JTTHECLOCKMAN

I love it. Those old timers sure knew what scrolling was all about. Foot powered saw. Today we complain when our electric saw breaks or needs repair. That story reminds me of another that I am very vague on the details but do remember there was a husband and wife who use to scroll together and they both used hand held fret saws. They did an article about them but do not remember what magazine it was in. They showed their work which was amazing. Todo it all with a hand saw was truely a wonder. I wish I could remember all the details. I want to say they were from Germany but could be wrong. Maybe someone here remembers the story. Stories like that should be documented somewhere to preserve for future scrollers

I do not want to flood the topic with my photos but was just trying to show the sheen I can get with different methods of finish. Back when I started I did not have a digital camera. Everything was rolls of film and now trying to transfer to digital has proven not in my wheelhouse so lot of my projects will not get seen except for those holding my photo albums. I use to bring them to shows and show them to customers to get ideas of what I make.

Thought I would get a conversation going about some of the past and present scrollsaw pattern makers we all have encountered. I will start with my story and this will probably be long because I have been scrolling for over 50 years now. Started on an old 2 speed Dremel saw back in the day and then bought a hegner 18" and a Dewalt 788 that basically fell in my lap when Home Depot was selling them out. Paid $80 brand new with stand. How do you pass that up. Then it was on to 2 RBIs. 220VS and 226VS and the rest is history. I started following Rick and Karen Longabough and did hundreds of his patterns over the years. Then it was Dirk Boelman and his beautiful patterns. Then it was Dan and Ray Wilckens and man their work was beautiful too. I also followed John Nelson and in fact I worked on many projects for him testing his designs for Steebar Corp. back when the owner was a great guy. when he passed that company went down hill but many of my projects are still featured in his catalog. I have done many of Sue Mey patterns as well. I have done a few of Steve Goods patterns over time. I never did many of Pat Spielman patterns. Must mention the great pattern makers here on this site that have helped me over time also. Shout out to them. I bring this up for a reason because I ran into an old thread on another forum where we talked about a couple of these greats. here is the thread and interesting read. I have to say the clock that Dirk Boelman had many scrollers complete was a site to see as he use to bring it to the scrollsaw picnics they use to hold every year. those that are old enough and go back to those days remember what I am talking about. Walk down memory lane folks. Check the photos out. You will notice I mixed the artists up and was questioning others about it and then it became clear. https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/general-scroll-saw/848105-put-those-minds-to-work

I always share any knowledge I can whenever a subject comes up that I have info on. Any questions asked of me and I will answer straight up. Now many times there is many more ways than mine to do certain things but I will share the ways that I do things over the years. Glad to help.

I now official hate you all. (just kidding) You made me go looking for the praying hands pattern. Kevin had it right. It is in this book. On page 82 under Religious clocks. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963311263/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0963311263&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 It is by Rick Longabough. I can tell his work anywhere for I made sooooooo many of his patterns over the years. You guys made me look in my filing cabinets that has 6 drawers filled with patterns. And within those there are a ton of patterns that I wanted to do over the years and as I looked through some I just kept shaking my head.

