Travis

Scroll Saw Chat tonight! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. But I hope everybody else is able to stop by. Last week we had quite a few folks online. It was a lot of fun!

That's a clever idea. I bet you can scroll some patterns or even their name into it.

Great find. I added it to our Fonts list. Thanks for letting us know!

I replied to your other post about the same issue. I'll re-post below: I haven't had anybody else mention the problems you're talking about, which leads me to believe it's either your computer or your internet access. I'm guessing since you're using public wifi, it's your internet access that times out. I'm not sure how much more I can help. Anybody else having issues?

5 bars means the signal strength, not bandwidth. If 100 people are using the internet, you're going to have super slow internet, even though you have a good connection. If only 1 person is using it, you'll have faster internet. Many companies who provide free internet also throttle the upload/download speeds so they can accommodate many users without the risk of crippling their own access.

I hold the board stationary and move my saw clockwise.

Sounds like you're on a slow connection if you're using the same WiFi you did the other day and having trouble. If you're on a slow connection, not all the data will get to your machine and you lose connection to the server.

Ouch. Heal up....but heal up quickly...I want to see more pictures.

You can take out the screw and check the end to see if there is a slight bur. If so, you can sand that off and it will grip better. I also like taking sandpaper pinched between my fingers, grip the end of the blade and give it a couple scuffs. It'll give a bit more grip and remove any oils that might be on the blade.

I suppose it depends on how you want to sell them; word of mouth, craft fairs, online? If you want to sell by word of mouth, I'd just make the stuff you enjoy making. Give away a few to some friends or guys at work. It won't take long before you're getting orders and you can start charging. But if you're doing it casually, just make the stuff you want to make. Otherwise, it becomes work and you won't enjoy it as much. If you want to sell at craft fairs, I suggest going to a bunch to get a feel for what's popular in your area. Each area has it's own vibe and what people want to buy. Coastal towns like lighthouses. Places like Montana might like wildlife. Urban might appreciate portrait more, etc. This way you can get a general idea of what people like and when you come across a project/pattern that might fit, I'd go with that. But for some basic suggestions: Simple wooden toys, mini-clocks, puzzles, bowls/treenware, custom orders for portraits. Online, you'll have to do some research too. Etsy.com is by far the most popular. It takes quite a bit of work to keep it going as you'll have to network, come up with new products regularly, and list new items often. You'll have to focus on what sells that takes the least amount of time. Natural toys are hugely popular (look up Waldorf toys), anything to do with pets/dogs, home decor, and seasonal stuff.

Scroll saw chat tonight at 7pm MST. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. We're flying to Portland OR to check the place out for my potential job transfer. I hope other folks can make it, though!

I heard this news story on NPR. It sounds like the Marmite factory in New Zealand is back in business! I immediately thought of my UK friends on SSV. Marmite is freekin' amazing! Don't get me wrong, it tastes terrible! It took me 2 weeks of spreading this foul black sludge on my toast before I acquired the taste. Now I'm a better man for it. I have a giant bottle in my cupboard and spread it on my toast every morning.

To download a pattern, click the thumbnail. This will take you to the pattern details page along with a medium sized picture. Click the picture again, and the original sized picture will open up in a pop-up window. From there, you can right click and choose Save As and save it to your computer. Let us know if you run into any troubles.

That was pretty amazing. I'm surprised he can get so close and they ignored him. Reminds me of Jane Goodall and her interaction with the chimps.

Vista is an operating system, not a web browser. If you click Help then click About Internet Explorer, it will show you which version you're running. I think Vista can run up to IE9. You can try upgrading to 9 and see if that helps. There are two browsers that I recommend; Firefox or Google Chrome. These are really great browsers that are W3 compliant and constantly updated. I also find they're more secure and run faster than Internet Explorer.

Hi Ken. The download cart in the Old Gallery isn't working anymore. I had to remove that functionality when we switched software. So you'll have to download each one manually (click the thumbnail to take you to the picture details page, click the picture to pop-up the full size picture, right click and Save As to save it to your computer). The new Pattern Library doesn't have a download cart. I'd like to add one in the future, but I'll have to wait until someone can code it for me. Until then, you'll have to save them manually. (click the thumbnail to take you to the details page, click the picture and the screen will darken and show the full size image, right click on the image and Save As to save it to your computer).

I would say the 8yo is certainly old enough. The 5yo might be, depending on maturity and interest. I would have them make a toy of some sort. A simple car cut from 3/4" wood, a dowl and a couple wheels from a craft store would be perfect. Plus, they get to paint them, which they have a ton of fun with. Here's a few I made for my son. Here's a bunny car pattern, just in time for Easter. Here's a bunny puzzle that would be pretty easy too. You can make a rainbow or a cave really easy. Just take some 3/4" poplar and cut some wavy lines. This is perfect so they don't have to be so concerned about following the line. Have them sand down the edges and paint them with craft paints. I know my son loved playing with these type of toys. They're very popular on etsy and really encourages imaginative play.

Here's a really cool project from Steve Ramsey of Woodworking For Mere Mortals. If you haven't checked out his videos, you really should. They're a lot of fun and he makes woodworking fun and accessible, the way it should be. Anyway, this clock can easily be made with a scroll saw. You can find the plans for this clock on his website here.

Hahaha...nice! I was a little nervous opening the tread. All I could think of are bird houses in a red light district. I'm glad it wasn't!

I love it! You did an amazing job on it! Nicely done! Are the pieces stained, or are they different species of wood?

That turned out great! So what did she think? Did she enjoy it? Do you think you can convince her to pick up tools and try a project?

You can find the book a bit cheaper on Amazon, plus it has a book preview which should give you an idea of the project and the other projects. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561583995/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1561583995&linkCode=as2&tag=rayzcach-20 That turned out amazing! I love it! Is it going to set on the shelf? Or did you make it to be played with? I'm not sure if I could resist running it across the carpet. What lucky kids. Honestly, is there anything better than a handmade toy?

If you're cutting a standard jigsaw puzzle, I'd go with the Superior Puzzle Blades. They are super thin, cut great, and you'll get tight interlocking pieces. If you're doing a standing puzzle, or tray puzzle, I'd use a #3 scroll reverse. The pieces will be fairly tight (make sure you get perpendicular cuts or they'll only fit one way...be careful to not flex the blade while cutting), but still have a bit of room so they fit easily. If you're doing a puzzle for a little kid, I'd use a #5 scroll reverse. It gives the pieces a little "breathing room" so they fit together easier. Anyway, those are my rules of thumb.