Bill WIlson

I have a small extension attached to the right side of my radial arm saw table. It acts as support and sometimes a place to clamp a stop block. It also serves as a shelf from time to time. When spraying adhesive on patterns, I lay some newspaper (yea, I still get a newspaper) on this shelf and spray the patterns on that. I simply lay another sheet over top if I need to spray more than once. When done, crumple it all up and toss in the trash. For spraying I use 3 sides of a large cardboard box. The back has a hole cut in it, with a furnace filter hot glued over the hole. I use another larger piece of cardboard for the bottom, to cover my table and a 2nd large piece as the "roof". The sides are free to open up larger than 90 degrees to the back, so I have more open space at the front. I have a couple trouble lights set up at different angles to provide a raking light so I can see what I'm doing. I spray shellac almost exclusively, so over spray isn't usually a big problem, but the makeshift spray booth does a decent job of containing most of it. I made a spray table, using a lazy susan, that allows me to spin the work piece 360 degrees, so I can get all sides, from the front. It's not the most elegant solution, but has worked pretty well for me. I fold up the cardboard pieces and can store them flat against the wall, so it doesn't take up space when not in use.

My hat is off to all of you who are care givers to a loved one. I've seen the physical and emotional toll that can take on a person. So whether you are caring for someone with the flu or a broken leg or dementia, you are living out God's call for us to show love and care for those in need. Bravo

Tell her to keep up the good work. We're pulling for her. Also, good on you for being so caring and supportive. That is what marriage is all about.

Nicely done. I did one of those a year or so ago. I think there are over 10 different fonts in that pattern. It was quite a challenge. Letters are one of the most difficult things to scroll well. Any variation from the pattern will show up like a sore thumb with most fonts. That pattern is no exception. Good Job!

When I show something I've cut to others, the first question I usually get is "How long did it take you to make that?" People are often disappointed when I them I have no idea. I also have no idea how many blades I go through on a given project...unless & until I run out. I will admit that I sometimes wonder about blade life, but usually only with respect to comparing different blades or different brands. If I get 2 minutes or 20 minutes out of a blade, it's really irrelevant to me in the context of the project I'm working in. When the blade is dull, I change it. Doesn't matter what previous history may have indicated or what my expectations were. However, if I happen to switch to a different brand and notice an increase or decrease in relative cutting time, then that is something worth noting for future reference. But even then, blade life isn't necessarily the only factor I consider when deciding what blade to use. Some blades just work better for me in a given application. Blade life is one part of the equation, not the singular answer.

Your question demonstrates that the number of cuts (or entrance holes) is not a very good measure of the life expectancy of a blade. One entrance hole, as in your example, can entail several minutes of actual cutting time, while others may only be a few seconds. Most of us don't make the effort to record the actual cutting time between blade changes, so maybe the number of entry holes serves as a substitute point of reference. Frankly, there are so many variables that affect blade life, without some controlled testing, it's hard to make accurate and objective comparisons. Not sure where this discussion will go, but will be interested in the replies.

Not Ike, but I presume he's talking about one of these.

I have saved the wire. I don't save all of it, but I usually have a few pieces laying about. It occasionally has some craft applications. For example, one year I made some snowman decorations to give as Christmas gifts. One a couple of them, I fashioned a corn broom for the snow man to hold (the others held a snow shovel). I made the broom out of some short strands, cut from a full size corn broom, then attached to a dowel. I wrapped the strands with the fine wire to hold it in place and give it an authentic look. Ever since then, I have tried to save some of the wire, in case I find another use for it. Doesn't happen often, but occasionally it comes in very handy.

I don't use tape, as a general rule. I use hot glue on the edges to hold stacks together and apply spray adhesive to the back of the pattern and attach it directly to the wood. This works for me. Your mileage may very. As for the lubrication qualities of the tape (adhesive, release agent or whatever it is), I was skeptical for some time. That is until one day I was trying to cut a puzzle out of some 3/4" thick cherry. I've scrolled plenty of cherry over the years, mostly with no real burning problems, unless I was pushing the blade beyond it's useable life span. However on this particular piece of cherry, I got burning almost immediately. I changed blades a couple times, so I'm pretty confident it wasn't the blade. It wasn't until I added packing tape that I was able to cut the piece. It cut smoothly, with no burning, even using the same blade that wouldn't cut when no tape was applied. The difference was so stark, I reconsidered my general skepticism of using packing tape in this way. I still don't use it all the time as I don't think it necessarily makes a huge difference in all applications, but there are definitely some times where it does. I now use it if I notice or suspect that I may have trouble with burning, especially cutting cherry of 1/2" thickness or more.

That's going to be a sweet set up. Looking forward to your review, once you've made a little sawdust with it.

I've put my spray gun away many times, without cleaning it, other than shoot a little DNA through it when I was done. If I know I'm going to be using it again within a relatively short period of time (days to a week, maybe 2), I don't bother with a thorough cleaning. Shellac is so easy to clean that it really isn't necessary. I don't spray anything else through the guns but shellac though. I do use spray cans for small, quick jobs. However, I don't really like how it goes on. I prefer the added control of the spray gun and it does a better job for me. I can dial in the coverage and the amount of material applied, to match the job at hand much better.

I'm a big fan of spraying shellac. It works great for decorative items like scroll sawn projects. It isn't as durable as poly or lacquer, but for the kind of stuff most of us make, it doesn't have to be. I like the look of shellac and it rubs out very easily, once cured. Shellac dries very fast, so you can apply it in several light coats, hitting it from all angles to get good coverage on inside cuts, without ponding and runs and finish in a couple hours time. Any smell from the shellac will dissipate in short order. Cured shellac will dissolve in denatured alcohol, so even if you let your sprayer go for a while, you can run a little DNA through it and be back in business. You can also use diluted household ammonia to clean up. Just be careful, because it will etch aluminum. Caveat - It is recommended that you use caution when spraying shellac, because it contains DNA, that gets vaporized during spraying, technically it is volatile enough to be considered a flash or fire hazard. I'm sure most solvent based finishes are also considered dangerous. Use your best judgment as to how much risk there really is. I've sprayed in my basement shop many times. I don't have a proper spray booth. I use fans to draw air out a window with a filter over it, but do not have explosion proof lights & such, like you are supposed to have.