In the finishing world too it is a no-no to put lacquer over poly or vice versa too. But in the case of using lacquer over Danish oil is not a problem because the amount of poly in Danish oil is minimal. As I said unless you start using more than one coat because now you are building up the poly on the surface. The poly on the first coat is absorbed into the wood. I used this method all the time because I use Danish oil as a means of so called popping the grain as opposed to using just BLO. If you are afraid to use Danish oil and want to top coat then you better off using BLO and top coat with whatever you prefer. When I say I use waterbase lacquer, the product I only use is this. Been using it for years and love the look. What makes it nice to use is the ease to clean the gun. Just run water through it and when done I spray some denatured alcohol to dry the interior workings better. I spray all my desk watches with waterbase lacquer. https://www.targetcoatings.com/product/emtech-em6000-wb-production-lacquer/ Now I think I must explain my method of finishing projects like your praying hands clock and most of my projects including my shelves, mirrors, magazine racks and all clocks basically. But I make so many different items and there are some that I do differently. But for the majority I have always done this. Now this is my method of doing this stuff and have done it since I started. I cut as you do. I sand entire project with 220 grit paper. Blow dust off with air compressor. i do not assemble as you do. I dip in a large container of Danish oil. I let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes and pull item out and let it drip on a container lid lying flat so all fluids do not pool in all the fret work. Then I wipe for the first time and set aside on plywood with stickers under the piece so they are not laying flat. They stay that way until I am ready for final wipe down with clean cloth and again set on plywood the same way but they are now there to dry for ood. After about 3 days I am ready to wax them and the 3 days is approximate because of what I have planned or whatever else I am working on. I then coat each project with a light coat of Watco wood wax. I let sit again over night. next day a quick wipe down and polish the pieces and now they are ready for assembly and price tags and for sale. The waxing is an added step I have been doing because of the feel and the look of the soft sheen is tremendously appealing when people pick up and touch. Many people have commented on this. Now when using exotic woods for bases I use a different method. I again cut, sand and dip in Danish oils and wipe dry and wait till dry. I then use lemmon oil with Micromesh sanding pads to polish them. I do this because with exotic woods such as rosewoods they are closed grain woods that are oil filled. Yo use that to the advantage of putting a high gloss sheen on the wood by polishing it. After I MM it I will take it over to my buffing wheel and really put a sheen on it with buffing wheel using the white diamond and also a wood wax. These steps for finishing sets my work off compared to others work I have seen out there and believe me I have seen some others work. Does it mean anything in the long scheme of things, maybe not but to me it was the way I learned woodworking. Not to cut corners and present the best product I can. I have included a few photos that maybe you can see the different sheens of what I am talking about.

I will never use poly on any projects. I am a lacquer guy. Both Nitro and waterbased lacquers. It brings the depth of wood out more so than poly, I think. When I was making alot of those desk watches I would make them in batches too and then break out the big compressor and my HVLP spray gun and shoot them all with a waterbased lacquer. Doing things in bunches does help when doing production work. Now there is poly in Danish oil but it is so little it really just seals the wood and does not build unless you do more than one coat. I only dipped once. It left that soft sheen and the wood was so nice to feel in the hands because I would always finish sand with 220 grit. That is another product I went through alot. All projects sanded with 220 grit paper. I did not top coat much either. just certain projects needed it.

Yea that was an easy cut. This photo brings back memories as I did the same thing dip in Danish oil and let sit. Have so many different projects set on plywood I had set up in the garage. So many times I would do this. Went through alot of gallons of Danish oil over the years. Watco was and still is my choice today. They did change the mixture over the years but still does the job. I remember when Watco decided to stop making Danish oil and Home Depot was selling all they had for dirt cheap. I was like a kid in a candy store. I hit every Home Depot in the state of NJ just about. Couple gallons at each store. They had such a backlash from customers complaining that they brought it back with a few changes in formula. They said it was the same but anyone using it saw the difference in it. This made for an interesting discussion as it trended. I am sure they will all find a good home and be appreciated.

I have 15 routers and have them dedicated for various things. I have 3 of those Bosch Colt routers and they are great. I use one dedicated for my lathe all the time. I have a large router table set up in the shop but many times when I was doing those type clocks and scrollwork that needed profiles on edges I would take my small Craftsman table with router mounted in it outside and have at it. Did not worry about dust or chips. That router is a Porta Cable 690. Another workhorse. My lathe with router.

