jowshu

This is a problem that plagues most of us at some time or another. I just started selling at craft shows this past fall and learned alot from several posts at the scrollsaw woodworking and crafts forumn. http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll ... ness-side/ Basically what I do is follow the formula one of the very nice members there kind of laid out and it works for me for the most part, still trying to find the sweet spot but did okay at the shows I did. The market you're in will ultimately guide you but one thing I wish more of us would do is value their work and time a little more. I have gone on sites such as Etsy and see people with similar items I have cut and they are practically being given away. I just can't see how their making anything on them. I guess on the other side of this maybe I value my time too much? Don

I'm with woodnthings, get the best saw you can it really makes a difference! I made the same mistake he did with the Ryobi and it's still sitting in my shop reminding me every time I look at it! I struggled with that piece of $%#@$ for about a year before I broke down and got a used Dewalt 788, and the whole time thought it was me doing something wrong. Try different saws out if you can and you'll see the difference which also goes for blades. Don

Like Barry, I saw some fretwork way back when and always said to myself I really like that. Never having the time to get into it I would pick up the occassional magazine or catalog of patterns, glutton for punishment. Finally got a saw after talking my wife into how easy it would be to make a pine wood derby car with my son. Since then I haven't looked back, it's a great stress reliever (except I started selling at shows this holiday season which seemed to counteract the stress relief somewhat, last minute decisions aren't always the best ideas). All in all I too find it very zen like, can just go out in the shop and lose myself in what I'm cutting, so far I haven't found anything else like it. Don

I've made a couple of trivets and finished them off with Danish oil. Haven't has any complaints or heard any problems. Don

Hi everyone!! As a frequent visitor to SSG I signed on to SSV the first day and I'm a member of several other sites as well so some of you may have seen me around. I'd like to thank Travis for this great idea and site!!! I've been scrolling about 3 years now after being intrigued by the random magazine I'd pick up here and there. Well as luck would have it my son joined Cub Scouts and we needed to build a pine wood derby car which gave me the reason I needed to go by a scroll saw (at least that' what I told the wife ). That saw (Ryobi) was a miserable PITA and now sits collecting the sawdust off of my 788. I use it to teach my kids how to scroll and it will get some more use next month when the scout den comes to my workshop to work on their derby cars this year. I really like fret work and would like to try intarsia someday. I have made a few patterns of some of my photos as that's one of my other hobbies. I made a pattern and memorial portrait of our cat that we had to put down this past year which I'll post sometime soon. I've been predominately making gifts and would like to start selling some things this year. Don

Saw, table saw, compressor, work benches etc. are all out in the garage along with a lot of other stuff that my wife has for HER yard (your not alone Ron!!). After working in the frigid cold last year and staring at an unused furnace in the garage I had someone come in and get it working (hadn't used it in the 6+ years we've lived here). $500 later I can turn the heat on and have a nice warm garage, and my wife thought scrolling was an "inexpensive" hobby Don

I have my Dewalt in its stand with the back adjustment set all the way to tilt it forward. I picked up a couple of those Craftsmen shop stools and have taken to recently using a magnifier (have had it for a while and didn't really like it, now I find myself swinging over just about all the time). Anyway there seems to be something wrong in my setup because if I can only seem to go an hour before I start to feel it in my neck and back. I was thinking I'm probably sitting up to high and thought of trying a lower chair to get my head lower to just above the table. This is a good thread because hearing how others have addressed this may help us find something that works and allow us to be more comfortable and cut longer. Thanks, jowshu (Don)

Travis, I only print those that I think I'll cut sometime soon, my problem is I'm running out of hard drive space and the time to organize all of the great patterns!!! I've made a couple of patterns for family that I have cut and as I learn I hope to share so as to return the favor. My avatar is a photo I took (my other hobby). Not sure if I'm looking at the craft show circuit, etsy or both yet, trying to find a niche first. Life is busy for me as well which is why this hoilday season came and went and I wasn't ready; too busy out hunting (nothing to show for that this year either, except the joy of being in the great outdoors!) jowshu I would bet most scrollers get stuck in that loop...LOL. I'm guessing we probably have a stack of patterns a foot thick and keep printing more out every day! I know for a fact that I read and research scrolling MUCH more than I actually scroll! I can't help it. Are you going to try the craft show circuit? I know several scrollers that had some pretty good luck with Etsy.com. I've always wanted to try my hand at selling some of my work. But I think I'll have to wait until life slows down a bit. BTW...I really like your avatar.

Sorry Gray I just realized it's called Photoshop Elements now, not LE anymore

Hi Gray, I'm fairly new to making patterns but have been a user of Photoshop for years. Take a look at Photoshop LE which you can get for about $100, maybe less if you do some looking. It does everything you need it to and is geared to the "home" user. I've also downloaded Inkscape and have found it great in converting a pixel based pattern into a vector based based which is much cleaner and user friendly for rescaling and you can also find some free royalty free clip art to use in it or do your own designs. jowshu

I thought I was the only one that planned to scroll something only to find the day gone and with nothing cut. All because of searching great sites like these for info or something really cool to cut!! As a former mentor once taught me..."don't get paralysis by analysis, research a little, make a choice, get it done, learn from your mistakes, and enjoy the accomplishment". This is one of my resolution for the year, the second part is cutting enough to try and sell something........ but I'm still researching what to sell. jowshu

I'm currently cutting some crosses for some late Christmas gifts. Having a 2nd Christmas get together with some family that was away so not really late but scrambling to get them cut and finished for Sunday. I'll upload photos when done. jowshu

Travis, I just posted (4) photos in my user gallery and than realized I wasn't sure if I was supposed to place photos in the reply or not. Please count the photos in my gallery towards my entries. Thanks again, jowshu

Travis, Great site!! Well worth the wait! I've enjoyed your blog for some time now and was more than curious to see what you were planning, I'm more than pleasantly surprised!! Please throw my name into the hat!! Happy new year, jowshu