Brian

how is your blade tension? are you cutting with or against the grain? With the grain can cause the blade to wander. Try going against the grain and have a new tight blade. Have your RPM turned down and go slow.

Very nice. I like the contrasting color with blue in the background. very fitting with the police. I like the idea of having the angels with the police. Like angels, the police are also looking over us and protecting us. Very cool. Great gift, I'm sure he will love it.

This isn't exactly a scroll saw project, but I did use my scroll saw to cut a lot of the pieces. This is a birthday gift for my Mother-in-law. Wood is pine with some baltic birch plywood for the thinner pieces. Paint is acrylic.

I would think that a variable speed foot pedal would be difficult to use and cut with. If you have a delicate piece or thin wood and you accidently kick it on to high speed..not good. I find the on off pedal to be extremely handy. My speed control is an easy to reach knob

I guess those are more comfort/personal taste not so much must haves. I have a high stool with a cushion that I sit on and have nice flourscent shop lights over head. Music is a given I think...but sometimes I like to just have the sound of the saw. I have been wanting to get a led magnify len light, it's on my wish list. My scroll saw has a foot pedal that came with it and the speed control is on the arm of the scroll saw. Must haves in a scroll saw, now there is a totally different question. When I was shopping for mine, I wanted a tiltable table, big smooth table top, deep enough (18") to work on good sized pieces, light and blower, foot switch, easy to reach speed control and easy to change blades.

I think it depends on what you are interested in making...but, with more tools, the more you can make. Things I have and use listed most often to less often: scroll saw, drill press, mini drill press (used with dremel), belt sander on stand, table saw. Its also nice to have a big table for work space besides the area by the scroll saw. Small bits are a necessity and various grit sandpaper up to as fine as you wish, 0000 steel wool, spindle sanding accessories for the full sized drill press.

Thank you! Also...The hummingbird is a separate piece that you insert into the flower petals. Segmentation is similar to Intarsia, but rather than using different woods for color, you use the same type of wood and paint the different pieces. I think this would still be a painted puzzle. It took 2nd place at this years county fair. I'm all about OSHA certified projects :P

Here is a hummingbird puzzle that I made this past summer. It's made with 3/4" Pine and painted with acrylic paint. It is a free standing puzzle. Thanks for looking! Brian

You are probably the only person that knows where you went off the like or where you accidentally broke a piece of fretwork since you spend so much time with the piece. Others more than likely wont see it.

That thick plywood can be a bummer to cut. My first projects were with 3/4" pine. Cheap, soft wood. I used it right out of the gate to get a feel for the saw. Slow down the rpm's too. Then if the blade starts to wonder, its easy to get back on the line. Just take your time and let the blade do the cutting, that way you will get straight up and down cuts and you wont break to many blades. Great first cut!

I used Baltic birch on the clock in my gallery. Then I finished with a spray poly. I experimented with shades of stain until I found two that I liked. I tested on scrap Baltic birth with tung oil, lemon oil, natural color with just poly, then tried stain. For me, it was what I liked best. The stain seemed to give the wood more character then just oil

Thanks for the comments on the rose. It turned out well and hangs on the wall nicely. I'm working on another piece...a little more complicated. Pictures to come soon!

Thank you for all the positive feedback. I'm really please on how it turned out. When I submitted it at the fair, they thought it was an antique! How many hours? Hard to guess, but I would think atleast 40 from start to finish.

I love it. Great detail on the rose! I like the idea of the heart on the lock. Going the extra mile pays off!

This was my first attempt at intarsia. I made this for my mom this past mother's day. The wood for the rose is Red Oak and the stem is Aspen I entered this to the County Fair as well!