For just about all my sanding needs over the years, including sanding projects as your praying hands clock I always sand them with my Porta Cable 330 Bloc sander. It is a industrial grade sander and has been my workhorse for so many years. they do not make this sander any more and you can still find on ebay or garage sale but before they went out of business I bought a couple. I had burnt one up from use so now have 2 around that I always reach for. All you need is a good palm sander. I have the PC random orbital palm sander too and use that at times but as I said the 330 is my go to sander and always will be. Sanding those round corners is a matter of just using the edges of sander. Those clocks you made I always put a round over edge on the with my router and then I sand. Gives them a more finished look. Same thing with the base. A square base to me looks unfinished. Has to have some sort of edge weather it just be round over or a chamfer edge or a more routed detailed edge. It is something I always strive to make a finished product that has some details. Now I am not saying yours are not, just the way I do it and have since I started 40 years ago. I Have all kinds of sander and have used in certain situations. Have a Fein triangle detailed sander for tight corners. The latest sander I picked up and never thought I would ever find a use for is a hand held mini belt sander. but in my pen turning hobby I use this to sand down watch dial faces in the back so that I can make them a little thinner to be able to bend them easier to wrap around a pen tube for casting. love that thing. I am a tool nut. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072Q2FTLY?th=1&linkCode=li2&tag=cleverhandymen-20&linkId=c1ec59fbce60aad7c3e9caeff3576d8f&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-330-Speed-Bloc-Sheet-Sander/dp/B0000222Y9/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Jerry, you are absolutely correct. I believe 99% of scrollers are hobbyists . That 1% who sell as a business has to be lucky and really needs to drive the business and or have a backup plan as a second income because to make a living doing this in this day and age is not going to happen. prices of materials has gone up as well as demand is down. Many years ago back in late 80's and early 90's when I started I had grand visions of going full bore into this as a business. As I look back now I am so glad I did not but I did enjoy the path I took because I did see the good times and living the bad times now and have shifted my hobby focus basically totally to pens. This also can be a hard sell and a tough business because many pen turners out there because it is an easy item to make and sell. But like all these selling sites there are the cut throats and you have to compete with that. Doing a few shows a year and making a few bucks just makes sense to help support the hobby. Unlike golf or hobbies like that there is no return for your efforts. Scrolling there is. Getting stressed out about making deadlines and quantities is a job and most are past that time. This is an older generational hobby for sure and we a dwindling. You are 100% correct, there is no right or wrong way. just find your way and enjoy the ride. A Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. Keep the saws humming.

I will do. I have about 20 different pens I am working on right now plus I am casting a bunch of blanks to give away as prizes for our annual pen turning contest on another forum that I belong to. Members enter different skill contests and compete for prizes. It is a fun time and these contests run the whole month of Feb.

This turned out to be an interesting conversation. All nice videos. As I said it is always interesting to watch others scroll and see what their habits are and how they approach different situations. None are wrong, just different. I think beginners can learn alot by just watching others do it. I know I am that way. Just show me and I can easily pick things up. I know scrolling items such as puzzles are alot more difficult to do speed wise because of all the twists and turns and the small blade used. When I cut most my projects it is always a #5 double tooth reverse FD blade. Just love those blades. People also become obsessed with how their cuts look and sometimes try to be too perfect. Many times if a cut is not a direct straight line then various oops means nothing. That is what is nice about scrolling. Besides it does become mesmerizing after awhile. Thanks all and Happy Scrolling.

Interesting watching other people's techniques to scrolling. Couple things I noticed. The stop and start of the sawing. I never stop until that portion is cut out and even when backing out. I find it helps to keep saw running when backing out. Also and this would be a great poll question, I cut the opposite way. Wonder how many people cut left to right and how many right to left. I keep the teeth against the good part of pattern. Easier for me to shave if I have to. One other thing I would do is position the pattern on the bottom to a finished edge. this way I always know that the bottom is true on both sides of the pattern so when screwed to base there is no gaps between the pieces and less cutting on the bottom of the pattern. Little things that probably mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. But techniques and tricks we pick up as we advance our scrolling hobby over the years. So now we know it is possible to cut in 20 minutes and there was no real extra pushing hard to hurry the sawing. 1 down and 24 more to go. Nice job.

Very nice Frank. It reminds me of a pen I am working on with the religious saying Footprints in the Sand. Thanks for showing.

All about an assembly line Mr. Ford had it right. You plane the boards to thickness, sand them smooth and have all patterns cut out and printed and layout on board to get max use of wood. I will rough cut on either table saw or bandsaw to free each one. Take to drill press and drill all entry holes and can drill clock holes too. Then sit at saw for a couple hours and before you know it many are done. strip prints and quick sanding and ready for finish. I have jigs set up for bases for sizing and holes placement and drill and counter sink those. Dip finish and assemble in a day or 2. When I did the stores I got pretty darn efficient because I need every hour because I still had a real job too. Many jobs I was the boss so the people I worked under were high up the ladder and get the work done they never bother you. We are all replaceable Kevin. What do you think is going to happen with your business when you go to that big shop in the sky . What is the saying do something you love and it is like never going to work in your lifetime. Keep on scrolling.

