on the piece. If there is a slight bump where you didn't quite meet up, it will be barely noticeable in the corner:

Finger Wood Creative arts Art Nail


When you finished cutting, just peel off your pattern. Name your little bear (I am going to call my bear 'Byron'!) and be really proud of yourself! You learned a lot cutting this little bear. Practice some more and cut an entire bear family! Hopefully it will be the beginning of some great new projects and a lot of fun for you!

Textile Wood Fawn Art Working animal


I think we are going to stop here for today's lesson. As I compiled this information for you, I understand that it is a lot to learn. The beginning lessons will be like this - short and focused, yet full of information. There is so much that you should know at the beginning that I feel if I go much faster, I will overload you with things and you will be frustrated. As we learn our basic steps, we will be moving forward a bit more quickly and doing more specialized techniques. But in the beginning, I don't want to miss anything important so I am trying to go at a pace that everyone can handle.

I made a short video which shows me cutting the bear out. I am not the best at doing videos, but I think it is watchable and will get the point across. (I'll never be a 'Steve' though!) I hope this helps you understand things a bit better.



At the end my pattern kind of came off a little. Those things do happen and it was possible to finish cutting anyway. Part of that could be that I am still not used to using the spray adhesive over the blue tape, where I could afford to spray it on a bit heavier. I am sure I will get used to it the more I do it.

Please feel free to ask questions about things you may not understand. I will answer them as fully as I can and I am sure that others here will help out too. I welcome all of your thoughts and input and hope you enjoyed this lesson.
 

Attachments

#251 ·
Let the Scrolling Begin - Casting on and Casting Off

Now that everyone has their patterns applied to the wood, we are finally ready to turn on our saws and do some cutting.

Since the practice patterns that I have given you have no inside cuts, we are going to learn some practical ways to start and finish our cutting lines. I call this 'casting on' and 'casting off' the wood.

Most people - especially when starting out - just aim for the part of the design that is closest to the edge and start cutting. This isn't always the best option , as it sometimes leave little bumps or points where the blade meets up from where it went in.

Also, there are times when you dive in at a point that may be strong when you begin your cutting, but will be much weaker by the time you come around the line and try to cast off. This could result in a problem shaving off that little section that is left and possible cause damage to your piece. With a little thought and planning, this could be avoided and things can be much easier and look better on your scroll work.

Here is a picture of some of the pattern pieces with curved edges from our practice sheet:

Azure Textile Gesture Creative arts Font


I have mounted them on a 3/8" piece of maple for this practice exercise. You can use just about any wood you have extra in your shop. You will just need to adjust which blade you use accordingly.

To cut the pieces out, I chose a #3 Mach blade by Olson. The reason I chose this blade is because I want something that will cut through the maple easily, but also something that I will be able to control enough so that I will be able to follow the lines comfortably.

If I am using a blade that is too big, I will have too much friction from the blade and it will not only be difficult to maneuver it around the design, but it will also increase the chance of 'chatter' (where the blade grabs the piece of wood and it jumps from your hands and rattles up and down on the saw table.) If I use a blade that is too small, I will have difficulty following the line, as the blade will want to follow the grain of the wood and it will take more effort to push the wood through the saw.

Using the proper blade size will minimize these two things considerably.

You should be able to gently guide the piece through the saw, allowing it to do the work for you and it should not be something that you need to labor on.

If you don't have the same type or thickness of wood, or are using different blades, test them out on a scrap and see how they perform. Most times you could use a range of sizes to cut the same piece and it will still work out fine for you. It just depends on your personal preference that you will develop as you learn.

Once you choose the type of blade you are going to use, install it in your saw. Prior to installing the blade, I strongly recommend that you clean the ends of the blade in some mineral spirits so that you remove any oil or coating that the blades may have on them from packaging and shipping. Not all blades have this, but I found that many companies do put a coating of some sorts on them to prevent rust and this coating can cause blades to slip out of the blade holder when you are cutting. If this happens and you are not initially aware of it, it is possible that the coating can transfer to your blade holders on your saw and perpetuate the problem, even with blades that are clean. If this happens, it is necessary to also clean the blade holders of your saw in the same manner. I have found that many blade slipping problems can be solved by doing this, and it is better to start clean and stay clean by performing this simple step.

Simply Dip the end of the blade into some mineral spirits:

Food Ingredient Finger Cup Drinkware


I use a small plastic cubby with a sponge in the bottom to keep some mineral spirits handy by my saw. Then I use a clean paper towel to wipe the ends of the blade off completely:

Wood Nail Thumb Flooring Human leg


We are now ready to install the blade. Since everyone here has different saws, you need to get to know how to do so properly on your own saw.

Once the blade is installed, the next step is to set the proper tension. This can be one of the trickiest parts of using a scroll saw, and something that is best learned by practice and experience.

Many times I receive questions from people asking how to tell if they have the proper tension. While it is difficult to be exact without being there with you, there are some basic guidelines that you should follow that will help you out.

I feel that the tension should be set fairly tight. When you pluck the blade, you should hear a high pitched 'ping' and there should be little flex in the blade when you push your finger against it (the saw should be OFF!)

The best way to know if you have the proper tension is to do a test cut. If you are cutting and the blade is bowing and you have to use a lot of pressure, chances are the blade tension is too loose. A sharp blade that is the proper size should cut through the wood fairly easily without excessive pressure. You should also be able to follow a line fairly easily without the blade wandering and following the grain. If it does this and you feel that it is tensioned enough, you may need to increase the size of the blade you are using.

On the other hand, if you find that you are breaking blades prematurely when they are still sharp, that could be a sign that you are tensioning the saw too much. This would occur more frequently when you are using very small blades. If you notice this happening, try to back off the tension just a little bit and see how you do. If you try this and find that now you can't follow your line, again try going up another blade size.

I realize that blade sizes and amount of tension can be a very complicated issues. It is difficult to summarize everything and every case scenario in one lesson. My plan for the class here is for us to do several different cutting projects using many different techniques, types of wood, thicknesses and so forth so that we can gain a feel for what to use when we are choosing our own projects. In essence, I want to give you the basic building blocks of information you can apply to other circumstances in your own practical uses. I also encourage you to ask questions at the end of this lesson so we can discuss your concerns and help others in the process.

So on to cutting . . .

Let's start with the bear. I have drawn an arrow on the pattern piece which points to a suggested entry point if I were cutting this piece out.

Textile Grey Slope Twig Creative arts


Many times I have seen new scrollers start to cut a piece like this by going straight to the nose of the bear since it is the closest part of the piece to the edge of the board. I don't recommend doing this for two reasons:

-In general, I don't recommend beginning a cut on an outside curve.

-It doesn't give you a chance to get a 'feel' for what you are cutting and make minor adjustments before you get to the cutting line.

Let's discuss my reasons for these suggestions. We'll start with the first reason - not beginning the cut on an outside curve.

When you scroll saw, the place that you start and stop your cut can sometimes leave a small bump where the blade enters the wood and ultimately exits. This is especially true when you are starting out in scroll sawing and are still learning to control the blade. But it is common, and happens to many of us who have scrolled a long time, too. You can see what I mean by the picture below:

Finger Wood Top Thumb Circle


This occurs because the blade doesn't meet up exactly at the point where it enters on your line. With a bit of practice, you usually can keep this little bump to a minimum, but many times to some extent there is a small mark.

Now on pieces such as this oval, we have no choice but to cast on to an outer curve. The entire piece is rounded and there is no other option. It is nothing to worry about, and we can easily sand the edge to minimize the spot or eliminate it altogether.

But for many pieces, we have other options. For example, if we would have chosen to cast on at the nose of the bear, sanding that bump could become a bit of a problem. If the nose were on the grain of the wood in a certain direction, we would take the chance of losing a little piece while sanding, or having it shaped funny. Also, by casting on to pieces at the outside curves, you may find the pieces will be weakened at the end of the cut, such as when you are cutting scrolls and curls.

So for now, I am suggesting that you cast on to your piece on an inside curve or corner. This way if there is a discrepancy between where the blade enters and exits, it is well hidden in a curve or corner of the piece and not as obvious.

The second reason that I like to begin deeper into the piece and a bit away from the edge of the wood is that it gives you a little time to get the 'feel' of what you are doing. By cutting through the wood for an inch or two, you can make fine adjustments to things like tension and speed and find your comfort zone while you are still in the waste area of a piece and before you start the actual cutting.

You may feel the blade pulling to one side or another and decide that you need a bit more tension. You may also have to push a bit too hard to get through the wood and decide to change the blade to a new one or even a size larger. These few seconds can mean a lot to you and allow you to feel comfortable with what you are doing before you even begin to cut your piece. You can save yourself many headaches this way and feel confident that once you are cutting, you have everything set correctly.

So now we begin to cut the bear. First you follow in the waste area and aim for the entry point :

Gesture Finger Creative arts Thumb Electric blue


You will notice that your saw will cut slightly to the right and not exactly straight ahead. Due to the characteristics of blades and the way they are made, this is typical and expected. We will talk about that more in a subsequent lesson when we are looking at cutting straight lines.

It is important to relax and go at a nice, even pace. Make sure that your shoulders are relaxed and that your elbows are down and you are not tense.

Gently guide the piece through the saw. Let the saw do the work. You aren't in a race and don't need to speed through things. The most important thing is control. Use your fingertips to gently hold down and guide the piece through the blade.

Since you are aiming for the cutting line on the neck of the bear, start to back off your forward pressure and momentum approximately 1/4" from the line. That way you won't over cut too far and go into the piece. Remember even a correctly tensioned blade is slightly flexed toward the back as you are pushing forward, and slowing down allows it to relax into a perpendicular position again. The illustrations below show this.

First this is an illustration of the how the blade is flexing to the back while you are pushing the piece forward:

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Circle


And then when you stop pushing forward, it allows the blade to come to a perpendicular position:

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Triangle


This is when you should pivot and turn your piece.

Finger Wood Creative arts Circle Thumb


Once you made your 90 degree turn, you are ready to cut along your piece. Use your fingertips to gently guide the piece through the blade. Remember to let the blade do the work for you and you are in essence 'steering' the piece through.

Slow down at the sharp curves and allow the piece to pivot left or right before you continue your forward motion.

If you go off of the line, gently and gradually work back toward it. With most pieces, this slight variance won't even be noticed, and as you get better, it will be easier to stay on the line more and more.

When you come around to your starting point, aim as closely as you can to the point where you began cutting on the piece. If there is a slight bump where you didn't quite meet up, it will be barely noticeable in the corner:

Finger Wood Creative arts Art Nail


When you finished cutting, just peel off your pattern. Name your little bear (I am going to call my bear 'Byron'!) and be really proud of yourself! You learned a lot cutting this little bear. Practice some more and cut an entire bear family! Hopefully it will be the beginning of some great new projects and a lot of fun for you!

