Bill WIlson

I don't post a lot of pictures of stuff I've made, but here's a little something I recently cut for a friend who is retiring soon. It's a Steve Good pattern. Not the most technical thing I've ever made, but I'm pleased with how it turned out and am looking forward to my friend's reaction.

If you've been on this forum very much, you know that I rarely miss an opportunity to praise shellac as an excellent option for scrolled projects. It is my go-to finish for just about everything I scroll. I can't speak for Wichman, but I use shellac because it lends itself so easily to spraying and spraying is my preferred method of finishing fretwork. It dries very quickly. It's very easy to clean up. It sprays easily, even if you are a spraying novice. It leaves a nice, amber tint that enhances most wood grains. It doesn't have a lingering odor. It's easy to repair. It sticks to most anything. There are lots of options for color, from different grades of shellac flakes to mixing with dyes. I could go on, but you get the idea. It's a wonderful, traditional finish that I think if often overlooked by many hobbiests.

Yes. I waxed mine as soon as I got it and as needed, ever since. It's easy and only takes a few minutes. I don't have concerns with moisture. I just like the feel of the wood gliding over the waxed table on my scroll saw. More so than even on my other steel & cast iron topped tools (table saw, band saw, etc).

I mostly use BB ply for detailed projects where I need the advantages of strength and stability that it provides over solid wood, ie Christmas ornaments, portraits, some types of word art (overlay), etc. I use it in projects where I don't want to grain to compete with the cut image, such as backer boards. I also use it for other WW'ing projects; drawer bottoms, cabinet backs, shop jigs, templates, etc.

I don't, but I'm pretty well wedged in where I sit at my scroll saw, so movement is limited. My feet are typically resting on something other than the chair, so that helps keep me anchored. I also have anti-fatigue mats on the floor, so that lends some resistance to the chair wheels rolling involuntarily.

Very nicely done Marie! The design, execution, wood selection are all excellent! You demonstrated a lot of skill in building that box. You should be very proud.

I rescued my chair from the dumpster, at work. I added some padding and new cover to the seat. It swivels, has wheels, adjustable height and an adjustable back. I agree, the back doesn't really serve much purpose when scrolling, but I use my chair at the bench as well, so occasionally I do lean back. I wouldn't want arms on my shop chair, as they would get in the way. The space between my scroll saw and my bench is pretty tight, so being able to freely spin & move around is much more valuable to me than arm rests.

I've had one for some time and use both the spindles and the belt. I've been very happy with it and would recommend it. Whether or not it's better than the WEN or HF or if it will suit you and the projects you make, I can't say. I've found it to be very versatile and well made.

Congratulations. Is this your first scroll saw or just the first Dewalt? The Dewalt benefits greatly when combined with a couple aftermarket accessories. I would recommend connecting it to a footswitch, as Dewalts are notorious for flaky on/off switches. Dust gets inside and eventually your saw won't turn on. I had a footswitch on mine for many years and it eliminated the problem. A footswitch also makes any saw much easier to control. Also consider adding a lift mechanism. There are a couple versions available. Mine was the Jim Dandy Easy Lift Easy Lift System for DeWalt Scroll Saw DW788 – Jim Dandy Supplies. They are a very simple device that helps raise the top arm up when doing fretwork.

From the Hardwood Database, Black Cherry | The Wood Database (Hardwood) (wood-database.com) Rot Resistance: Heartwood is rated as being very durable and resistant to decay, though not typically used in exterior applications.

For cutting those holes, I would probably use a forstner bit. The best tool for a scroll saw project isn't always a scroll saw.

"I'm limited to 8-feet lengths right now because I only have a sedan to haul my purchases." Brings back memories. I used to haul 8' boards in my 1970 Chevelle, 40 years ago. An 8' 1x6 would just fit diagonally, from the dash to the rear deck.

I believe Rodney hit it on the head. Cutting thick/hard stock with small blades often leads to pushing sideways when trying to steer the blade around curves. This will result in a bowing of the blade that will cause the cut to be out of square. Your table may well be perfectly square, but pushing & bowing the blade sideways will cause the same type of problem that an out of square table would.

I have an Excalibur and never liked the plastic membrane/dust collection system. I removed the connection port as well as the membrane years ago. The only other thing I need to do to rid myself of the last remnant of the factory DC is to fill in the holes in the table. A fair amount of dust will fall through those holes (into my lap and onto the floor). Far more than what remains on the table top, IMHO.

That would make a fantastic restoration project!