Jerry as I said everyone cuts at a different pace plus if you have the saw cutting slower speed it will take abit longer. I too have cut these and many designs like this and average 20 minutes is very doable. It has 4 blade hole entries and then the outside form. With the saw constantly running it is all about hand eye coordination. I have been scrolling for over 40 years now and my biggest slow down factor is my eye sight. Not what it once was. An experienced scroller and production guy as Kevin is he should do it easily in 20 minutes. One blade is all that is needed. Doing that many the hand eye memory will even quicken because you know after the first few where the slow down parts are and you can spin right through them

Depending on the base but if it is basic like yours with a rectangle, I cut to length and width on the table saw and then use a quarter to mark the round edges and scrollsaw them off and then quick hit on a disc sander to clean up. Ones that I router are different story but I always like to put some shape on the base. That is not cheating. I use a branding iron to mark mine. Had a custom one made for me. I also include instruction on changing the battery in those clocks along with the supplied instructions of how to set it. If it has a clock it has instructions. I also add the fet dots to keep from maring any counter tops if need be. just my extra touches.

Again when doing large orders you set up a production line and it cuts down on time tremendously. You cut to size all bases, (your bases are very plain so that is an easy cut) and the same for the project wood. Size accordingly and before cutting you sand the entire board so that any sanding after is just quick sand to take away fuzzies and adhesive residue. Palm sander makes quick work. You set up a jig to drill and countersink holes for screws. Again production work. When doing this kind of work that is the first thing you learn is to do things in batches and cuts down time tremendously. Finish depends on how you apply. I am a dip and let dry guy. I have seen this type operation before and it becomes more mind numbing than fun. Packaging and shipping needs to be designated to help. These are Rick Longabough design. you can always tell because of the outside shape of the pattern. He used that on many of his small desk clock projects. I have made these in different sizes. The ones that accept the 2-3/4" inserts seem to do better when I was selling.

Everyone cuts at a different pace but with the design Kevin is talking about that is a 25 piece order, if you look there are few stop points. That is where you have to stop and move the blade to a different hole. There are 4 stop points within the pattern and then the outside cutting. This saves a ton of time when doing production work. if you can keep cutting and just concentrate on that then it does go fast. But as with most people that would bore the dickens out of me. he seems to enjoy it and believes he is making money doing these things is all that counts. My life is too short to focus on mind numbing projects. I had an order for 500 of two different type ornaments one time. The lady had various stores and she wanted them in her stores. they were a Christmas religious ornament. Well I cut 200 of each ornament and went to deliver to her and told her to find someone else. I could not do it and be happy. There is no money in work like that even though you think there is because of the numbers. Time is money and life is time.

Those are very cool. Nice work.

Have to ask who bought 25 of those clocks.? I make and sell them and have never sold more than 10 all time. Did they say what the plans were. That is an easy cut. 20 minutes tops for each one. Prep the wood and have at it.

Very glad you did well. Good to hear and maybe there is some hope for the craft shows yet. very nice work and nice display. I know about the working alone thing. I always had to beg my brother to give me a hand because of the carting and setting up and also able o deal with a couple shoppers at one time. Good job.

I too sold in stores like that for about 5 years. I was in 6 stores in 3 different highend malls in NJ. The owner was a husband and wife team that hired a couple of dedicated workers. It was based on a contract for certain amount of space. There was a commission but what was so nice was they did protect things, took all sales and orders and called you when orders were in or if they see your area being cleaned out and you need to restock. they wanted all crafters to do well and we did. My contracts varied because I was in so many of their stores and got great discounts. various times of the year they loved putting different crafters products in their front windows and have to say they did this with many of my items one Christmas season and I sold out almost instantly. that was one busy year. Holidays were the best times of the year and if you cater to the specific holiday with your product you did very well. have to say i did quite well doing those stores but it was a job along with my career job I was traveling great distances to keep stock on shelves and also coming home tired at nights to hit the saws. then things turned quickly when the owners sold the business and the new owner had only one person working in the store. I had way too much stolen goods and broken items that I had to pull out of all. Plus the fact was that malls just became hangouts for kids and true customers were leaving and buying on line just like it is today. Infact I just learned one of the largest malls in NJ in my area will be shut down after this Christmas season and a Hospital will be built in its place. That mall lost so many huge name stores over the years and is what killed it. Anyway those consignment type setups can work well depending on location and the people running it. It can work.

Very nice cutting. Thanks for showing.