Textile Wood Fawn Art Working animal


I think we are going to stop here for today's lesson. As I compiled this information for you, I understand that it is a lot to learn. The beginning lessons will be like this - short and focused, yet full of information. There is so much that you should know at the beginning that I feel if I go much faster, I will overload you with things and you will be frustrated. As we learn our basic steps, we will be moving forward a bit more quickly and doing more specialized techniques. But in the beginning, I don't want to miss anything important so I am trying to go at a pace that everyone can handle.

I made a short video which shows me cutting the bear out. I am not the best at doing videos, but I think it is watchable and will get the point across. (I'll never be a 'Steve' though!) I hope this helps you understand things a bit better.



At the end my pattern kind of came off a little. Those things do happen and it was possible to finish cutting anyway. Part of that could be that I am still not used to using the spray adhesive over the blue tape, where I could afford to spray it on a bit heavier. I am sure I will get used to it the more I do it.

Please feel free to ask questions about things you may not understand. I will answer them as fully as I can and I am sure that others here will help out too. I welcome all of your thoughts and input and hope you enjoyed this lesson.
Very well explained and demonstrated Sheila!!
Scroll sawing is a curious mix of a firm hand, with a light touch… if that makes any sense…
Guiding, rather than pushing the wood…

I'm afraid I didn't do my homework today Miss Landry…
The scroll Saw was in use for something else… :)
 

Attachments

#320 ·
Cutting Outside Curves

Now that we have had a chance to practice casting on and off, we are going to practice a bit more on cutting outside curves.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


Cutting curves is probably one of the easiest things to do on a scroll saw. Most designs consist mainly of curved lines, with occasional straight runs from time to time. Once you get used to cutting curves and turning corners accurately, you are well on your way to being a great scroller.

One thing that is important to remember is that the blade is stationary and you are going to be moving your pieces through and around it. Unlike other types of tools like a circular saw or a router, where you actually move the tool over your piece, you will be doing the opposite when using your scroll saw by turning, pivoting and guiding your piece through the blade. I know that may seem obvious when you first read this, but it is important to tune your mind into that way of thinking and it will make scrolling much easier for you to accomplish.

Because of this way of thinking, the more control you have over moving your piece through the blade, the more accurate your cutting will be. This is something that is not always easy at first for some people, but with a little time and patience will become almost second nature. In order to show you some of the little tips I have learned over the years, Let's begin cutting a shape.

Let's start with the simple 's' shape that I provided in the practice patterns in Lesson #2. This piece, although simple, has both left and right turns for you to practice on.

Begin by casting on from the right side, aiming for the mark that I indicated as a starting point on the pattern. Remember to use the time you are moving from the edge to the point of beginning the design as a time to make any necessary adjustments to your saw such as speed and to get a feel for they type of wood you are doing. Also remember to slow down a bit before you get to the line, so you give time for the blade to relax and get ready to turn. This will soon come naturally to you and you won't have to even think about it anymore.

Turn the piece in a counter-clockwise direction and begin to cut out your shape and follow the line. I have had several inquiries regarding whether I cut 'inside the line' or 'outside the line' and although that I know of several scroller that use one of these methods, I prefer to cut directly ON the line and follow it as close as possible.

While you are cutting, remember to keep your elbows down and your arms relaxed. Have your saw going at a comfortable pace - not too aggressive at first so you can become accustom to moving through the wood. You will have plenty of time to speed up later on if you wish as you are more comfortable with what you are doing. Keep your wrists relaxed, too and use your fingertips to gently guide the wood through the saw. Continue using gentle and even pressure around the slight curve until you are coming up to point 'A' in the diagram.

As you approach point 'A', you are going to begin to apply slightly more pressure with your left hand to make a pivot point and use your right hand to gently guide the wood around that pivot point, causing your wood to turn to the left. Since this is a wide curve, the action is subtle and does not need to be over done. Use a slight shift in the weight of your hands and the movements will come to you naturally, like turning the wheel of a car. As you approach point 'B', redistribute the weight of your hands so that it is again almost equal by the time you are at point 'B'. This will all occur very quickly, but will also begin to come to you naturally as you practice. (I have indicated when most of the pivoting will occur by using a dotted line)

Font Circle Handwriting Symbol Number


Continue around the figure, once again leveling off your pressure as you work around the curved area from point 'B' to point 'C'.

Font Circle Symbol Number Drawing


Once you begin to approach point 'C', again begin to place slightly heavier pressure on your left, or pivoting hand and begin turning the piece counter-clockwise with your right hand. This time we are doing a full curve, so you will want to turn in steps, carefully lifting and replacing your right hand further toward the bottom of the piece so that you can guide it through the blade. For the most part, during this turn your left hand will remain in place, holding the piece down as you are turning. (Again, the place where you will be pivoting most is indicated by the dotted line)

Font Handwriting Circle Symbol Number


As you pass point 'D', you will again begin to relax both hands and equalize the pressure you are using from both hand to continue to guide your piece through the blade. Continue to cut until you approach point 'E'.

Font Circle Parallel Slope Handwriting


As you get close to point 'E', this time you will once again begin to put a little more pressure on your left hand, but this time you will begin turning the wood in a clockwise direction, following the line to point 'F' where you once again equalize the pressure between your two hands. (Pivoting most where the dotted lines indicate, between points 'E' and 'F')

Font Circle Parallel Slope Line art


Continue around the piece until you approach your entry point. You will continually be adjusting the pressure of both hands and steering the piece through the blade. As you get close to your entry point, slow down and aim for the point where you started your cutting on the line. Allow the saw to do the work and guide the piece so the blade meets up with the entry spot as seamlessly as possible.

I have a short video which shows me cutting the piece out. I apologize for it being slightly dark, as I was experimenting to see if you would be able to see the lines better without my bright light. Problem was that I also was not able to see as well as usual to stay on the line! :) I may try to reshoot tomorrow, but I am not sure if it is necessary or not. Let me know if you get a chance what you think. I think that it gets all the points that I wanted to across so I left it as is.



I suggest you practice on some of your shapes that I provided for you on the training pattern in Lesson 2. The rounded shape such as the circles, ovals and stars will help you get a good feel for the blade and saw in general. I am going to stop here, and next time we will be learning about outside soft corners and hard corners. Remember if you have any questions or comments I will be keeping watch so that I can help you quickly. I am sure that others here will have some thoughts to share too.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying things so far.
 

Attachments

#321 ·
Cutting Outside Curves

Now that we have had a chance to practice casting on and off, we are going to practice a bit more on cutting outside curves.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


Cutting curves is probably one of the easiest things to do on a scroll saw. Most designs consist mainly of curved lines, with occasional straight runs from time to time. Once you get used to cutting curves and turning corners accurately, you are well on your way to being a great scroller.

One thing that is important to remember is that the blade is stationary and you are going to be moving your pieces through and around it. Unlike other types of tools like a circular saw or a router, where you actually move the tool over your piece, you will be doing the opposite when using your scroll saw by turning, pivoting and guiding your piece through the blade. I know that may seem obvious when you first read this, but it is important to tune your mind into that way of thinking and it will make scrolling much easier for you to accomplish.

Because of this way of thinking, the more control you have over moving your piece through the blade, the more accurate your cutting will be. This is something that is not always easy at first for some people, but with a little time and patience will become almost second nature. In order to show you some of the little tips I have learned over the years, Let's begin cutting a shape.

Let's start with the simple 's' shape that I provided in the practice patterns in Lesson #2. This piece, although simple, has both left and right turns for you to practice on.

Begin by casting on from the right side, aiming for the mark that I indicated as a starting point on the pattern. Remember to use the time you are moving from the edge to the point of beginning the design as a time to make any necessary adjustments to your saw such as speed and to get a feel for they type of wood you are doing. Also remember to slow down a bit before you get to the line, so you give time for the blade to relax and get ready to turn. This will soon come naturally to you and you won't have to even think about it anymore.

Turn the piece in a counter-clockwise direction and begin to cut out your shape and follow the line. I have had several inquiries regarding whether I cut 'inside the line' or 'outside the line' and although that I know of several scroller that use one of these methods, I prefer to cut directly ON the line and follow it as close as possible.

While you are cutting, remember to keep your elbows down and your arms relaxed. Have your saw going at a comfortable pace - not too aggressive at first so you can become accustom to moving through the wood. You will have plenty of time to speed up later on if you wish as you are more comfortable with what you are doing. Keep your wrists relaxed, too and use your fingertips to gently guide the wood through the saw. Continue using gentle and even pressure around the slight curve until you are coming up to point 'A' in the diagram.

As you approach point 'A', you are going to begin to apply slightly more pressure with your left hand to make a pivot point and use your right hand to gently guide the wood around that pivot point, causing your wood to turn to the left. Since this is a wide curve, the action is subtle and does not need to be over done. Use a slight shift in the weight of your hands and the movements will come to you naturally, like turning the wheel of a car. As you approach point 'B', redistribute the weight of your hands so that it is again almost equal by the time you are at point 'B'. This will all occur very quickly, but will also begin to come to you naturally as you practice. (I have indicated when most of the pivoting will occur by using a dotted line)

Font Circle Handwriting Symbol Number


Continue around the figure, once again leveling off your pressure as you work around the curved area from point 'B' to point 'C'.

Font Circle Symbol Number Drawing


Once you begin to approach point 'C', again begin to place slightly heavier pressure on your left, or pivoting hand and begin turning the piece counter-clockwise with your right hand. This time we are doing a full curve, so you will want to turn in steps, carefully lifting and replacing your right hand further toward the bottom of the piece so that you can guide it through the blade. For the most part, during this turn your left hand will remain in place, holding the piece down as you are turning. (Again, the place where you will be pivoting most is indicated by the dotted line)

Font Handwriting Circle Symbol Number


As you pass point 'D', you will again begin to relax both hands and equalize the pressure you are using from both hand to continue to guide your piece through the blade. Continue to cut until you approach point 'E'.

Font Circle Parallel Slope Handwriting


As you get close to point 'E', this time you will once again begin to put a little more pressure on your left hand, but this time you will begin turning the wood in a clockwise direction, following the line to point 'F' where you once again equalize the pressure between your two hands. (Pivoting most where the dotted lines indicate, between points 'E' and 'F')

Font Circle Parallel Slope Line art


Continue around the piece until you approach your entry point. You will continually be adjusting the pressure of both hands and steering the piece through the blade. As you get close to your entry point, slow down and aim for the point where you started your cutting on the line. Allow the saw to do the work and guide the piece so the blade meets up with the entry spot as seamlessly as possible.

