Travis

No worries. Nobody's mad. It makes for an interesting discussion of big communities vs small communities. I see the pros and cons of each. Quite honestly, I don't visit other sites very often. SSV keeps me plenty busy.

What are you trying to put tenons on? Is it something you can handcut with knives or chisels?

We've been around for awhile. SSV was founded on January 1, 2009. We're a small community, but I think we have a wealth of info, resources and amazing members who'll help you out when you get stuck. We get about 500-600 people per day visiting, most of which are lurkers or folks looking for free patterns (we have nearly 1,500 free patterns available). While we don't have the backing of a huge publishing company, I think our tight-knit group is a great place to talk shop with fellow scrollers. Plus, if you have a question, you'll get some some great answers without the risk of your question getting buried in the forums. But that brings up a good point. Big websites vs small websites? They both have their pros & cons. What do you like about each? What do you think?

Valentine's is just 10 days away. Are you making something for your better half? If so, what are you making?

I don't sell on Etsy, but I plan on trying it this year. Here's a few things I've picked up along the way while reading about it. You have to list items often. If you have a bunch of stuff to list, do it over a week or so. The way their search engines work is they look for the most recent listing. So if you list consistently, you'll get better results. Etsy is HUGE, so you really have to network. Joining Etsy teams, participating in the forums, adding artists to your circles and doing treasuries will get you exposure. It's almost better to think of Etsy as a social network. If you don't participate, you'll be lost in the cracks. You'll have to do a lot of your own promotion too. Create a Facebook page, create a blog, do videos. Pretty much anything to get you exposure outside of Etsy. That will drive more traffic to your store. Link where you can (without spamming) to your etsy store. On SSV, you're allowed to add a link to your website/etsy store in your signature. Do some research as to what sells. Just browse other people who do similar work. On the side of their storefront, you'll see how many sales they've had. Click on that link to see what they sold. Don't copy them, but it should give you an idea of what Etsy buyers like (Etsy buyers have their own aesthetic, and often follow trends). Also, read their Blog. Etsy wants you to succeed. The more money you make, the more money they make. Their blog has a lot of great articles, inspiration, and business advice. You should also check out their Seller's Handbook. Check out this blog on the business side of crafting: Designing An MBA. Lots of great business advice. Also check out other blogs and websites for advice. There are also a number of books on Amazon that cover selling crafts online. I hope this gets you on your way. Perhaps some Etsy sellers here can add their experiences.

You still have access your old gallery at (http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/oldgallery/index.php?cat=10117). You won't be able to upload anything to this gallery since we're migrating over to our new gallery. For sharing new pictures, you'll have to use the new gallery. Just click the "User Gallery & Pattern Library" tab. Then in the upper right, click Upload. If you're uploading a pattern, click "Upload Pattern" then choose the New Patterns category and upload your pattern. If you're uploading pictures of some of your work, click "create album" first and set up your new album. From there, you can upload your pics. After you have your first album set up, future uploads can be placed in the album or you can create a new album. To choose an existing album, click "select album," then choose the album you want to upload to. Let me know if you run into any other troubles or have any questions.

Hmmmm....strange. If you get around a different computer, you should give it a try just to see what happens.

Nope. I'm not sure why you're not seeing it. It works fine for me. Are you seeing other pictures from user albums? I attached what it should look like. You could try rebooting your computer and see if that helps. It could be that your internet is fast enough and it's timing out. I'd check to make sure your browser is up to date. Check to see if Java is up to date (I don't think Java loads the pictures, but it's worth a shot). What browser are you using?

For the oil, I'd get a disposable baking pan and fill it a bit with oil and dunk it like Kardar2 suggested. Then I let it dry on either cardboard or on a bed of nails or painter's pyramids (like these). That's the easiest way to oil your projects. Then I usually use a spray can of spray acrylic to topcoat it (after the oil has dried).

Great Find. I love American Woodshop. I don't get PBS anymore, so it was fun to go through all the videos. Thanks for the link!

Nope. Nothing is needed except perhaps a PayPal account. They don't ask for anything. I think if you set up an official business, then you'll need one for your taxes. But for Etsy, nothing is required.