There was a recent thread that discussed blade loading. Youi might find some helpful tips on blade loading there. https://www.scrollsawvillage.com/forums/topic/49085-dw788-blade-clamps/#comment-515645

Do you top feed?

What problems are you having with the lower clamp? I don't have the Pegas clamps on my saw, but my understanding is that they employ a thumbscrew against setscrew style that is very similar to standard Dewalt clamps. The biggest difference is the Pegas clamp bodies themselves are made from machined aluminum, rather than the cast aluminum bodies original to the Dewalt. If I'm wrong about this, hopefully someone with the Pegas clamps will set me straight.

Incredible! I can't help but wonder what kind of mileage he's getting out of that thing.

You may have never used boiled linseed oil alone, but if you have used an oil based stain or varnish, wiping varnish, Danish oil, Watco oil, Tung oil etc then you have been exposed to the same danger. We take calculated risks all of the time. We routinely operate power tools that employ razor sharp blades, spinning at high speeds. We fill our lawnmowers, weed eaters, leaf blowers, etc with highly flammable gasoline. Heck, we even store gallons of it in our sheds and garages. Certain house hold cleaning products, if mixed together, will generate a toxic gas that can be fatal. My point is, we use these products in relative safety, because we are well aware of the dangers. BLO is no more dangerous than most of these products we use every day. The most important thing is to be aware of the risks. The steps required to mitigate those risks are simple and easy to follow.

All the above. I can lift the upper arm on my EX, but I still take an awl and open up the holes on the back side a little.

I watched that same video a week or so ago. I've long known about the risks of BLO rags and spontaneous combustion, but this video really highlighted just how quickly things can turn bad. Also remember that many stains are also linseed oil based and pose the same risk.

I've seen a fair amount of antique furniture that looks fantastic on the surfaces that you can see, but if you look underneath an antique chair or table, you will often see that, not only is it not finished, but it may not even be milled/smoothed to the same degree as the show sides. Of course, 200 years ago, there was a lot more manual work involved with planing and finishing wood, so doing it to surfaces that no one saw was viewed as a waste of time and resources. In modern times, with machinery doing most of the hard work involved with milling lumber, and finishes being applied with spray guns, it became much more common and often more practical to finish all surfaces. I don't know if the need to finish both sides of a piece of wood is myth or not. It sounds logical. If wood movement is a concern, I think it is probably prudent to at least seal the hidden side. One may not want or need to follow the exact same finishing schedule, especially if it involves steps like grain filling, staining/dyeing and multiple coats of a clear finish that need to be rubbed down after each application. I don't make stuff to sell, so my perspective may be a little more casual. Personally, if I'm making a piece that is intended to hang on a wall, I don't get too concerned about finishing the back to the same degree as the front. I might give it a quick coat or 2 of shellac, but I don't worry about it much. I don't want it to look like trash either, so I also take care not to leave a lot of glue squeeze out on the back or let stain and finish run down over the back. If I can't keep the stain from getting on the back, I'll go ahead and stain the whole thing.

I've never really had an opinion of Gnomes before, one way or another, but I gotta admit, all these Gnome patterns & projects lately have me thinking I gotta get on the bandwagon. Baseball Gnome = Awesome!

I think that part of the reason for this is that narrow lines and fine detail can kind of get lost when cut in thicker material. Thicker material creates more shadows, which can obscure some of the detail. I try to match up the pattern, blades and material. If the pattern has a lot of really fine detail that necessitate cutting it with a very small blade, then I would prefer to cut it out of thinner stock. If I can get away with using a larger blade, then I'm more likely to go with thicker material. These aren't hard & fast rules though. There is plenty of overlap within those parameters. Our personal preferences are mainly derived from our experience (trial & error), which makes it a little tough to recommend a blade for someone else. Knowing what blade you can use to cut a particular pattern is something best achieved via experience, as your circumstances and conditions will differ from mine. For example, I use a #1 FDUR blade for a lot of stuff that it probably isn't recommended for. I routinely cut 1/2" thick red oak with it and have no problems. Many would use a larger blade, in a similar application. As for the pattern above, I wouldn't hesitate to cut that out of 1/2" birch. It all depends on the final presentation. Is this something you want to mount onto a backer or in a frame? If so, then I think thinner stock is a better look. If it will stand alone, then I think thicker material generally looks better. I think a lighter colored species will help mitigate the shadow problem. I would likely use my go-to FDUR #1 for that pattern in 1/4" - 1/2" thick stock. I rarely use anything smaller these days, unless it's a spiral blade on a really intricate portrait pattern.