greasemonkeyredneck

Ok. I got a challenge for you now Kevin. Go to http://www.wildwooddesigns.com/Eiffel-T ... 13C26.aspx It's a pattern for the Eiffel Tower from Wildwood Designs. That stand three feet tall and the base is sixteen inches square. I have actually considered doing that one. I've seen that design made with small clock inserts on the top of the tower. It's a very nice designs. Are you up for it? Oh. I got your email and saved your address. Let me get some free time and I'll write you back.

I just got this within a message as a PM, but figured I'd post it publicly. The PM said: "i know you like to modifie things to your likeing ,but i have'nt heard anthing about what you had changed on the chandelier" As a matter of fact Kevin, I did change a few things. Here we go. According to the plans, the thickest parts were supposed to be something like 4mm or something, equallyong out to about 1/8". One, I couldn't get that thickness material locally and couldn't afford to have it shipped. Therefore I used 1/4" luan plywood from Home Depot. This sounds easy. Using it involved changing the entire pattern though. Everything is slotted to fit together. So all those 1/8 slots had to be widened to 1/4". Because of the delicate, and close, nature of a lot of edges on various pieces, that meant I had to redraw a lot of it. Also according to plans, the curned pieces (domes and fence pieces under each dome) were supposed to be about 1/16". Once again, couldn't get it. I though I could plane that though and do them out of solid wood. That didn't work. Long story short, I wound up making them pieces out of 10mil veneer. This stuff was thin as paper. It looks great though. It was interesting figuring out how to cut it, but I think I may make a point of incorporating this into future projects. To cut these pieces (veneer is very fragile) I stack cut (for example) the twelve identical pices for the bottom dome all at one. I cut twelve piece the size I needed for my pattern. You cut it using a razor knife. Then I sandwiched those twelve pieces between two pieces of 1/4" plywood and brad nail it all together. This held it all together and provided support under and over it so the veneer wouldn't tear to pieces on the scroll saw. This chandelier holds 24 candles. I wanted an option to use something besides open candles on it though. However, I also wanted to leave the option open for someone to use candles if they wished. So I found some flameless candles that looked nice and run on little batteries. I made some little platforms for these battery operated candles to sit on. Under each platform is a little round stud that just fits into each candle holder. This keeps it in place while also allowing it to be removed to use real candles if one wished. Speaking of the candle holders, they were changed too. There is supposed to be eight "legs" or sides to each candle holder. I used four. Because of my use of thicker wood, eight just wouldn't work good without making it look too "jumbled". So I redrew those as well and used four. Well that's all the changes I can think of really. Of course there are small things throughout. I always think of a pattern as a road map. Just because there is a road there doesn't mean I have to take it. I can always chart my own course as I go. In other words, I make it up as I go along. This makes each project unique, even if it's the same. I've had people in the past want something "exactly like the other one" they have seen at someone's house or something. I always explain that I can make one similar, but because I change things in projects "at the saw", this means that no two pieces are ever EXACTLY the same. That's a good thing in my opinion though. Have you went and looked at the photos on my blog, Kevin? They are better photos there. I tried to post those same ones here, but it gave me a warning that the file was too large. I'm sure there's some way to do it anyway, but I don't know how. You can see them at http://wddsrfinewoodworks.blogspot.com/ if you'd like. If you like seeing them there, please leave me a comment there. I've been trying to get readers there to leave comments. I'm trying to encourage more reader involvement on my blog by use of the comment button under each of my posts. *Sorry for the shameless plug here, Travis*

I wish! I am often asked by different people, "How can I make a living at woodwork?" My reply is always the same. You don't. I have never been able to sell one of my pieces for anywhere near what it is worth when you figure up the time I have in it. Once again, I wish. This is not what has had me MIA for so long. I'm afraid I don't want to go into that though. Actually, this project took a total of about three weeks to complete. As for the coffee? My normal, three to four pots a day. You could always try the Grotesques Chandelier http://www.finescrollsaw.com/grotesques-chandelier.htm I had looked at that one. I don't like it too much I'm afraid. I'm thinking about doing the Dome Clock from Wildwood Designs. They also have a cabinet on there with all kinds of scroll work. It looks like it would be a challenging, and lengthy, project. I don't know yet. I appreciate any and all suggestions, but I really have to look at each option. A project has to "speek" to me.

