Bill WIlson

Which is why I recommend testing on some scrap. Try different methods to see which works best, rather than risk messing up a finished cutting. Shellac is very easy to remove, if need be. De-natured alcohol will dissolve it. It will also stick to almost any other finish and most will readily stick to it, provided it is de-waxed. Zinnser Seal Coat is de-waxed shellac.

This sounds like a job for shellac. Use the Sealcoat variety and it should be compatible with the paint. It will also pop the grain. Full disclosure, I've never done what you are describing. Test on some scrap first.

Blushing is a condition where if there is excessive moisture in the atmosphere or even in the finish itself (think moisture in the compressed air of a spray gun set-up), it will cause the finish to look cloudy. The moisture gets underneath the finish and gives it a milky appearance. Sometimes it will go away as it cures. Sometimes it doesn't. I typically don't use lacquer, but am aware that it is especially sensitive to moisture. Shellac is as well, but the one time I experienced blushing, it went away on its own in a few hours.

I tend to agree with Kevin. The coated surface of my EX-21 started showing signs of wear shortly after I started using it. Quite honestly, I don't care all that much. It's a tool and the table is a wear surface. I also wonder why they bother putting any coating on it. A smooth, plain metal surface with a coat of paste wax applied once in awhile is all that is needed.

My footswitch rests on the floor. It is mounted to a piece of 1/2" plywood to help keep it from sliding around. I also mounted a piece of 2x4 to the plywood base, right in front of the switch. This gives me a place to rest my heel and puts my foot at the same height as the footswitch. It seemed to be a much more comfortable and natural position for my foot. I don't experience any fatigue.

Shellac also is very easy to apply with a spray can, but has some of the same issues as lacquer when it comes to temperature and humidity. Very high heat will cause dried shellac to soften and high humidity during application will cause blushing. Otherwise, it fits your criteria pretty well. I've not had problems with the nozzle clogging as long as I take rudimentary steps to keep it clean.

OK, that sounds familiar. Thanks for the clarification. All I could remember with any degree of certainty was that VS foot pedals and scroll saw motors don't necessarily play well together.

I vaguely recall past comments about VS foot pedals not being compatible with motors wired for US voltages. I can't remember the technical specifics, but I do recall that folks were warned not to put a sewing machine type foot pedal on a scroll saw as it will damage the motor. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of the electronics involved, or maybe a better memory, will chime in and clarify.

IMHO, spirals are a blade designed for a very specific purpose and not necessarily intended or suitable for most general scrolling. I can't imagine trying to use a spiral on anything over 1/2" thick. For my tastes, even 1/2" is a bit too thick. Neither would I use a spiral to do traditional fretwork, such as a clock or a box. Spiral blades are great for portraits or patterns without a lot of straight, smooth lines. Yes, they leave a rougher edge than straight blades do, but with the type of patterns and materials they are best suited for, it really isn't an issue. Spirals will not handle like a flat blade. The most common complaint about them is that they are hard to control. That's because most people try to cut with them like they would a straight blade. It takes a little practice and a different touch, but they really aren't all that hard to use, once you understand how they work and what they are best used for. I don't use them all that often, but I've never really had much problem controlling them. I can switch back & forth between straight and spiral blades within the same project without issue. The blades are designed to cut in any direction, so they will wander in whichever way you apply pressure. Use that to your advantage, rather then fight them, trying to make them cut like a straight blade. Once you figure it out, a whole different world of scrolling opens up to you.

Barbara was a guest at one of our scroll saw club meetings, several years ago. She did a short presentation on their products for the benefit of our members, all of whom were from Western PA, but only a handful were familiar with PS Wood products. We all had seen their ads in the scrolling magazines, but very few knew they where located so close by. Anyway, I recall that she was very nice and knowledgeable about all things scroll saw related. She said that they used to do a lot of trade shows and the scroll saw picnics that used to be very popular within the scrolling community. I recall she said that they don't do much of that sort of thing anymore. I really should make it a point to take a road trip down there to check them out in person.

A few years ago, you could have bought the rights to manufacture the Eclipse scroll saw. For a lot of scrollers, that was the perfect saw.

That is indeed a beautiful car and your rendering certainly does it justice. Well done!

The benefits of tape for blade lubrication has been a topic of discussion on various scrolling forums for as long as I can remember. It's been debated and the concept has always had it's die hard believers as well as healthy skeptics. If the show MythBusters was still on the air, I would be tempted to submit this as something for them to test, but unless they could blow up a scroll saw or two, I doubt it would ever make an episiode. Anyway, I've been back & forth, over the fence on this one a number of times through the years. I rarely use tape these days, but I do believe there is a benefit. I proved it to myself one time while trying to cut an animal puzzle out of a particular piece of cherry. My first attempt resulted in slow going and extreme burning almost immediately, even with a fresh, sharp blade. I had no problems cutting a similar pattern, with the same blade, in a different piece of cherry, but wasn't having much luck with the first piece. I decided to add packing tape and the results were dramatically better, even using the original blade. Even though I had long known about the professed advantage of using tape, I had ceased using it my cutting some time before, not convinced that I was benefitting enough to off-set the extra time & effort spent applying and removing the tape. However, after cutting that puzzle out of that particularly difficult piece of cherry, I was convinced the benefits of tape were more than just an internet myth. I still don't use tape all the time. If I'm cutting something where I anticipate problems, I'll take the time to use tape, but or most of my cutting I get along fine without it.