I have a short video which shows me cutting the piece out. I apologize for it being slightly dark, as I was experimenting to see if you would be able to see the lines better without my bright light. Problem was that I also was not able to see as well as usual to stay on the line! :) I may try to reshoot tomorrow, but I am not sure if it is necessary or not. Let me know if you get a chance what you think. I think that it gets all the points that I wanted to across so I left it as is.



I suggest you practice on some of your shapes that I provided for you on the training pattern in Lesson 2. The rounded shape such as the circles, ovals and stars will help you get a good feel for the blade and saw in general. I am going to stop here, and next time we will be learning about outside soft corners and hard corners. Remember if you have any questions or comments I will be keeping watch so that I can help you quickly. I am sure that others here will have some thoughts to share too.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying things so far.
Great lesson.
You mentioned practice.
I am a seasoned scroll sawyer. Yet, when I haven't been at my saw in a while, I still sometimes do a practice piece to "get my scrolling groove back".
I'll take a scrap piece of wood. I'll draw circles, squiggles, zigzags, just whatever on it, and cut it. This is a great way to get anyone, beginner or experienced, to practice. Practice makes anything better.
 

Attachments

#344 ·
Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

Felidae Gesture Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Finger Line Wood Office supplies Creative arts


Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

Rectangle Gesture Creative arts Art Font


If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Handwriting Office equipment Wood Rectangle Font


Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Wood Art Creative arts Finger Rectangle


Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Wood Gesture Finger Creative arts Art


Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Hand Jigsaw puzzle Gesture Finger Art


Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Hand Finger Gesture Thumb Nail


Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

Hand Finger Wood Gesture Thumb


I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.



Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.



I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.
 

Attachments

#345 ·
Cutting Sharp (Acute) Outside Corners

By now most of you should have a bit of a feel for cutting some nice outside curves on the scroll saw. As we know however, most designs also consist of some nice sharp angles. Making accurate corners can be a bit of a challenge when you are new to scroll sawing, but with a few quick tips and a little bit of practice, you will find it is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Before long you will be scrolling those angles with little effort or thought.

Felidae Gesture Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


In order for me to show you some ideas I have on scroll sawing outside corners, I drew up a practice pattern by using and modifying part of the design from my Gothic Bats Candle Tray and Charms Set.

Since the bats in this design have many pointed areas, I thought they would be perfect for you to practice this technique on. I am also going to demonstrate how you can drill holes in the tops of them for hanging as ornaments or a garland. This technique can be used on many other types of projects and shapes and is very simple to do.

I have given you a couple of sizes of bats to practice on, so that you can try them with different thicknesses of wood and different blade sizes and it will give you a feel for this technique. You can download the pattern here at my Google Docs and print it out for yourself. Use the patterns for any personal use you wish. You can even cut out several for your kids to paint and play with.

Let's start with applying the pattern. Below is a quick review.

Start by applying some blue painter's tape to your piece of wood. For my sample piece, I used a piece of poplar that was just over 5/8" thick. (You may find it a little easier to use a piece of wood that is slightly thinner, like 3/8" - 1/2" when you are starting out.) You are going to line up the bottom dotted lines of the bat pattern on the straight or milled edge of your wood if you are planning on drilling a hole in the top o the bat to hang.

Finger Line Wood Office supplies Creative arts


Next apply temporary adhesive to the backs of the patterns pieces. Wait a couple of seconds until they are sticky and apply them to the wood, right over the top of the blue tape.

Rectangle Gesture Creative arts Art Font


If you plan to drill a hole in the top of the bat, now is the time to do so. First, mark the center of the piece of wood with a pencil:

Handwriting Office equipment Wood Rectangle Font


Then place the piece on your drill press and line up the bit with the vertical dotted line.

Wood Art Creative arts Finger Rectangle


Drill the hole into the center of the piece at the depth you desire. You can drill just a quarter inch or so deep so that you can attach a hanger, or you can drill all the way through to the bottom to create a garland. As long as you have flat edges at the top and the bottom, it is a fairly easy procedure to do.

For our purposes here, I used an 1/8" drill bit. That way I could knot ribbon or yarn and put a drop of glue in the hole and push the knot in to secure it to hang my bats. However, you may want to drill all the way through to the bottom so you can string several bats together. By doing this step before you scroll your piece out, you will greatly minimize the chance of breaking the bottom of the bat or tearing it out with the drill bit.

You are now ready to start cutting. For this piece, I used a #2 blade. I chose to start on the end point of the bat's wing. That way when I come to the end, I can come out of the piece right at the tip of the point and not leave a mark like when we had only smooth edges to deal with. Begin cutting from the tip of the wing, going along the bottom edge. (I am working in a clockwise direction again. It is my personal preference to cut in this direction. You can cut either clockwise or counter clockwise - whichever is more comfortable to you)

Wood Gesture Finger Creative arts Art


Continue cutting until you reach the end of the first section:

Hand Jigsaw puzzle Gesture Finger Art


Instead of turning to follow the line, begin turning the piece towards the waste area as you reach the tip of the wing, cutting very slightly into the waste area. This will be a pivot more than a cut. Once you begin pivoting the piece, very slightly lean the piece towards you so that the back of the blade is touching the wood, not the front cutting edge.

Hand Finger Gesture Thumb Nail


Turn the piece completely around so that you have tiny pocket in the waste area so that you can realign the blade to the line. Continue to cut along the line.

Hand Finger Wood Gesture Thumb


I have a short video here which will hopefully better illustrate this process. At the end of the video, when I was demonstrating the direction of the turn on the bat's ear, I said in error to turn in a clockwise direction. I meant in a counter clockwise direction, or toward the waste area. I think that an easier way to remember is to always turn towards the waste area when cutting points and outside corners like this. It is much easier than figuring clockwise and counter clockwise while you are cutting.

Below is the first video which illustrates the process.



Now I will show you a video of the actual cutting. When you are practicing, I would suggest that you choose a larger piece of wood so that you have a bit more to hold on to. Although you need to follow the dotted lines at the top and the bottom of the bat if you are drilling, you can cut it on a wider piece and it will give you more waste area to hold and feel more comfortable for you.

You may also wish to use a thinner piece of wood to start out. I used a 5/8" piece of wood, but you may want to try 1/2". I also used poplar, which is a softer wood and I would suggest something like that or basswood to begin with. Something with an even grain works best. Of course you can use maple or other harder woods, but I would suggest you keep your pieces to about 3/8" or so until you are more comfortable.



I hope these help you understand how I do sharp outside corners. Please feel free to ask me questions here on the forum. Chances are if you have questions, others may also be wondering the same thing. Maybe try a couple of practice pieces and then let me know what you think. I hope that I explained everything in a manner that you all can understand. I will be happy to clarify anything that I missed.

Remember too that it may take a little time to become comfortable with these techniques. I didn't learn them over night and I don't expect you will either. The main thing is to relax and have fun with them and pretty soon you won't even have to think about what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something too. Thanks for reading.
Great blog.
Although I have a scrollsaw, I only used it very few times. Totally inexperienced.
I dread sharp corners.
your videos shed some lights. No excuse not to practice now.

Thanks!
 

Attachments

#383 ·
Cutting Inside Corners and Angles

So far we have looked at how to prepare our wood, choose a blade, cast on and off a piece and cut outside curves and corners. Now it is time we do some inside cutting.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Grey Small to medium-sized cats


Most people associate scroll sawing with cutting fretwork. At first many people don't understand that in order to cut fretwork pieces, you need to drill entry holes in the 'waste area' (or the part of the pattern that drops away when you finish your cut) and thread the blade through that drilled hole to cut out the inside piece. This is why it is so important to many scroll sawyers to have a scroll saw that uses pinless blades, or blades that have flat ends and attach to the scroll saw by a chuck or a screw squeezing the blade tight to hold it in place while you are cutting.

Many older and industrial saws used pin ended blades. . These are blades have a small pin going through the end of them and look kind of like a 't'.

Rectangle Font Metal Office supplies Auto part


The end of the blade rests in some sort of channel on the end of the arm of the scroll saw and the tension is then tightened to hold the blade in place. While this is an effective way to hold the blade in the saw, it is not always the most practical when doing decorative and delicate scroll saw work.

The pins at the end of the blades mean that in order to thread the blade through the wood, you would need a much wider entry hole in order to do so. This may be acceptable if you are doing larger pieces, such as fretwork brackets for shelves and trim work, but if you are doing smaller items such as ornaments and other delicate work, you will find that having to use pin ended blades will severely limit the scope of the work you can do. It is for that reason that I highly recommend using a saw that uses pinless blades. Most of the newer saws on the market today fall into this category.

I often am asked questions as to where to drill the entry holes in a project. While you can certainly drill them anywhere convenient in the waste area, there are usually some better choices that will minimize the time and effort in making a piece.

When I have a piece with lots of sharp corners, I like to start cutting fairly close a corner. For the same reasons that we started in a corner when doing an outside cut, I feel that it is also best to do so when making an inside cut. The place where we enter and exit our cuts sometimes makes a small bump, and I feel that by starting in an inconspicuous area near a corner, even if there is a small ridge where we enter and exit, it will be very difficult if not impossible to see.

For this lesson, I have prepared a practice pattern that has lots of sharp inside cuts. You can download the pattern at my Google Documents file here:

Lesson 7 Practice Sheet

This is part of a pattern for a self-framing plaque that I designed. It is a pattern that I sell on my site, but I enlarged it a bit so that it would be a little easier for you to practice on. For this lesson, we are only going to work on the frame of the project so I only included that part on the pattern. Next time we will be working on the inside cuts and I will have that part of the pattern for you to download. (You will need to come back for that!)

Begin by preparing the piece as I showed you in previous lessons, with blue painter's tape and then applying the pattern. (Or use your own favorite method) Cut around the perimeter of the piece so that it is a comfortable size to work with. Place a small drill bit in your drill press and drill out the holes in the waste are of the design. From the picture below you can see that I marked some suggested starting places you can drill.

Head Human body Automotive design Gesture Font


Of course they don't have to be exactly where I indicated - any thing close will do.

Drill using the smallest bit that will fit your blade through it comfortably. By 'comfortably' I mean that you shouldn't have to struggle to push your blade through the hole, as this could result in bending the blade - especially if you are using a small blade. But you want to keep the entry hole as small as you can. When you are finished drilling the holes, be sure to sand the back of the plaque with some sand paper. Otherwise the bumps from the back of the drill holes will interfere with allowing your piece to sit flat on the scroll saw table.

After drilling and sanding, we are now ready to cut.

For my own piece here, I am using 1/2" (Maple) and a size 2-reverse tooth scroll saw blade. You can use anything similar and get the same results.