I'll throw another variable into the equation. Different boards, of the same thickness and species of wood, will cut differently. Not something we usually consider, but it does happen. I was cutting some 1/2" red oak yesterday. I was having some difficulty, the blade seemed dull and tended to wander, even though it was a fresh blade. I double checked tension. Same result. I tried the same blade on a different piece of 1/2" red oak. It cut much better. I've cut cherry before that would burn as soon as the blade touched the wood. Different piece of cherry, same thickness, no burning.

This topic comes up fairly often and it's difficult to give a really objective answer. Scroll saws are no different than any other gear or equipment that one is looking to purchase in order to support a new hobby. On one hand, buying at entry level gets one into the hobby at a lower cost, so that is an attractive option. Telling a beginner that they have to pay upwards of $500-$600 just to get a saw to start out with, may not be helpful. On the other hand, recommending a low priced, entry level saw that has limited capabilities and may be of dubious quality, could lead the beginner down a path of frustration and disappointment, ultimately driving them away from the hobby. More expensive saws will offer better build quality and more features. Better quality will translate into smoother operation, easier blade changes, better adjustments and added features which will make scrolling more enjoyable. One example I'll use is that on some of the higher end saws, you can tilt the head of the saw to make angled cuts, instead of tilting the table. This makes cutting angles for stacked ring bowls so much easier. However to get this feature in a saw, you may need to spend $800-$1000. For occasional use, it's hard to justify this amount of money, but for a serious hobbiest or someone who wants to sell their work, it may be a good option. I know nothing of the Harbor Freight scroll saw, so I won't comment specifically on it. As far as budget priced scroll saws in general are concerned, most veteran scrollers will probably hold them in lower regard, because we have had the benefit of using a better saw for some time and the higher price was worth it to us to get the better performance and quality. That said, a budget saw may work well for you. At least well enough that you won't immediately lose interest in the hobby. Just realize that with any entry level equipment, you have to have reasonable expectations and understand that it is likely that, as your interest in the hobby grows, you may soon be looking to upgrade. Good luck and have fun making sawdust.

The 734 is single speed. It has a 3 blade cutter head, but is only single speed. Still gives a nice smooth surface. I replaced a Delta with the 734 about 5 years ago. The Delta had been a great planer for me for a long time, but I had the opportunity to upgrade, so I got the 734.

Put a small tarp down on the ground, underneath the planer. Makes gathering the chips pretty easy. Then you just have to figure out what to do with them. Fortunately for me, I can dump them in the woods, next to my house.

At about $.25 per blade, it's probably worth the risk.

That certainly is an interesting idea. I can't say I ever heard of anyone trying it before, so maybe you are on to something. No harm in trying it. What's the worst that could happen?

This is awful and so sad. My sympathies to his family.

Still patiently waiting for ammo prices and availability to return to something resembling normal.

I haven't been following it closely, but I just checked prices on Lowes website. A standard pre-cut 2x4 stud is $3.48. A 2x4x10' is $7.88 and a 2x4x16' is $10.52. A 4x8 sheet of 7/16" OSB is $13.85. I think these prices are considerably lower than they were a few months ago, but I wasn't really tracking the prices, so I don't know how they compare to 2020 or 2019 prices.

That board should be considered paint grade only. Finger jointed door jambs & trim, engineered framing lumber, etc are becoming more & more common. Wood is a renewable resource, but it takes many years to grow a tree suitable for a lot of woodworking/construction applications where wide, long, straight and stable are necessary qualities for lumber, often over appearance. Bottom line is that the big box stores are not an ideal source for wood that is suitable for our hobby. It's a shame, really, but they cater to different market.

I had to dig an old can out of the trash and put on my reading glasses to read the small print, but on the back of the Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac spray can, under the USES section, it states; "Because Spray Shellac is 100% wax free, it can be used as a sealer under polyurethane and other finishes." As I said earlier, if you are using the liquid pre-mix, choose the Zinsser SealCoat. It is de-waxed shellac. The liquid shellac that is called Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac, contains wax and should not be used as a sealer if you intend to top coat with polyurethane. To summarize; Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac, in the spray can = De-waxed Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac, liquid pre-mix = contains wax Zinsser Bulls Eye SealCoat, liquid pre-mix = De-Waxed

Either will work. I typically use the Zinnser pre-mixed stuff. It comes in 2 types, Seal Coat is de-waxed and recommended for use as a primer/barrier/sealer coat which will stick to most anything and most anything sticks to it. Zinnser Bulls Eye pre-mixed shellac contains natural wax and is a very nice top coat, but some finishes (such as polyurethane) may not stick to it very well. It can still be used as a sealer or barrier coating, but you just have to be more careful what finish you put over it. You can buy flakes and mix your own shellac. You can get them with the natural wax or de-waxed and they come in a large variety of shades. You have to plan ahead to use flakes, as it takes time for them to dissolve completely. I typically grind them very fine, with a cheap electric coffee grinder, but it still takes some time before it's ready to use. Now about the spray. The label says it's Bull's Eye Shellac. That would imply that it is waxed, same as the liquid Bull's Eye. However, I think I read someplace that the spray can version is de-waxed, so the labeling makes it confusing. There may be clarification on their website, but I never looked for it.