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If I cannot use clear tape for any reason then I will make a few small cuts into a wax candle - it works with handsaws too.

When is Black Friday please? Cheers Keith - UK

There are a host of silhouettes here:- http://www.stevesuniques.com/new_page_8.htm You are not allowed to download them but they give a good idea of what each breed looks like. Should be easy to come up with your own based on them as no detail is needed. Cheers Keith

Well - thats thinking outside the box Brilliant idea that I am sure to copy - Thanks Grampa Cheers Keith

Hi Paul. Dont get yopur ply from stores like B&Q, Homebase etc. Get it from places like alwayshobbies.com in Norfolk. It is 5 ply and good quality. There are more UK suppliers listed here:- http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/wiki/in ... _suppliers If it breaks out when drilling (use a 1/16" bit) then place a piece of scrap wood underneath and drill thro' into that. Cheers Keith

Very nice smooth cutting. Cheers Keith

Hows about making a suncatcher out of the Butterfly and putting wheels on the animals for children to play with ? Cheers Keith

Your first?! Wow - the pattern and cutting is very good - well done Cheers Keith

Its still a lovely art piece Your other thread is here:- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1552 Having a senior moment eh? Cheers Keith

A downloadable ring sizer here:- http://www.jewelrylist.com/sizer.pdf and a UK type here:- http://www.musthavejewellery.co.uk/sizer3.pdf Cheers Keith

I have had no problem so far as I havent come across a pattern that entirely fits the American standard page. A4 is 8.3" x 11.7". If there was a problem then I would just use the "Scaling" option in my printer menu and reduce it to (say) 98% without any distortion or print it to 2 (or more) sheets of paper.

Wow - that is truly beautiful Sue! I bet it looks even better in real life. Excellent piece of art - well worth all the effort involved. Cheers Keith

Terrific work! The pics could do with a little lift though -- (you did ask) I have tried to find the simplest and quickest way. Download Picasso from here:- http://picasa.google.com/thanks.html It will download and install in seconds. If you do not want Google as your Home Page then deselect the option on the last screen. Open the prog: All pics on your PC will appear on the right hand side. (You may also "drag" an image into the program) Double click the one you need to edit. This will open in a new frame. Have a look at "basic fixes" and try Auto Contrast - that may be all you require. You can also fine tune from one of the tabs but that may not be needed. Save it when finished. The pics below were dealt with by Auto Tune only and took seconds with nothing to learn. I will delete these from my folder when you have seen it. HTH Cheers Keith EDIT Images deleted from folder as per above

Very good - the frame compliments it well too. Well done to the pattern makers as well.

That is amazing and shows what thinking "outside the box" can do. I would imagine that an Excalibur machine with its tilting head would be the ideal tool.

I got around this by disconnecting the inbuilt air and installing a cheap aquarium pump that delivers more powerfull and constant air whatever the speed of the arm.

Hi Christina For some reason this is the time of year when all my children and most of my grandchildren, great grandchildren were born (must be something in the genes that "rouses us" around Xmas/New Year ) so have been busy shopping for, making, buying presents and visiting. Have done some work on Sarahs's 3d Screen but not as much as I would have liked. Not too worry as I did approach it as a more long term project that would be peppered by halts to do other projects. Have just finished my Jigsaw puzzle Xmass cards so I can devote more time to the Screen although I have just sent for plans of a Gypsy caravan I would like to make a model of. That too will take some time and will probably fall into the same catergory as the Screen. Have also taken delivery of a new Belt/disc sander, a Dremel Rotary Tool and several accessories to go with it such as a Workstation, mini Router etc and am currently having Fun! playing with them. Oh yes - and I am also playing with Sims3 and Fallout 3 for the PC. There just isnt enough hours in a day anymore ...... maybe our government changed it to help cut down on burning fossil fuels! Cheers Keith

The shots are underexposured. If you are using the camera in Auto mode (Green box on some cams) then stop! Use AV mode and open up the aperture to increase the exposure or go full manual (best option) and control both the Speed and the Aperture. If you are able to alter the ISO (see your manual) then set it at 200/300 indoors. Turn off the flash and experiment until you have found a good setting of Aperture and Shutter Speed for your workshop. If your camera has through the lens metering then set the metering for the subject only as the background light can be fooling your camera. Understanding exposure is a very big subject but there are zillions of advice on the 'net. If you dont fancy delving into it all then "Picasso", as mentioned, will do a job good enough for webpages.

On the rare occassions that I use MDF I seal it with Johnsones Klear ("Future" in the USA). I have several bottles stocked as I use it for spraying onto plastic models, scratch models etc before paint and/or after adding decals (it takes the decals "into" the surface of the model. It is self levelling and dries fast with a sheen. It can be applied with a flat brush but I usually spray it using a spare Airbrush nozzle that needs a good clean straight after using. I havent had to restock lately but I understand it has been rebadged as "Pledge Multi-Surface Wax Floor polish".

Dont have Labour Day here but I am currently working on a 3D screen of a Haunted House image by an awesome lady from Wales named Sarah and cutting jigsaw Christmas Cards for family and friends.

... William Boyd, Topper, "Gabby" Hayes ... wow!, you sure have bought a lot of memories back for me - saturday afternoon cinema, playing cowboys and indians in the local woods (Dont think kids do that now), walking around with "squinty" eyes.... Hopalong and Roy Rogers were my idols in those days. Good job by the way Cheers Keith

Lovely - a scroll cut diorama As you and others have demonstrated this hobby is very diverse and lends itself to a never ending string of ideas that keep it fresh. Well done that is excellent Cheers Keith

That is a project you should be very, very proud of completing - and not just because of overcoming your initial problems. It looks simply great and, I am sure, it will be passed down through the family for many years. Excellent - well done Cheers Keith

Thanks. I will have a look around the yellow pages as Leicester is berift of anything nowadays :( Think I will give the poplar ply a try - I saw it was reccommended for jigsaw puzzles so it might be better than the baltic I currently get. Cheers Keith

Hi Paul, Where do you obtain your Baltic Ply please? At the moment I order it from AlwaysHobbies but find that it is a little more brittle (and rougher quality) than the blanks from Dalescraft.co.uk. The problem with getting it from Dalescrafts is that it is in "their" sizes. Also it is machined at the edges and is therefore a little expensive. Google doesnt throw up any useful suppliers - just the ones that will only supply in bulk... at my age i dont want to pay for a shedfull Also have you tried the white Poplar ply and how does it compare to the Baltic? I would assume it is easier on the blades ..? Thanks Keith