Begin by cutting toward the nearest sharp corner. Aim for the pointiest part of the corner. Remember to let up the pressure as you approach it so you don't overshoot the cut. This is a common mistake that beginners make. (you can go back and review lesson #4 HERE if you want to refresh yourself about not putting too much pressure on the blade and getting not over cutting.) When you reach the end of the point - STOP:

Slope Font Symmetry Pattern Parallel


Back up the saw blade slightly (perhaps a quarter of an inch or so) WITHOUT TURNING IT - simply pull the piece slightly back through the saw:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Pattern


Now cut forward again toward the line, only this time go slightly to the LEFT of the line your just cut. Again you are going to stop as you get to your line:

Human body Slope Font Parallel Symmetry


When you are at the line, you should pivot your piece so that you can cut back to meet the tip of the point.

Slope Font Parallel Plot Symmetry


At this point, the little triangular piece should fall out (as indicated by the grey area in the illustration):

Slope Font Parallel Circle Diagram


You are then going to turn your piece so that you will be cutting in a clockwise direction and following the line to the next corner. When you get to the next corner, stop again:

Slope Parallel Font Symmetry Pattern


You will then back your blade up just as you did before (approximately 1/4 of an inch or so) without turning the piece or the blade:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Circle


Now just as we did on the first corner, we are going to cut to the left of the corner and stop at the line:

Slope Font Parallel Plot Symmetry


And after the small triangle falls out, turn your piece so you can continue in a clockwise direction and continue on to the next corner:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Diagram


Continue in this manner until you come around to where you started. Be sure to back off the pressure you are pushing on your saw when you are approaching the end. If you push too hard, you will have a tendency to over cut into the piece past your starting point.

For very sharp angles, there is sometimes an easier way to turn the corners - especially when you are using a very small blade. In the second set of pictures, I have a shape with a very acute angle and an obtuse angle (over 90 degrees) to each side of it. In this case, I drilled my entry hole near the obtuse angle, and began cutting from the hole to the corner of it.

When I reached the line, instead of backing up the blade and cutting a small triangle out like I did in the last example, I simply turned the piece and began following the line in a clockwise direction and continued cutting:

Slope Font Parallel Circle Symmetry


I am able to do this because of the large angle. Depending on which size blade you are using, you should be able to turn most obtuse angles in this manner and still have a nice sharp corner. Remember when you are turning to pivot on the corner and slightly lean your piece to the back of the blade to insure that there is no forward moving while you pivot. Continue along the line until you reach the point of the acute angle.

Slope Font Parallel Plot Rectangle


When you reach that point, you will once again back up your piece about 1/4" and then pivot your piece (toward the waste area)

Slope Font Parallel Rectangle Plot


Now you will back all the way into the corner:

Font Slope Parallel Plot Symmetry


And from that point you will continue cutting in a clockwise direction:

Slope Font Parallel Rectangle Symmetry


I hope this gives you a clear idea of how to cut corners. Of course, if you are cutting in a counter-clockwise direction, you will just cut the little triangle out from the opposite side and continue accordingly. Once you get the hang of the process, it will be fairly easy and come second nature to you.

You will find that as most of the time with scroll sawing, the process is a matter of judgement calls. You will learn by practicing which way of turning is best for the particular area you are at. The thing we are aiming for is to have nice, sharp defined corners without 'spin holes' which are rounded areas made from turning the blade. Crisp and clean angles will make your piece look professional and nice.

Your homework for this week is to finish cutting all the inside cuts of the frame piece provided. This will be really
good practice for you and by the time you are finished, you should be feeling a bit more comfortable in doing the process. Next lesson we will learn how to do other types of inside cuts and later on we will learn to bevel cut the piece to make a self-framing plaque.

Below is the video that will demonstrate these three types of turns that I just explained. I think it will help clarify the steps that I showed you in the drawings above.



Of course, there are other ways that you can turn too. I am sure that others will have some good input as to other methods that work well for them too. As with most of scroll sawing, there are several correct ways to do things.

I would suggest you use a board approximately 1/2" thick and a #2 reverse tooth scroll saw blade. If you have something else available, I am sure that will work fine too. Try to use the smallest blade you can and still have control and not have to work too hard moving your piece through the saw. If you have to push hard, or if your blade is wandering too much, try going up a size. You will soon get a feel for what is right for the type of wood you have.

Feel free to ask questions if there is anything that I missed here. I will be finishing up editing the video and getting it posted here as soon as it is done, so be sure to check back later. But for now, this will get you started.

Thank you again for participating in the class. I hope you are all having fun!
 

Attachments

#384 ·
Cutting Inside Corners and Angles

So far we have looked at how to prepare our wood, choose a blade, cast on and off a piece and cut outside curves and corners. Now it is time we do some inside cutting.

Cat Carnivore Felidae Grey Small to medium-sized cats


Most people associate scroll sawing with cutting fretwork. At first many people don't understand that in order to cut fretwork pieces, you need to drill entry holes in the 'waste area' (or the part of the pattern that drops away when you finish your cut) and thread the blade through that drilled hole to cut out the inside piece. This is why it is so important to many scroll sawyers to have a scroll saw that uses pinless blades, or blades that have flat ends and attach to the scroll saw by a chuck or a screw squeezing the blade tight to hold it in place while you are cutting.

Many older and industrial saws used pin ended blades. . These are blades have a small pin going through the end of them and look kind of like a 't'.

Rectangle Font Metal Office supplies Auto part


The end of the blade rests in some sort of channel on the end of the arm of the scroll saw and the tension is then tightened to hold the blade in place. While this is an effective way to hold the blade in the saw, it is not always the most practical when doing decorative and delicate scroll saw work.

The pins at the end of the blades mean that in order to thread the blade through the wood, you would need a much wider entry hole in order to do so. This may be acceptable if you are doing larger pieces, such as fretwork brackets for shelves and trim work, but if you are doing smaller items such as ornaments and other delicate work, you will find that having to use pin ended blades will severely limit the scope of the work you can do. It is for that reason that I highly recommend using a saw that uses pinless blades. Most of the newer saws on the market today fall into this category.

I often am asked questions as to where to drill the entry holes in a project. While you can certainly drill them anywhere convenient in the waste area, there are usually some better choices that will minimize the time and effort in making a piece.

When I have a piece with lots of sharp corners, I like to start cutting fairly close a corner. For the same reasons that we started in a corner when doing an outside cut, I feel that it is also best to do so when making an inside cut. The place where we enter and exit our cuts sometimes makes a small bump, and I feel that by starting in an inconspicuous area near a corner, even if there is a small ridge where we enter and exit, it will be very difficult if not impossible to see.

For this lesson, I have prepared a practice pattern that has lots of sharp inside cuts. You can download the pattern at my Google Documents file here:

Lesson 7 Practice Sheet

This is part of a pattern for a self-framing plaque that I designed. It is a pattern that I sell on my site, but I enlarged it a bit so that it would be a little easier for you to practice on. For this lesson, we are only going to work on the frame of the project so I only included that part on the pattern. Next time we will be working on the inside cuts and I will have that part of the pattern for you to download. (You will need to come back for that!)

Begin by preparing the piece as I showed you in previous lessons, with blue painter's tape and then applying the pattern. (Or use your own favorite method) Cut around the perimeter of the piece so that it is a comfortable size to work with. Place a small drill bit in your drill press and drill out the holes in the waste are of the design. From the picture below you can see that I marked some suggested starting places you can drill.

Head Human body Automotive design Gesture Font


Of course they don't have to be exactly where I indicated - any thing close will do.

Drill using the smallest bit that will fit your blade through it comfortably. By 'comfortably' I mean that you shouldn't have to struggle to push your blade through the hole, as this could result in bending the blade - especially if you are using a small blade. But you want to keep the entry hole as small as you can. When you are finished drilling the holes, be sure to sand the back of the plaque with some sand paper. Otherwise the bumps from the back of the drill holes will interfere with allowing your piece to sit flat on the scroll saw table.

After drilling and sanding, we are now ready to cut.

For my own piece here, I am using 1/2" (Maple) and a size 2-reverse tooth scroll saw blade. You can use anything similar and get the same results.

Begin by cutting toward the nearest sharp corner. Aim for the pointiest part of the corner. Remember to let up the pressure as you approach it so you don't overshoot the cut. This is a common mistake that beginners make. (you can go back and review lesson #4 HERE if you want to refresh yourself about not putting too much pressure on the blade and getting not over cutting.) When you reach the end of the point - STOP:

Slope Font Symmetry Pattern Parallel


Back up the saw blade slightly (perhaps a quarter of an inch or so) WITHOUT TURNING IT - simply pull the piece slightly back through the saw:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Pattern


Now cut forward again toward the line, only this time go slightly to the LEFT of the line your just cut. Again you are going to stop as you get to your line:

Human body Slope Font Parallel Symmetry


When you are at the line, you should pivot your piece so that you can cut back to meet the tip of the point.

Slope Font Parallel Plot Symmetry


At this point, the little triangular piece should fall out (as indicated by the grey area in the illustration):

Slope Font Parallel Circle Diagram


You are then going to turn your piece so that you will be cutting in a clockwise direction and following the line to the next corner. When you get to the next corner, stop again:

Slope Parallel Font Symmetry Pattern


You will then back your blade up just as you did before (approximately 1/4 of an inch or so) without turning the piece or the blade:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Circle


Now just as we did on the first corner, we are going to cut to the left of the corner and stop at the line:

Slope Font Parallel Plot Symmetry


And after the small triangle falls out, turn your piece so you can continue in a clockwise direction and continue on to the next corner:

Slope Font Parallel Symmetry Diagram


Continue in this manner until you come around to where you started. Be sure to back off the pressure you are pushing on your saw when you are approaching the end. If you push too hard, you will have a tendency to over cut into the piece past your starting point.

For very sharp angles, there is sometimes an easier way to turn the corners - especially when you are using a very small blade. In the second set of pictures, I have a shape with a very acute angle and an obtuse angle (over 90 degrees) to each side of it. In this case, I drilled my entry hole near the obtuse angle, and began cutting from the hole to the corner of it.

When I reached the line, instead of backing up the blade and cutting a small triangle out like I did in the last example, I simply turned the piece and began following the line in a clockwise direction and continued cutting:

Slope Font Parallel Circle Symmetry


I am able to do this because of the large angle. Depending on which size blade you are using, you should be able to turn most obtuse angles in this manner and still have a nice sharp corner. Remember when you are turning to pivot on the corner and slightly lean your piece to the back of the blade to insure that there is no forward moving while you pivot. Continue along the line until you reach the point of the acute angle.

Slope Font Parallel Plot Rectangle


When you reach that point, you will once again back up your piece about 1/4" and then pivot your piece (toward the waste area)

Slope Font Parallel Rectangle Plot


Now you will back all the way into the corner:

Font Slope Parallel Plot Symmetry


And from that point you will continue cutting in a clockwise direction:

Slope Font Parallel Rectangle Symmetry


I hope this gives you a clear idea of how to cut corners. Of course, if you are cutting in a counter-clockwise direction, you will just cut the little triangle out from the opposite side and continue accordingly. Once you get the hang of the process, it will be fairly easy and come second nature to you.