I would say that the packing tape layer is not necessary. The masking tape should provide a similar benefit of blade lubrication.

Regarding the clock, I'm glad you chose the maple & walnut. For a project like that, I think you will like the results much better than using stained BB play. Use any glue that works with wood for assembly, but check the fit several times before committing to permanent assembly. Spray it with the the clear coat of your choice. A project like that is a little hard to use a brush or rag to apply a finish, so spraying is easiest. As for resawing on a table saw; It is certainly doable, but not something I would necessarily recommend for anyone who is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with using a TS. You need to have really good control of your off cuts. If you resaw on a TS, make more than one pass to rip the entire thickness. If it's wider than you can resaw with the blade the whole way up, you can flip it over and cut from the other edge to maximize the width of stock you can rip. However, if your last pass cuts the rest of the way through the wood, the off cut could get caught in the blade as it falls away and kick back at the operator. Some folks will leave a narrow strip in the center uncut to hold both pieces together. This can then be finished with a hand saw and cleaned up with a block plane. Not the easiest method, but the safest. If you are resawing thin pieces, make sure they can't fall down inside the gap in the throat plate. A zero clearance throat plate should be used.

A few years ago I cut a small plaque out of some 1/2 " red oak I had lying about. It was perfectly flat when I cut it. After cutting, I dyed it with RIT water based fabric dye. I laid the piece on some paper towels to dry. When I checked on it the next day, it had warped and curled so much that it looked like a potato chip. I turned it over to let air get to the other side and the next day it was flat as it was when I started. Point is, wood will do what wood will do. Our attempts to make it do something else may or may not be successful. You could try wetting the convex side, then allowing it to dry in the sun. Sometimes this will cause the wet side to shrink as it dries, thus drawing the edges up and hopefully flattening the wood. It's a long shot, but worth a try. Wouldn't want to waste that beautiful piece of wood.

I generally always keep a gallon can of MS in the shop. I have a spray bottle with MS in it that I use for releasing patterns and general adhesive clean up. I also use it for cleaning brushes/body parts etc after painting or being in the same zip code as an open can of roof patch or tube of grease. Maybe you've heard of the product called Goo Gone. I believe it's simply MS with some other additives thrown in to make it smell a little bit better. I think it may be a little less combustible than MS also. A 2oz bottle of Goo Gone is about $5 on Amazon. A gallon of pure mineral spirits is about $14 at Lowes.

I tend to agree with Frank on this one. The coloration of the poplar board will fight against any effort you make to stain it. It provides some visual interest and character, but I think the color should be left mostly natural, with a dark backer.

Well done. One of the greatest tests of a scroller's skill is in accurately cutting text. That pattern may look relatively simple to the inexperienced eye, but it has at least 9 or 10 different fonts and is a real challenge. I made one last year and remember it well. I loved the pattern and the recipient really appreciated the finished piece, but am not anxious to do another one.

Just to reiterate Wolfmoon's comment regarding set-up. It is critical, every bit as critical as getting the right blade. Blade tension & guide adjustment can make the difference between getting nice, even & smooth cuts vs bowed & tapered kindling wood. Even with a good set-up you might experience some blade drift, so any fence you use should be able to compensate for drift. It may not be necessary, but it's better to have the capability and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Looks great, nice job. I'm particularly drawn to patterns for those kinds of rustic scenes. Someday soon, I hope to have more time to devote to cutting them.

Well, this thread did make me look to see when I joined this forum. 2011 I'm not a Facebook guy. A few woodworking forums and subscriptions to 2 or 3 YouTube sites, that's the extent of my "social media" presence. I enjoy the forums. I don't participate a whole lot, but usually check in regularly just to see what is going on. I was a member of the SSW&C forum before I discovered this one and still visit there regularly as well. Just not as much traffic there anymore. I used to check in at Steve Good's site, but haven't been over there in a long time.

Nicely done! Pedro has some of the best traditional fretwork patterns I've seen.

According to my wife, I drag all of my sawdust upstairs.

I admit that I have recently decided not to renew my subscription. I've been getting the magazine for many years, but over the past couple, I'm finding fewer & fewer projects that interest me. I don't blame the magazine. They know what they are up against these days and are doing their best to stay relevant. I figure if they added more content that interested me, it would mean that something else got sacrificed and then someone else would be unhappy and dropping their subscription. One of the key points in all this, is that scrolling has become a much more diverse hobby, with regard to the projects that are available to us. Years ago, traditional fretwork dominated the magazines. Then we saw more of the portrait style patterns, as they grew in popularity. Now there are all sorts of different styles and patterns, stuff we never imagined 15-20 years ago. In the grand scheme of things, I think this is good for most everyone. The fact that it has passed me by is more a testament to the limitations of my tastes and interests. I hold no ill will toward the publishers of the magazine and wish them well. Publishing printed material is really tough these days and getting much tougher. I don't see that changing. I'll miss getting new issues, but probably not as much as I should.