Barry5180

I agree with Jim. The contrast of the two different colors works well. It sort of allows the piece to look like a yin/yang symbol. Soothing to say the least. Great job on it Michael Barry

Really nice job on that Dick. She's going to love it. Thanks for sharing your work with us. Barry

That's a really cool idea, and yours came out great. Can't wait to see the new one once you get the shop all set up. Barry

Flying Dutchman are terrific. Mike delivers awesome customer service and if you tell him the type of woods and thicknesses you commonly use, he can help you select the best blades for you. I love the spirals, puzzle blades, and Ultra Reverse. Let us know what you think once you get them. Control is a combination of quite a few factors. Saw vibration, skill, type of wood, type of blade, etc. If you are cutting 1/4" or thinner stock, you may want to try a smaller sized blade (#2 or #3 instead of #5 or #7). Also, selecting a blade with more teeth per inch (TPI) will give you a bit more control as well since they can't clear the sawdust as fast and the teeth are smaller. You could also try stack cutting a few pieces of the thin stock. This will provide more resistance and cause the blade to cut slower. The short version of the answer is to keep trying different blades and practicing until you come up with what combination works for you. That's the best part about this hobby. There is no right or wrong way, it's all about what does the trick for you. BArry

As much as I would love full size equipment, I've gotten pretty good working with the benchtop stuff. It all usually requires a little more careful setup and the occasional work around with some things, but they get the job done and I don't have to climb over anything in the shop.

Great job Keith! I can't believe you did the whole thing with spirals. I usually use them only for portrait work with lots of curved lines. For something like this I would have used a regular blade. Spirals make this project that much more impressive. Bravo Barry

10x10 isn't bad. I was working out of a small walk-in closet for about a year. Depending on the type of woodworking your doing that could be more than enough. Welcome back too. Barry

You did a great job on that pattern Michael. I got the same pattern from Sue. It's a fun cut with just enough challenging parts to keep it interesting. Barry

Love these elves. They would look great painted too. Barry

Very cool Doc. I hadn't thought of cutting discs off of a log and turning them into ornaments. Now ya got me thinking. Barry

Thank you so much Kevin for sharing your past work with all of us. You did a great job on those pieces. Can't wait to see some more pictures from other boxes. Barry

Nice job on that cutting. Looks great Barry

Terrific job on that piece Keith. I'm sure they will love it. Barry

Richard, we might just be married to the same person, or we married the two smartest women on the planet because mine frequently reminds me that she knows everything. lol BArry

Holy cow Don! That Big Boy is 4' long! Here I thought I did some stuff that was large. You do some great pattern work. I usually have anywhere from 10 to 20 hrs in a pattern. I'm hoping to reduce that since it makes doing custom work a little less profitable due to the time investment. Barry

Can't wait to see what comes off of it. Barry

Great pattern Don. Would love to know your secret in getting them done so fast. That only took 2hrs and 45 minutes from original post to finished pattern. Fantastic! Barry

It's just like using the scrollsaw Kevin, just takes a bit of practice. I'm about as artistic as a rock and can't even draw a stick figure. If you have patience, time, and the desire, there is nothing you can't accomplish. I just can't figure out how some of these guys get these things done so fast! Barry

Are you sure about that Michael. I usually find that when you ask 10 scrollers for their opinions on a subject, you will usually end up with 11 or more opinions...lol That's what makes scrolling great. For the most part, there is no single right way to do anything. I will routinely try something I haven't tried before just to see if it may be a better way for me to do it. Sometimes they work for me and sometimes they don't. We can always learn something from each person we interact with. That's what makes the Village such an awesome place. Barry

Your wife is an excellent pattern maker and did a great job capturing the look of each of these great talents. The finished cuttings as well turned out extremely well. You two make a great team. Barry

I like the setup Kevin. That looks like a bit more tilt than I would be comfortable with, but I just might have to try increasing the tilt on mine a bit more. I agree that looking down on the blade at a steeper angle makes it a bit easier to see where you're cutting. Barry

Who doesn't like gnomes? Great job. Barry

That's a great cutting Kevin! I love trains and that cutting really captures the look and feel of the locomotive. Can you remember who made the pattern? Barry

That turned out great Michael. I like your choice of background for the photograph as well. Barry

Those are terrific Don, and very cute. Having a dozen or two scattered around in strategic places would be an interesting way to display them. It would make the house look like it's been overrun with elves. Barry