You will find that as most of the time with scroll sawing, the process is a matter of judgement calls. You will learn by practicing which way of turning is best for the particular area you are at. The thing we are aiming for is to have nice, sharp defined corners without 'spin holes' which are rounded areas made from turning the blade. Crisp and clean angles will make your piece look professional and nice.

Your homework for this week is to finish cutting all the inside cuts of the frame piece provided. This will be really
good practice for you and by the time you are finished, you should be feeling a bit more comfortable in doing the process. Next lesson we will learn how to do other types of inside cuts and later on we will learn to bevel cut the piece to make a self-framing plaque.

Below is the video that will demonstrate these three types of turns that I just explained. I think it will help clarify the steps that I showed you in the drawings above.



Of course, there are other ways that you can turn too. I am sure that others will have some good input as to other methods that work well for them too. As with most of scroll sawing, there are several correct ways to do things.

I would suggest you use a board approximately 1/2" thick and a #2 reverse tooth scroll saw blade. If you have something else available, I am sure that will work fine too. Try to use the smallest blade you can and still have control and not have to work too hard moving your piece through the saw. If you have to push hard, or if your blade is wandering too much, try going up a size. You will soon get a feel for what is right for the type of wood you have.

Feel free to ask questions if there is anything that I missed here. I will be finishing up editing the video and getting it posted here as soon as it is done, so be sure to check back later. But for now, this will get you started.

Thank you again for participating in the class. I hope you are all having fun!
Edith found that when there is a point on one of those inside cuts, she prefers to drill the entry hole just off that point then she can saw to that point and continue around and finish from the other side of that point. Example; In your third picture there is a place where there is a curved piece that ends as a point, drill there. It is just something she prefers but I think it is really a matter of what you are used to. Overall you get a gold star on your forehead for excellence in this class tutorial!
 

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#413 ·
Lesson 8 - Cutting Inside Curves and Swirls

By now you have had some time to practice cutting inside and outside corners. While getting nice sharp corners is really important to your scroll working, one of the signatures of traditional fretwork pieces are the graceful curves and swirls that you are able to cut with the scroll saw.

Vertebrate Mammal Font Symbol Circle


In Victorian times, fretwork was cut either by hand or by using foot powered pedal saws. It was a delicate and painstaking process and took years of practice to master and accomplish.

With the introduction of better scroll saws and blades, we are now able to replicate these beautiful fretwork designs, and even take them to a higher level. Since many of the newer saws have very low vibration, it is now possible to have pinpoint control and create wonderful and intricate designs easily. In addition, the use of pinless or 'flat end' scroll saw blades allows us to cut tiny details that were never before possible. With a little practice, we can all cut these types of designs nearly effortlessly.

Because of the thin size and nature of the scroll saw blades, it is actually easier to cut a curve on the scroll saw than a straight line. Certain factors such as the direction of the grain of the wood, the thickness of the wood, and the speed of the saw can greatly affect the performance of a particular blade with a particular species of wood. There are many correct combinations of wood, blade size and speed that you can use, depending on several factors such as the amount of detail in the design and also the thickness and hardness of the wood. These are all variables that can be confusing, but as you work with more and more different types of wood and blades you will soon learn your preference and comfort level of working and learn what will work best for you. The suggestions that I give you here and also in my patterns are only base guidelines and you should feel free to use something different if you feel it works better for you.

Another thing to remember when you are cutting curves is that if you do happen to drift a bit off the line, it is very important that you correct your path gradually. Many times designs that have lots of curves are very forgiving and once the pattern paper is removed from your piece, many of your 'mistakes' will magically disappear. If your blade seems to want to follow the wood grain instead of the line, instead of making a sharp turn back into the line, gradually drift it back on course. Chances are that no one will ever notice. If this happens too often, it is very possible that the blade is too small for the piece of wood you are cutting. Simply move up a blade size and see if that will help. The larger the blade, the more stable it is and the less chance it has of following the grain instead of the line. This is particularly true when you are following along in the direction of the grain, or using a wood that has a great variance in the density of the grain from place to place.

Be kind to yourself and allow room for some error - especially when you are just starting out. Before long you will find it easier and easier to follow the line exactly.

When you are choosing a blade for a certain piece that you are cutting, you should try to choose the smallest blade possible that allows you to follow your lines correctly. This will result in nice crisp and clear corners and easier maneuverability. Remember to factor in the density, thickness and even the moisture content of the wood you are cutting when choosing a blade. Drier wood tends to cut more easily, but also can be brittle and prone to breaking. Wood with a higher moisture content can cause a blade to 'drag' and make it a bit harder to control. Plywood contains lots of glue that holds the layers of wood together. While this is beneficial as far as strength and control (since the grain is in several directions, there is much less drift caused from the grain) cutting plywood is much harder on blades and they tend to dull quicker than they do with hardwood.

As you can see, the more you are aware of these factors and understand their role in the process of scroll sawing, the easier it is to adjust your speed, blade and wood so that you can have optimal results.

Now on to the lesson:

When cutting curves and swirls, I find that it is easier to cut the inside edge of the curve first and then the outer perimeter. There is much less of a chance of breaking the piece that way, as you are not putting pressure from the inside edge of a piece that has a free standing outer edge. While many designs have swirls that go in both directions within the same cut, which make it impossible to follow this rule every single time, I find that it is good practice to try to cut the inside edge of a curve whenever it is possible.

In the sample patter I gave you for Lesson 7 (which you can download HERE) there are many nice gentle curves and swirls for you to practice on. The following drawings will show you my preferred method of cutting these types of curves and swirls.

First of all, thread the blade through the entry hole and start scrolling so you enter the line on a corner:

Head Eye Human body Gesture Slope


This will help hide any type of slight ridge that you may make from the entry and exit spot as explained in the earlier lessons.

When you get to the corner, turn your blade to the LEFT and begin cutting the inside edge of the curve as indicated by the dotted line with the arrow:

Slope Gesture Font Plant Circle


When you get to the pointed edge, do NOT turn to the right at this point. Continue cutting slightly out to the waste area and then turn your piece counter-clockwise as shown on the diagram to make a little turning pocket as I showed in the previous lessons. Remember, this is a very small turn and you should just make a small hole with enough room to align your blade up to continue on:

Product Human body Gesture Font Slope


Now you will follow around the rest of the curved edge, arriving at the sharp edge as indicated in the drawing:

Human body Jaw Slope Gesture Font


Finally, you now make a sharp corner as I showed you in the previous lesson and arrive at the entry point:

Human body Gesture Slope Font Symmetry


Now wasn't that easy?

I was asked previously by several of you if I always went in a clockwise direction. While that is my preferred direction that I am most comfortable with, I realize that I also need to go in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) at times for the best way of cutting things. I believe that is why it is important that you practice going in BOTH directions so that you are comfortable with cutting each way and can feel good in any situation.

In order to help you better understand the process, I created a short video for you showing you how I cut a segment of the design similar to the one that I diagrammed above. Hopefully, with these drawings and also the video at your disposal, you will be able to have a good idea of how this process works.



As always, I hope you will take the time to practice and do some homework before going on to the next lesson. For my piece of wood, I would use a half inch thick piece of solid maple and a #2 or #3 reverse tooth scroll saw blade. Remember though that this is only a suggestion. You may want to try with some pine, plywood or other wood that you may have around your shop.

Carnivore Font Symbol Drawing Art


Thank you again for participating in my class. Please feel free to ask me questions or even take pictures of your practice pieces and show them off here. I hope I have helped give you a better idea of cutting curves and swirls and most of all, I hope you are really having FUN!
 

Attachments

#414 ·
Lesson 8 - Cutting Inside Curves and Swirls

By now you have had some time to practice cutting inside and outside corners. While getting nice sharp corners is really important to your scroll working, one of the signatures of traditional fretwork pieces are the graceful curves and swirls that you are able to cut with the scroll saw.

Vertebrate Mammal Font Symbol Circle


In Victorian times, fretwork was cut either by hand or by using foot powered pedal saws. It was a delicate and painstaking process and took years of practice to master and accomplish.

With the introduction of better scroll saws and blades, we are now able to replicate these beautiful fretwork designs, and even take them to a higher level. Since many of the newer saws have very low vibration, it is now possible to have pinpoint control and create wonderful and intricate designs easily. In addition, the use of pinless or 'flat end' scroll saw blades allows us to cut tiny details that were never before possible. With a little practice, we can all cut these types of designs nearly effortlessly.

Because of the thin size and nature of the scroll saw blades, it is actually easier to cut a curve on the scroll saw than a straight line. Certain factors such as the direction of the grain of the wood, the thickness of the wood, and the speed of the saw can greatly affect the performance of a particular blade with a particular species of wood. There are many correct combinations of wood, blade size and speed that you can use, depending on several factors such as the amount of detail in the design and also the thickness and hardness of the wood. These are all variables that can be confusing, but as you work with more and more different types of wood and blades you will soon learn your preference and comfort level of working and learn what will work best for you. The suggestions that I give you here and also in my patterns are only base guidelines and you should feel free to use something different if you feel it works better for you.

Another thing to remember when you are cutting curves is that if you do happen to drift a bit off the line, it is very important that you correct your path gradually. Many times designs that have lots of curves are very forgiving and once the pattern paper is removed from your piece, many of your 'mistakes' will magically disappear. If your blade seems to want to follow the wood grain instead of the line, instead of making a sharp turn back into the line, gradually drift it back on course. Chances are that no one will ever notice. If this happens too often, it is very possible that the blade is too small for the piece of wood you are cutting. Simply move up a blade size and see if that will help. The larger the blade, the more stable it is and the less chance it has of following the grain instead of the line. This is particularly true when you are following along in the direction of the grain, or using a wood that has a great variance in the density of the grain from place to place.

Be kind to yourself and allow room for some error - especially when you are just starting out. Before long you will find it easier and easier to follow the line exactly.

When you are choosing a blade for a certain piece that you are cutting, you should try to choose the smallest blade possible that allows you to follow your lines correctly. This will result in nice crisp and clear corners and easier maneuverability. Remember to factor in the density, thickness and even the moisture content of the wood you are cutting when choosing a blade. Drier wood tends to cut more easily, but also can be brittle and prone to breaking. Wood with a higher moisture content can cause a blade to 'drag' and make it a bit harder to control. Plywood contains lots of glue that holds the layers of wood together. While this is beneficial as far as strength and control (since the grain is in several directions, there is much less drift caused from the grain) cutting plywood is much harder on blades and they tend to dull quicker than they do with hardwood.

As you can see, the more you are aware of these factors and understand their role in the process of scroll sawing, the easier it is to adjust your speed, blade and wood so that you can have optimal results.