We are now able to log into Scroll Saw Village using either your Facebook or Twitter account. The Benifits: Many of us are always logged into either Facebook or Twitter, but not always logged into our favorite forums (read; Scroll Saw Village ) Now it's simple as clicking the Facebook or Twitter icon to login. It makes it easier to share great articles and forum threads. Simply click your share button (at the bottom of the article or thread) and a popup window appears where you can edit your message before automatically posting to Facebook or Twitter. When you compose a new post, you have the option of updating your Facebook/Twitter status with a link. You can automatically update your profile picture or status. You can even update Facebook/Twitter from your profile page. You have full control what you share. You can manage what stuff gets updated from your profile page (Edit Profile>Manage Facebook, Edit Profile>Manage Twitter). I personally chose none of the update options. I just use it to log in and share links. But you can choose to do what you're most comfortable with. To set it up: Log out of SSV. Then relog in by clicking either the Facebook/Twitter icon at the top of the screen or by clicking Sign In and choosing either Facebook/Twitter from the login screen. You'll be taken to either Facebook or Twitter (depending on which you chose) which will ask for you to log in. It'll also tell you what info can be accessed (this is software side and pretty general statements. Neither myself or other members can access this unless you specify). Click OK. You'll return to SSV. If the email from Facebook/Twitter matches what we have on SSV, you'll be logged in automatically. Check to make sure your username is correct, especially if you have more than one SSV account (which you shouldn't, BTW). If it doesn't match anything we have on record, You'll have the option of either creating a new account or connecting it to an existing SSV account. If you already have an SSV account, connect it. Don't start a new account unless you don't have one already. That's it! Now if you're logged into Facebook/Twitter, you can simply click the icon to log into SSV! Enjoy!

H'bout we start this Thursday at 7pm MST. It would be fun to talk to fellow scrollers in real time. Grampa used to host the UK chat once a week. If someone from the UK wants to organize one, that would be awesome. I know we have a number of members on the other side of the pond.

ICQ is an ancient instant messenger. I should probably remove it. I don't think anybody uses it anymore.

In the early days of SSV, we used to have a Thursday night chat. I was wondering if we should bring that back? I don't think that many use the chat room because there is no set time. Perhaps if we had a night set aside, perhaps we can get some folks gathering. Indecently, the chat room is always open. When someone is in the chatroom, there is a little red number next to the Chat Room tab that indicates how many people are in the chat room. So when you see the red flag, pop in and say hi. Anyway, waddya think? Should we bring back Thursday Night Chats?

I'm pretty sure that would be the reaction in Los Angeles too.

I love the different species for the puzzle. Don't see that very often. Nice job!

I think ti just depends on the desk. Basically, it has to be pretty heavy and rigid for it to cut down on vibration. I think a 2x4 table would work well. I've seen some folks build a box on the bottom and fill it with sand to add weight. When it needs to be moved, they just empty out the sand and move it to where they need it.

Great tip! I have a lightbox I built out of plexiglass and pine boards. Really handy when you need it. Sounds like a nice setup you're building. Be sure to post pictures of your light box/photo tent. I'd be curious to see it.

Here's a quick tip for ya that I picked up from another magazine. Many of us will clean our scroll saw bed (or any tool bed for that matter) with WD-40 and then put a coat of paste wax onto the bed. This helps protect the bed from rust and it helps your project slide easier when working. Next time your bed needs a quick fix, grab a sheet of wax paper and rub down the bed. It deposits a thin film of wax that will protect your bed and makes your projects slide easier. It doesn't last as long as the method I described above, but it sure is quick. Pick up a roll of wax paper at the dollar store and you should be set for awhile.

Corel Draw is best for regular patternmaking, but not portraits. Steve Good has a lot of tutorials on using Corel Draw. I haven't played with Corel Draw since the mid 90's, so I'm not sure how easy it is to learn. I certainly think it's a great option. For portrait making, perhaps Photoshop Elements. It's not too expensive and has a lot of great features. The concepts of portrait patternmaking I cover in my GIMP class apply, but the process and location of the buttons will be different. I'll probably still suggest GIMP and Inkscape for a couple reasons. First, they're free. Free is always good in my book. Second, if you get stuck, we'd be able to help you out. Many folks here have gone through the classes and can give advice & support. GIMP and Inkscape are not as polished as the commercial counterparts, but I think they do pretty dern good and certainly meets the needs of scroll saw pattern makers. Others can weigh in on their thoughts.

Those look amazing! You do really nice work. Hopefully the custom orders are rolling in. Thanks for sharing.