I do apologize for the crappy photos. I took some better photos with my wife's camera, but apparently, they are too large of a file size to upload here at Scrollsaw Village. If anyone would like to see the chandelier better, it can be seen, along with all of my work on my blog, at http://wddsrfinewoodworks.blogspot.com/ This is the Italiante Chandelier. I ordered the pattern for it from Wildwood Designs. It is four feet tall and thirty six inches wide at it's widest point. It holds twenty four candles. The main frame is made of luan plywood. The curved pieces are made of 10 mil veneer. Everything else is made of cottonwood. This is the most challenging project I've ever done. The largest pieces were 18"x24" and had to be stack cut six at a time out of 1/4" plywood. The pattern had to be the worst pattern I've ever paid money for, but that's another story. It was like a giant jig saw puzzle. It took me around three weeks to complete it. If anyone else want to order the plans and construct this, just contact me if you need advice and I'll help any way I can. I know Frieke was supposed to start this project some time ago. I haven't heard from her and would like to know how her's turned out. If you read this freike, my email address is greasemonkeyredneck@yahoo.com if you aren't ready to post results here. Let me know how you're coming along on yours. I thoroughly enjoyed building this. Now I have to decide what my next "challenge" project will be. Any suggestions?

To answer Kevin's questions: No fish. Money and health made it impossible to even take the boat out this past summer. Every time I see my boat sitting there dry, I want to cry. My son finally got rid of the 4x4. He got tired of dumping money into that money pit. I could have saved him a lot of cash if he'd only listened to me to begin with. I sold a grand total of 0 rockers for Christmas. As a matter of fact, I've sold that exact same amount of anything in the last nine months. Blame it on the economy. Blame it on the area I live in. Hell, even blame it on my crappy abilities if you want. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that things aren't moving. The last one isn't a question, but I will be posting in the bragging rights section in a few minutes of the project I've been most asked about in the last few months from you and others. THE CHANDELIER IS FINALLY DONE!

I haven't been around in a while. After a private message came through my email box from Kevin though, I thought I'd drop in and let everyone know what I'm working on. The photo above I think tells the story. I finally got started on the Italiante Chandelier. I built a different chandelier quite a while back. It turned out to be a lot easier than I had anticipated and I wanted more of a challenge. That's where the Italiante came in. I found the plans for it. I ordered the plans a long time ago, but for other reasons, I'm just now getting a chance to start on it. I've got about a week in it right now and probably at least two or three more weeks of work to do. This chandelier will be four feet tall, thirty six inches wide, and hold twenty four candles. I am so sorry I haven't been participating online lately as much as I used to. I really don't want to go into too much detail, but several life changing events have kind of thrown me into a whirlwind the past several months. I promise to one day come back and be more active. Until then, anyone is welcome to keep up with my latest works at http://wddsrfinewoodworks.blogspot.com/ . I post any new projects there. I welcome comments there. I just haven't been up to too much as far as discussion forums go though. Anyway, I wish you all well. Any of you can also email me at greasemonkeyredneck@yahoo.com . Merry Christmas to you all.

If you're going to dream you may as well dream big, huh? Seriously, from the time I really got interested in scrolling I've said I want an excaliber. I even devised a plan to save so much at a time and could tell you to the day how long before I got my excaliber (the time frame always worked out to a rediculous amount of years). Well recently I got the chance to spend about an hour on an excaliber (first time actually seeing one besides pictures). I met with a local woodworker. Yes, other woodworkers exist in my area. Who'da thunk it? I explained to him my dream of owning one of those fine machines. He told me they were nice to have but that I should spend a little time on the machine before dropping that kind of dough. To make the long he said I said story short, I wound up spending about an hour on his excaliber. I can quite saving money now. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine machine. So is a Cadillac compared to my old Chevy but that doesn't mean I'm saving money for one of those. It's a great piece of machinery, yes. Is it worth the pricetag, not in my opinion.