Now on to the lesson:

When cutting curves and swirls, I find that it is easier to cut the inside edge of the curve first and then the outer perimeter. There is much less of a chance of breaking the piece that way, as you are not putting pressure from the inside edge of a piece that has a free standing outer edge. While many designs have swirls that go in both directions within the same cut, which make it impossible to follow this rule every single time, I find that it is good practice to try to cut the inside edge of a curve whenever it is possible.

In the sample patter I gave you for Lesson 7 (which you can download HERE) there are many nice gentle curves and swirls for you to practice on. The following drawings will show you my preferred method of cutting these types of curves and swirls.

First of all, thread the blade through the entry hole and start scrolling so you enter the line on a corner:

Head Eye Human body Gesture Slope


This will help hide any type of slight ridge that you may make from the entry and exit spot as explained in the earlier lessons.

When you get to the corner, turn your blade to the LEFT and begin cutting the inside edge of the curve as indicated by the dotted line with the arrow:

Slope Gesture Font Plant Circle


When you get to the pointed edge, do NOT turn to the right at this point. Continue cutting slightly out to the waste area and then turn your piece counter-clockwise as shown on the diagram to make a little turning pocket as I showed in the previous lessons. Remember, this is a very small turn and you should just make a small hole with enough room to align your blade up to continue on:

Product Human body Gesture Font Slope


Now you will follow around the rest of the curved edge, arriving at the sharp edge as indicated in the drawing:

Human body Jaw Slope Gesture Font


Finally, you now make a sharp corner as I showed you in the previous lesson and arrive at the entry point:

Human body Gesture Slope Font Symmetry


Now wasn't that easy?

I was asked previously by several of you if I always went in a clockwise direction. While that is my preferred direction that I am most comfortable with, I realize that I also need to go in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) at times for the best way of cutting things. I believe that is why it is important that you practice going in BOTH directions so that you are comfortable with cutting each way and can feel good in any situation.

In order to help you better understand the process, I created a short video for you showing you how I cut a segment of the design similar to the one that I diagrammed above. Hopefully, with these drawings and also the video at your disposal, you will be able to have a good idea of how this process works.



As always, I hope you will take the time to practice and do some homework before going on to the next lesson. For my piece of wood, I would use a half inch thick piece of solid maple and a #2 or #3 reverse tooth scroll saw blade. Remember though that this is only a suggestion. You may want to try with some pine, plywood or other wood that you may have around your shop.

Carnivore Font Symbol Drawing Art


Thank you again for participating in my class. Please feel free to ask me questions or even take pictures of your practice pieces and show them off here. I hope I have helped give you a better idea of cutting curves and swirls and most of all, I hope you are really having FUN!
Shelia ,
You did a great job explaining a hard subject . Thank you for taking the time and sharing it with us all . Your doing a great job on the videos .

By now alot of the people have done some scrolling or have tried . pleases post any work you have done or if you have a question or a problem doing something ask . Don't sit back there and say well they will think I'm stupid or silly . Sometimes when a question is ask and another scroller explains it in a different way or even Shelia your able to understand
 

Attachments

#428 ·
Lesson 9 - Cutting Bevels on the Scroll Saw

Well, you all should have had time to practice cutting all the inside curves and corners on the frames of the practice patterns that I gave you in the previous lessons. Now we should all be ready to move on to learning how to cut on a bevel.

Cat Eye Felidae Black Carnivore


One of the reasons that I like the scroll saw so much is because it is a very versatile tool. For a relatively minimal start up cost, you can get a tool that has the ability to make a great variety of projects. For many years, my scroll saw and drill press were pretty much the only power tools I owned. Yet, I was still able to create lots of wonderful things using them. With the addition of a few other small hand tools, such as a sander and a small router or laminate trimmer, it opens up a whole array of exciting techniques you can use to make your projects more interesting and fun.

Most scroll saws have the ability to make bevel or angled cuts. This is typically achieved by tilting the table of the saw either to the left or the right so that the blade is cutting on an angle. Some saws, like the Excalibur saw (the one I have) allows you to tilt the head of the saw and keeps the table flat. This makes is much easier for you to cut on an angle, as you don't have to worry about holding the piece at an angle when you are cutting, and you can concentrate on the cut at hand.

While tilting the blade is possible, I wouldn't advise you to do so in order to make miters and things that need precise angles. Since the blades are so thin on the scroll saw, they will flex while cutting, creating cuts that are not perfectly straight. This makes it nearly impossible to make a clean miter joint.

However, bevel cutting on the scroll saw can be very useful to create things like self-framing plaques and ornaments, as well as certain types of baskets and candy dishes. I also use this method to make all of my candle tray patterns, as I like the edge design raised up a bit from the center that the candle sits on.

For our purposes, in this lesson we are going to explore making bevel cuts to create a self-framing plaque. I like designing and cutting self-framing plaques because as the name implies, the frame is cut from the same piece of wood as the design.

Many of you may not have realized that the practice frame pattern I gave you to scroll saw in lesson 7 is part of self-framing butterfly plaque that I designed. Although I gave you the pattern for the outside fretwork of the frame, I left out the central picture in the middle because I didn't want you to jump ahead. I have now posted the full pattern for you and you can download it HERE.

Please go to my Google Document account and download it now. If you already did the frame, just cut the inner portion of the design out and apply it to the frame as I instructed before (using blue painter's tape underneath) If you finished cutting the fretwork border of the frame from the last lesson and have left the pattern in place, you could just stick the inner portion of the pattern over the existing pattern and go from there.

For the sample plaque, I used 1/2" maple and I angled the saw 4 degrees to the outside of the circle. Since I cut my piece in a clockwise direction, I tilted the head of my Excalibur scroll saw to the right that amount. If you were using a scroll saw such as a DeWalt, in which the table tilts, you would tilt the saw table so that the left side of the table is lower than the right side, causing the angle of the blade to be radiating outward from the center of the plaque.

I have made some drawings to help you understand what we are doing here. It shows a typical piece of this type from a cut away side view. The center portion represents the center of the plaque, while the two outside sections represent the frame. The red lines are the kerf lines left from your saw blade, angled to the outside of the piece.

Triangle Rectangle Font Parallel Automotive exterior


Although these drawings are somewhat exaggerated to better illustrate the point, the second drawing shows the space that is left from the blade, or the kerf. This is why it is important to consider not only the angle of the cut, but also the blade size. If you wish the piece to drop down a bit farther into the frame, simply use a larger blade with a wider kerf.

Rectangle Font Circle Brand Paper product


Once the piece is cut, you can push it into the frame and lock in, leaving the frame protruding to the front. The frame can and should be glued to keep it in place once all the cutting is finished. I also found that it look quite nice if you slightly round over the inside edge of the frame with a router or laminate trimmer and a small round over bit. (Do this before gluing naturally!)

Product Rectangle Font Automotive exterior Auto part


If you wish to have less of a drop of the piece, simply increase the angle by half a degree or so. The increased angle will not allow the center to drop as far through the frame.

I strongly suggest that you test your angle and blade size on a scrap of wood that is the same thickness as the piece you are cutting. For plaques such as this, I frequently use the waste areas from the corners for testing. Simply draw a small circle and cut a test cut at the given angle and then adjust your saw accordingly. it is better to be safe than ruin a nice piece of wood.

I made a short video of me demonstrating how I adjust my saw and also of me cutting the circle. You can see how easy it is to do on my saw, as the table is still level and I don't have to fight gravity to turn the wood while it is on an angle. However, I owned a DeWalt saw for almost 15 years and the angle is so slight in cutting like this that it isn't really a factor. Enjoy the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-w_R1rA59c4

I have used this method with many different scroll sawn pieces, from pictures to baskets (like the one that Leldon cut here) and also on small items such as ornaments. This process really makes it easy to make an all-inclusive project and not have to worry about purchasing or making a frame for it. Once you try it, I am sure you will become a big fan of bevel cutting on the scroll saw!

Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this process. I will always try to be here to help you and I am sure that others on this forum will help with answers too.
 

Attachments

#429 ·
Lesson 9 - Cutting Bevels on the Scroll Saw

Well, you all should have had time to practice cutting all the inside curves and corners on the frames of the practice patterns that I gave you in the previous lessons. Now we should all be ready to move on to learning how to cut on a bevel.

Cat Eye Felidae Black Carnivore


One of the reasons that I like the scroll saw so much is because it is a very versatile tool. For a relatively minimal start up cost, you can get a tool that has the ability to make a great variety of projects. For many years, my scroll saw and drill press were pretty much the only power tools I owned. Yet, I was still able to create lots of wonderful things using them. With the addition of a few other small hand tools, such as a sander and a small router or laminate trimmer, it opens up a whole array of exciting techniques you can use to make your projects more interesting and fun.

Most scroll saws have the ability to make bevel or angled cuts. This is typically achieved by tilting the table of the saw either to the left or the right so that the blade is cutting on an angle. Some saws, like the Excalibur saw (the one I have) allows you to tilt the head of the saw and keeps the table flat. This makes is much easier for you to cut on an angle, as you don't have to worry about holding the piece at an angle when you are cutting, and you can concentrate on the cut at hand.

While tilting the blade is possible, I wouldn't advise you to do so in order to make miters and things that need precise angles. Since the blades are so thin on the scroll saw, they will flex while cutting, creating cuts that are not perfectly straight. This makes it nearly impossible to make a clean miter joint.

However, bevel cutting on the scroll saw can be very useful to create things like self-framing plaques and ornaments, as well as certain types of baskets and candy dishes. I also use this method to make all of my candle tray patterns, as I like the edge design raised up a bit from the center that the candle sits on.

For our purposes, in this lesson we are going to explore making bevel cuts to create a self-framing plaque. I like designing and cutting self-framing plaques because as the name implies, the frame is cut from the same piece of wood as the design.

Many of you may not have realized that the practice frame pattern I gave you to scroll saw in lesson 7 is part of self-framing butterfly plaque that I designed. Although I gave you the pattern for the outside fretwork of the frame, I left out the central picture in the middle because I didn't want you to jump ahead. I have now posted the full pattern for you and you can download it HERE.

Please go to my Google Document account and download it now. If you already did the frame, just cut the inner portion of the design out and apply it to the frame as I instructed before (using blue painter's tape underneath) If you finished cutting the fretwork border of the frame from the last lesson and have left the pattern in place, you could just stick the inner portion of the pattern over the existing pattern and go from there.

For the sample plaque, I used 1/2" maple and I angled the saw 4 degrees to the outside of the circle. Since I cut my piece in a clockwise direction, I tilted the head of my Excalibur scroll saw to the right that amount. If you were using a scroll saw such as a DeWalt, in which the table tilts, you would tilt the saw table so that the left side of the table is lower than the right side, causing the angle of the blade to be radiating outward from the center of the plaque.

I have made some drawings to help you understand what we are doing here. It shows a typical piece of this type from a cut away side view. The center portion represents the center of the plaque, while the two outside sections represent the frame. The red lines are the kerf lines left from your saw blade, angled to the outside of the piece.

Triangle Rectangle Font Parallel Automotive exterior


Although these drawings are somewhat exaggerated to better illustrate the point, the second drawing shows the space that is left from the blade, or the kerf. This is why it is important to consider not only the angle of the cut, but also the blade size. If you wish the piece to drop down a bit farther into the frame, simply use a larger blade with a wider kerf.

Rectangle Font Circle Brand Paper product


Once the piece is cut, you can push it into the frame and lock in, leaving the frame protruding to the front. The frame can and should be glued to keep it in place once all the cutting is finished. I also found that it look quite nice if you slightly round over the inside edge of the frame with a router or laminate trimmer and a small round over bit. (Do this before gluing naturally!)

Product Rectangle Font Automotive exterior Auto part


If you wish to have less of a drop of the piece, simply increase the angle by half a degree or so. The increased angle will not allow the center to drop as far through the frame.

I strongly suggest that you test your angle and blade size on a scrap of wood that is the same thickness as the piece you are cutting. For plaques such as this, I frequently use the waste areas from the corners for testing. Simply draw a small circle and cut a test cut at the given angle and then adjust your saw accordingly. it is better to be safe than ruin a nice piece of wood.

I made a short video of me demonstrating how I adjust my saw and also of me cutting the circle. You can see how easy it is to do on my saw, as the table is still level and I don't have to fight gravity to turn the wood while it is on an angle. However, I owned a DeWalt saw for almost 15 years and the angle is so slight in cutting like this that it isn't really a factor. Enjoy the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-w_R1rA59c4

I have used this method with many different scroll sawn pieces, from pictures to baskets (like the one that Leldon cut here) and also on small items such as ornaments. This process really makes it easy to make an all-inclusive project and not have to worry about purchasing or making a frame for it. Once you try it, I am sure you will become a big fan of bevel cutting on the scroll saw!

Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this process. I will always try to be here to help you and I am sure that others on this forum will help with answers too.
Sheila ,

Thank you for the clever technique!

Reminds me of an OFF cut of Marquetry where the angle is such so the new piece fits flush into the hole…
... by changing the angle more or less, you can have it standing Out, flush, or Set In!
Great technique! Awesome!
 

Attachments

#447 ·
Lesson 10 - Cutting Negative Designs

In scroll sawing, there are several different types of ways to make a nice design. Some people make beautiful portraits by playing with lights and shadows. Here is an example of portrait designs:

Head Felidae Carnivore Organism Big cats


The above portrait was designed by my partner Keith. I have not yet done much portrait cutting, but there are many scrollers here such as Scroll3r, KnotCurser and William who do really nice work on them.

Another type of design is what is referred to as a 'positive' design. In that piece, the design consists of what material is left behind after scroll sawing. Here is an example of a positive design that I created:

Creative arts Wood Circle Serveware Font


You can also have what is called a 'negative' type of design. In this type of scroll work, the part of the design that is at focus is the area where the material is removed from. Here is the negative version of the above design:

Creative arts Circle Symbol Dishware Serveware


As you can see, these are essentially the same scenes but they have two very different looks. The positive design is a bit more delicate, as there are several thin pieces that may be prone to breaking. I decided to use a thin veneer backer on that piece so that it would be stronger, and also to give it a solid, contrasting background so that the design would show up nicely.

Both versions are nice, but for today's lesson we are going to focus on cutting a negative type design and look into the most efficient way to create them.

In Lesson 9 I had a link for you to download a pattern that I prepared for you which was a self-framing plaque. The design had a positive scroll saw design on the frame and the inner part of the frame is a negative type of scroll saw design. If you haven't yet downloaded it, you can do so here.

You may want to make a few copies and just practice on the center portion of the design, if you wish. If you already cut the frame, you can just apply the pattern to the center area if you already haven't (we covered separating the frame from the center area in the last lesson on bevel cutting self-framing plaques). Either way, you can choose which will work best for you.

In the illustration below, the red dots indicate suggested entry points. Use the smallest bit you can to accommodate a 2/0 reverse tooth scroll saw blade and drill your holes. I also like using brad point drill bits whenever possible, as I find that it is easier to drill accurately with them.

Art Font Circle Pattern Symbol


When choosing where to drill the entry holes, in general, I look for the thickest part of the lines - especially on the long, thin areas.

Head Eye White Human body Slope


When you are dealing with very small circles or tear drop shapes, as you have in this design, I find it is best to drill on the far rounded edge, just up to the line. That way you can complete the cutting of the shape from first one side of the hole, stopping at the point, and then back the blade back to the entry hole and complete the cut coming from the other side. This is shown by the drawing below and then later demonstrated in the video:

White Light Organ Slope Font


Once your holes are drilled, be sure to sand the back of your design so that it will lay flat on the table when you cut. This is very important when you have designs with small details such as this, as you don't want it to rock while you are trying to cut.

When cutting long curves and swirls, I recommend that you cut the line to the inside of the curve first. Cut along the inside line until you reach the point (marked by the 'x')

Font Circle Pattern Number Symmetry


Without turning the piece, back the blade along the line you just scrolled until you reach the entry hole:

Font Circle Pattern Number Parallel


Then cut the opposite side of the line until you meet up at the point again, as indicated once again by the 'x'.

Font Circle Parallel Number Slope


Continue to cut all the swirl pieces in the same manner.

One thing that I wanted to note - when doing designs such as these, I drill holes into the buds or pods and cut them separately from when I cut the stem. Even though they do meet up with the stem, if you cut into them from the stem, it makes it a much more difficult cut. I find it is best to drill at the furthest (rounded) part of the bud or pod and then scroll one side of the bud at a time, stopping at the point of the teardrop on the first side, and continuing through to the stem on the second pass.

The following illustrations will show this more clearly:

Font Slope Circle Pattern Drawing


Gesture Font Audio equipment Circle Art


Font Happy Circle Slope Heart


Font Audio equipment Art Magenta Slope


I also made you a video showing me demonstrating many of these points. I hope you enjoy watching it and it helps you understand the process clearly.



By following these steps and a little bit of practice, you are well on your way to cutting negative scroll saw designs.

Now there was nothing 'negative' about that, was there?

Cat Nature Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats


I hope you enjoyed the lesson! :)
 

Attachments

#448 ·
Lesson 10 - Cutting Negative Designs

In scroll sawing, there are several different types of ways to make a nice design. Some people make beautiful portraits by playing with lights and shadows. Here is an example of portrait designs:

Head Felidae Carnivore Organism Big cats


The above portrait was designed by my partner Keith. I have not yet done much portrait cutting, but there are many scrollers here such as Scroll3r, KnotCurser and William who do really nice work on them.

Another type of design is what is referred to as a 'positive' design. In that piece, the design consists of what material is left behind after scroll sawing. Here is an example of a positive design that I created:

Creative arts Wood Circle Serveware Font


You can also have what is called a 'negative' type of design. In this type of scroll work, the part of the design that is at focus is the area where the material is removed from. Here is the negative version of the above design:

Creative arts Circle Symbol Dishware Serveware


As you can see, these are essentially the same scenes but they have two very different looks. The positive design is a bit more delicate, as there are several thin pieces that may be prone to breaking. I decided to use a thin veneer backer on that piece so that it would be stronger, and also to give it a solid, contrasting background so that the design would show up nicely.

Both versions are nice, but for today's lesson we are going to focus on cutting a negative type design and look into the most efficient way to create them.

In Lesson 9 I had a link for you to download a pattern that I prepared for you which was a self-framing plaque. The design had a positive scroll saw design on the frame and the inner part of the frame is a negative type of scroll saw design. If you haven't yet downloaded it, you can do so here.

You may want to make a few copies and just practice on the center portion of the design, if you wish. If you already cut the frame, you can just apply the pattern to the center area if you already haven't (we covered separating the frame from the center area in the last lesson on bevel cutting self-framing plaques). Either way, you can choose which will work best for you.

In the illustration below, the red dots indicate suggested entry points. Use the smallest bit you can to accommodate a 2/0 reverse tooth scroll saw blade and drill your holes. I also like using brad point drill bits whenever possible, as I find that it is easier to drill accurately with them.

Art Font Circle Pattern Symbol


When choosing where to drill the entry holes, in general, I look for the thickest part of the lines - especially on the long, thin areas.

Head Eye White Human body Slope


When you are dealing with very small circles or tear drop shapes, as you have in this design, I find it is best to drill on the far rounded edge, just up to the line. That way you can complete the cutting of the shape from first one side of the hole, stopping at the point, and then back the blade back to the entry hole and complete the cut coming from the other side. This is shown by the drawing below and then later demonstrated in the video:

White Light Organ Slope Font


Once your holes are drilled, be sure to sand the back of your design so that it will lay flat on the table when you cut. This is very important when you have designs with small details such as this, as you don't want it to rock while you are trying to cut.

When cutting long curves and swirls, I recommend that you cut the line to the inside of the curve first. Cut along the inside line until you reach the point (marked by the 'x')

Font Circle Pattern Number Symmetry


Without turning the piece, back the blade along the line you just scrolled until you reach the entry hole:

Font Circle Pattern Number Parallel


Then cut the opposite side of the line until you meet up at the point again, as indicated once again by the 'x'.

Font Circle Parallel Number Slope


Continue to cut all the swirl pieces in the same manner.

One thing that I wanted to note - when doing designs such as these, I drill holes into the buds or pods and cut them separately from when I cut the stem. Even though they do meet up with the stem, if you cut into them from the stem, it makes it a much more difficult cut. I find it is best to drill at the furthest (rounded) part of the bud or pod and then scroll one side of the bud at a time, stopping at the point of the teardrop on the first side, and continuing through to the stem on the second pass.

The following illustrations will show this more clearly:

Font Slope Circle Pattern Drawing


Gesture Font Audio equipment Circle Art


Font Happy Circle Slope Heart


Font Audio equipment Art Magenta Slope


I also made you a video showing me demonstrating many of these points. I hope you enjoy watching it and it helps you understand the process clearly.



By following these steps and a little bit of practice, you are well on your way to cutting negative scroll saw designs.

Now there was nothing 'negative' about that, was there?

Cat Nature Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats


I hope you enjoyed the lesson! :)
Sheila, you're a WONDERFUL instructor!

You make everything look so simple!

You change the blade holes so easily! I know I'd be breaking blades all over the place! LOL

You're getting my juices flowing to see if I can make my cheapy scroll saw work…
... got it way back when I was just getting back into woodwk'g… on eBay for $45 … never did have any real instruction on it… I'm also probably missing something in setting it up, etc.