Christmas is coming up fast. Sue Mey has a good deal going. You can get forty of her popular cross patterns for around $40. You can do an internet search to find her or there's a direct link over on Steve Goode's site. Also, Sheila Landry has been doing a lot of nice Christmas patterns lately. Jump from page to page here at SSV and watch for the ad at the top of the page to jump straight to her designs. Either of those are good suggestions for things that would sell good soon and are pretty easy to cut.

Yesterday evening, I went and visited with a fellow woodworker I met through a different online forum. He does woodcarving, but still it was cool meeting someone locally that does woodwork besides construction work. I was starting to think I was the only one around within driving distance. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting visiting him and talking for a while about our shops and our past and future projects. After visiting for a while, I was getting ready to leave when I notice an interesting looking jig and asked him about it. I'm glad I did. I have struggled for a while to find a better, or should I say faster, technique for dovetail joints. I think dovetails is just the most beautiful joint there is for furniture and such. I just can't justify the time though to do handcut dovetails on most of my projects when I can't get enough money for them as it is. Anyway, this guy said that later on when there's more time he'll show me more about it, but this jig was for cutting dovetails on the scroll saw. As the title of this post suggested, another technique to be learned. When I know more about this one, I'll post more and maybe a few photos of the jig.

Do run and get your camera. Anyone who's not supportive, we'll give them five licks out behind the woodshed, and yes, some of us have woodsheds. I've been here a while now and think I can say this. By posting here at the village, I have actually seen people's skills improve from the feedback, including mine. We were all newbies to woodworking at some time. None of us were born with hammers in our hands.

With practice, if you decide you like them, you'll be able to cut fast as you can with any other blade. I do. Now for moving them off the line as you put it, I overcome that problem long time ago. The trick, for me anyway, is I run my blades a tad tighter than most people would deem necessary. The only drawback I have had with this method is my poor old Delta quickclamps catch hell. I have rebuilt them with non-factory parts such as machine screws more time than I can count. I already know that some of you may think this is going to cause the blades to break more, but not from my experience. Those little buggers are tougher than they look. The trick, and this takes trial and error, is to find that happy medium between tight enough not to wander but not so tight that they break as soon as you apply tension. All that being said, remember, I love spirals and use them almost exclusively. Unless you really like spirals, you will not want to go through the learning curve to use them the way I do. As has been said before, they are not for everyone. If you like them though, you can get good with them. Anyone who knows me here knows the quality of my work. I use spirals on all fretwork. As a matter of fact the only thing I don't use spirals on is my large projects like the rocking toys. I cut them on my old Craftsman direct drive that takes only pinned blades, and if they made pinned spirals, I'd use them for that too. I cut fast and I cut straight.

Tipped what saw on its side? And sanded? Please explain this to me. I'm always open to new technuque ideas. Are you talking about sanding strips for your scroll saw? The reason I'm asking, I'm hoping you were talking about sanding with a table saw. Bear with me. No I haven't lost my mind. I read somewhere in an old magazine, which I can't seem to locate now that my sons got interested in them, about sticking a stick on sanding disk to an old table saw blade, prefereably on an old second saw that's not being used, and using it as a nifty sander. When I read your post, I thought about this for the first time in ages. Now, I read this in a magazine from like the fifties and have never actually talked to anyone who's tried it. I've got three different stationary disk sanders. I just would like to know how that old idea worked. I'll bet your talking about a scroll saw though aren't you?

I don't do auctions. I'm in full agreement about the higher prices there. I've never seen a woodworking tool go through an auction for a good enough deal that I'd put my money on it. As for yard sales: Craftsman Scroll Saw - $25 Craftsman 1HP router - $12 25 Assorted bar clamps from 2' - 12' - $15 for all 23 C-clamps from 1" up to 14" - $10 for all Craftsman wet dry vac - $10 Stack of old Shopnotes magazines (42 of them) - $5 Unknown brand miter guage for my table saw with fine adjustments and stock clamp - $2 That's just what I can remember sitting here at the kitchen table. So, yea, I love yard sales. If I have at least a few bucks and some gas in the truck on Saturday mornings, I hit the classified section of the paper first.

I have this problem a lot. Lately it's gotten to where anything under a foot long is too small because of space. I'm running out of places to stick scrap wood.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I knew it had to be more to it than what I thought of. I guess I wouldn't make a good theif, huh?