Thank you again for your FINE work… You are "Poetry in Motion".
 

Attachments

#456 ·
Class is Resuming! - "Reindeer Games" Layered Ornaments Part 1

Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I've been here at the class. Those of you who have been following my daily blog know how busy I have been with many different things. As usual, I wish that there were 48 hours in a day (and then some time to sleep on top of that!) But there aren't and I have to make due with the same 24 that everyone else has to work with. And that is OK.

Lately I have had a lot of people write me asking many of the same questions regarding different aspects of scroll sawing. While some of them have been answered here in previous classes, I thought that I would take the time to add some more lessons to the class here on Lumberjocks. This time, instead of having everyone follow along, I am going to do more of a demonstration of making a project from start to finish. I think that by doing things this way, I will better be able to cover all the 'little' things that pop up when we are involved in doing a project. These things in themselves may seem like small things, and for most people don't even warrant asking questions about - but in the process of building the project, each element is equally important, no matter how small, in the overall success. It's somewhat like building a wall. Each brick that is put in place lends to the overall strength and success of the structure.

So let's get started!

The project that I am going to create is a new one I designed called "Reindeer Games Overlay Scroll Sawn Ornaments." In making it, each ornament consists of two pieces - a base with some negative lettering spelling the name of the reindeer, and an overlay piece with a silhouette of the reindeer in flight. Each of the layers are approximately 1/8" think stock, which makes them ideal for making multiple pieces at a time by stack cutting.

Because I made two sets (One in maple and walnut and the other in 1/8" Baltic birch plywood) I will be demonstrating how you can finish the ornaments in two different ways to achieve very different results. Hopefully, by following me through this process step-by-step, you will pick up a few things that you may have not previously known.

I realize that because of the way this is set up some of the information may be things we already discussed in previous classes, but since that class was a year ago, I don't see that as an issue. Besides, seeing these process used in practical application will not only reinforce your knowledge, but it may also help you apply some of these techniques to your own projects and daily routines.

So let's get on with it! Class is once again in session! Of course I welcome and appreciate all comments and discussions about not only these techniques, but also those that have been successful for you. We learn a great deal from each other by sharing information and I by no means feel that I know everything! I always say that there are many paths to the same destination. So lets see how many different paths we can explore to expand our knowledge and skills here.

I hope you enjoy the video. Part 1 includes the introduction and set up of the pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nkyW-_4CPU4

I have embedded the video here, for those of you who don't like to click on things that leave the site, but if you want to go to YouTube and subscribe to my channel, you can do so here:

Scrollgirlcanada's Channel

Once there, you can see other videos that I have released and subscribe to my channel. When you subscribe, you receive an email notification every time I upload a new video. I plan on doing more videos on both scroll sawing and also finishing and different painting techniques, so if you are interested in those subjects, you may want to subscribe.

Thanks to Martin and Debbie for allowing me to post here in this forum. It is wonderful to be able to share ideas with you all and learn from you all too!

Enjoy!
 
#465 ·
"Reindeer Games" Layered Ornaments Part 2

Ok! So I dropped the ball a little! I honestly forgot that I was posting these videos here in the class. I suppose that there was a bit too much going on, and then I took a short holiday and it completely slipped my mind.

I suppose I don't earn the prize as the smartest kitten in the litter, do I?

Cat Gesture Felidae Carnivore Whiskers


But hopefully, you will all let bygones be bygones and we can continue on from here in our little adventure.

Let's see . . . where were we?

We had our pattern applied to our ornaments and were about to stack cut them. Below is the video showing me cutting out the lettering and the inside cuts of the back plate. There are a couple of 'tricks' to doing this easily and I hope you find the video helpful:



I have embedded the video here, but if you go to YouTube, you can subscribe to my channel and then get notification when I add new videos.

In the video, I pretty much explain the process, but I welcome any questions you may have regarding it. Just post them here and I will be happy to answer them here on the forum so that others can benefit from them too.

Thanks again for your attention!

Sheila
 

Attachments

#466 ·
"Reindeer Games" Layered Ornaments Part 2

Ok! So I dropped the ball a little! I honestly forgot that I was posting these videos here in the class. I suppose that there was a bit too much going on, and then I took a short holiday and it completely slipped my mind.

I suppose I don't earn the prize as the smartest kitten in the litter, do I?

Cat Gesture Felidae Carnivore Whiskers


But hopefully, you will all let bygones be bygones and we can continue on from here in our little adventure.

Let's see . . . where were we?

We had our pattern applied to our ornaments and were about to stack cut them. Below is the video showing me cutting out the lettering and the inside cuts of the back plate. There are a couple of 'tricks' to doing this easily and I hope you find the video helpful:



I have embedded the video here, but if you go to YouTube, you can subscribe to my channel and then get notification when I add new videos.

In the video, I pretty much explain the process, but I welcome any questions you may have regarding it. Just post them here and I will be happy to answer them here on the forum so that others can benefit from them too.

Thanks again for your attention!

Sheila
LOL, you are funny… Yer a "kool-kat", Sheila
 

Attachments

#473 ·
"Reindeer Games" Layered Ornaments Part 3

The next step in cutting out the reindeer ornaments is cutting the reindeer itself, as well as the back board. It was important to cut the small detailed inside cuts first from the ornament, because it is at that point that the wood has the most support. While sometimes you may forget one or two inside cuts and can usually go back and cut them when you are finished (I believe I did this between the back legs of the deer in this video) it is best to try to cut all of the inside cuts first and then do the outer edge of the design.

Also in the video, I show a segment where in applying the hot glue to glue the two layers of wood together, the glue accidentally got on the design area itself. Since I use the extra strength hot glue, prying apart the pieces would have in all likelihood broken the delicate pieces. In order to rectify this situation and separate the pieces without doing them any damage, I simply put them in the microwave oven for ten seconds and I was easily able to separate the pieces.

The microwave heats up the glue, allowing it to let go much easier without additional pressure on the pieces. When doing this process, it is best to work quickly and using a small, sharp paring knife is quite helpful in prying the warmed pieces apart. Remember though to work quickly, and the glue re-sets very fast. If you feel that it is necessary to have additional warming time, I suggest you only try warming the pieces 10 seconds at a time. I find that one attempt is usually sufficient to loosen the pieces, although on the rare occasion additional time is needed. Use care when doing this process.

So without further hesitation, below is the video. As always, please comment here if you have questions so that others can benefit from them too. That also allows others here on Lumberjocks to answer and help out, as sometimes several perspectives are better than only one.



I hope you enjoy the video and learn something new from it too.

You can subscribe to my YouTube channel by following the link here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/scrollgirlcanada

By subscribing, you are notified by email when new videos are added. Thank you for watching.
 
#483 ·
Introduction - Sign Up and Objective

Hi, Everybody!

My name is Sheila Landry, although many of you may know me as 'Scrollgirl'. I've had that nickname for over fifteen years now and chose it because I LOVE SCROLL SAWING!

I work as a contributing editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine and I also have my own pattern business called Sheila Landry Designs where I sell my original scroll saw and painting patterns.

I was asked by MsDebbie if I would like to host an online scroll saw class here on Lumberjocks and I gave her a resounding YES as an answer! So here we are!

During my first year here on Lumberjocks, I realized that many of you have sad and lonely scroll saws sitting in a dark, deep corner of your shop or basement, covered with dust and rotting. Others have fresh and new scroll saws, shiny out of the box, and you want to be able to use these saws to create beautiful and magical woodworking projects, but don't really know where to start. And there are still more of you who already make wonderful projects, and may just want to come along for the ride to help contribute to the class and perhaps learn something new in the process.

Everyone is welcome!

View attachment 2963518

In conducting this class, I want you all to know that no matter what your skill, I am looking forward to having you here. I am going to pace the class slowly so that it is geared for the absolute beginner (After all - we aren't going anywhere, are we?) and if it moves a bit too slow for some people, that will be a good time for those people to chime in and also help out with their own experiences and advice.

Scroll sawing - as with many things - is not an exact science. There are many roads to the destination. While one thing may work well for one person, other things may work well for others. There are several "right" ways to do things and as long as they are safe, than I will encourage you to use the method that you are most comfortable with.

As far as safety goes, you need to use your normal safety practices that you do in your shop when using the scroll saw. Use your own judgment and follow your manufacturer's instructions on the equipment and supplies. I cannot accept responsibility for accidents resulting from how you use the information provided here. I merely want to show you which techniques work for me.

With that said, I hope this class proves to be both fun and educational to you all. There are many different applications in which you can use your scroll saw in creating other, larger projects. Or you can use it on its own to make projects ranging to basic and simple to very intricate and elaborate. There really is no limit, which is why I find working with the scroll saw so exciting. It is a very versatile tool that requires a small amount of space (I scroll saw on the side of my kitchen!) and makes very little mess, unlike larger saws or other tools. It is a great way to do a little creative woodworking even if you have a very limited area to work in and budget.

In creating the projects for the class, I have decided that since there are many different techniques and aspects to scroll sawing, the best way to show you these is by us creating several smaller projects. I will be sharing with you many different small ornament patterns that I have designed, and each which will focus on a particular technique. This will allow us to work on different thicknesses of wood using different sizes and types of blades. It will also be less costly to you than investing in one large project or lots of materials. You will be able to use scraps from around your shop to practice on and keep you cost minimal. You can also practice by making the items several times if necessary, to really understand what you are learning to do.

I will give a general supply list on the next post. But for now, I would like to as you to 'sign up' so I have an idea of how many people are going to follow along. Please acknowledge your participation either in the comment section here, or via a personal message to me. I ask that you give me your name (first name is fine, but both names is OK too), email, experience you have on the scroll saw, and if you wish, a couple of lines as to your goals for the class or what you want to see here. It will help me make a better class for you and address your needs better.

I will be mainly teaching through this blog, but I will also have some videos from time to time to illustrate different cutting techniques and other issues that come up. I will do as many videos as possible, but I don't want to limit those who are on dial-up connections and don't have access to internet videos, as some have brought to my attention. Even if I do a illustrate an idea using a video, I will still have photographs presented here to try to show the same thing on the blog, so everyone can follow.

So that is it for now. I will do my best to make this a fun and educational experience for all of us. I hope that you will join us!
Is this on line class still going? I have a new scroll saw and want to learn how to use it properly. Thanks!
 
#485 ·
Susan - welcome to the forum. What kind of saw do you have and what projects are you interested in ?
I had a scroller years ago (an old Craftsman) but just recently got a used DW-788 and get most of my information from watching the YouTube videos.
We're looking forward to seeing some of your projects.
 
#486 ·
Also check out Steve Good, join his mail list. He sends out a free pattern almost every day. I have made a bunch of his designs
 
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