Bill WIlson

I've been butchering wood, in one way or another for 40 years. I started out working in construction & carpentry. Using the basic skills, tools and knowledge I gained from that, I gradually started making stuff for around the house. After a while, woodworking became my principle hobby, borne more out of necessity and saving money than anything else. Many years ago, when my kids were in grade school, the wife & I were shopping for Christmas gifts for them to give to all of the various teachers/instructors/busdrivers, etc in their life. Being on a limited budget, it was always a challenge finding stuff that was cheap, but didn't look cheap. I decided to try making some Christmas ornaments. I had seen some neat ones at a craft show and figured I could make something similar. I didn't own a scroll saw, (didn't even really know what one was) and for the first couple years I made do without, but it limited my ability to make the kind of ornaments I wanted to make. So, I did a little research and decided to invest in a scroll saw. This was in the early 90's, before I had access to the internet. I didn't even know anyone who owned a scroll saw, so I had to teach myself how to use the thing and come up with my own designs for ornaments. After quickly running out of my own ideas, I started looking for commercial sources for patterns. When I found a couple pattern books by Patrick Spielman, a whole new world of project possibilities opened up, that I had never considered before. I began dabbling in scrolling other stuff besides Christmas ornaments. A few years later I joined a local scroll saw club and discovered yet another level of scrolling and projects. I also learned about all of the resources available on the internet, so now I had access to patterns & blades I had never even dreamed of. That was quite the epiphany. It continues today, as I participate in these forums and see all of the new and exciting ways that folks are using their scroll saw to create unique projects. I still do other woodworking, but scrolling is generally what I do for "fun". My Christmas ornament endeavor has become a tradition and I'm up to making about 100 each year to give away. And my grandkids are now giving them to their teachers, like their mothers did all those years ago.

Did you measure and cut the short point if the miter to the same dimension as the plywood? You have to account for the depth of the "rabbet" when measuring the frame stock. In other words, if your piece sets 1/2" inside the frame on each side, then you need to subtract 1" from the length of the frame, at the short points of the miter. Turn the piece and frame sections upside down on your bench and look at it from the backside. Note where the corners of the scrolled piece are, relative to the inside and outside dimensions of the frame. Hope I explained this clearly enough.

Thanks Charley. I'll keep my eyes open. If I don't see it locally, there's always Amazon.

I have to chuckle at the baby soda bottles. They are actually called preforms and are what eventually become the plastic drink bottles you see in the grocery store. The company I work for builds inspection equipment for the glass & plastic container industry, so I'm familiar with their original purpose. We used to get 100's of them to use for testing and development of our equipment. I never thought to scavenge some of them to use for blade holders. Most of our equipment development now focuses on the full size bottles, after blow molding, but we may still have some laying around the plant somewhere. I'll have to see if I can find some. I'll probably have to supply my own caps though.

Sloan's and Wooden Teddy Bear are both good sources. I've also ordered from Pozsgai's Designs in the past. No complaints about any of them.

I typically apply the pattern directly to the plywood and have never had a problem with fibers lifting when removing the pattern. Like others have already said, just spritz a little MS on the pattern and lift it right off. If I intend to paint a piece, I often apply clear shellac as a sealer first. It dries quick and very hard. If there is any roughness, it will easily rub right out, leaving a nice smooth surface that acrylic paint bonds to quite well. No raising of the grain and you get a pretty smooth finish, even with the acrylic paint.

I love the look of the mailbox. Nice job. I've had an idea in my head, for several years, for a mailbox Christmas ornament, but have never seen a pattern that suited me. Can you tell me which Dianna Thompson book has this pattern? Thanks!

Determine what blade you want to use, then use the smallest entry hole that will let the blade pass through. As others have said, look for the most discrete location for the entry hole. Intersections are great, but not always available. Look for ways to blend the entry hole into the vein. Depending on the location, I sometimes cut the vein with a straight blade, then go back with a spiral blade to open it up a little more. Several ways to skin the proverbial cat.

I recall reading something a number of years ago. I believe it was a post on another forum, by Mike Moorlach. Olson blades are manufactured in Germany by a company called Haunstetter and FD blades are also made in Germany by a company called Niqua. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they make blades that are sold under other brand names, as well. For a primer on how scroll saw blades are made, check out this link, again from our old friend Mike Moorlach; https://mikesworkshop.com/pages/how-scroll-saw-blades-are-made

I've always considered them to be apples and oranges. I occasionally use spirals and don't have any trouble with them, but I would never consider using them for certain types of projects. On some projects, I've used both. I don't regard one as necessarily better than the other. It's more a matter of using the blade best suited for the application.

I've always owned at least a 20" saw (1 Craftsman, 1 Dewalt & 1 EX-21). When I started, I didn't know exactly where this hobby would lead, but I knew I didn't want to be unduly limited by the capacity of the saw. I've never once wished I had a smaller saw.

1. I typically use the recommended thickness for any clock patterns I make. This is especially true of any 3 dimensional clocks, where assembly is required. On these you can adjust the thickness of the wood, but you have to compensate in the dimensions of the various pieces that fit together, especially if there is tab & slot joinery involved. Also, you need to consider how the clock workings fit into the piece. That sometimes determines thickness. I don't stack cut anything where the total thickness of the stack would exceed 3/4" thick. 2. I think portraits benefit from using thinner stock. I prefer 1/8", but I accumulate cut offs of 1/4" BB ply from other projects that I will sometimes use for portrait style projects. 3. Over they years, I've cut thousands of ornaments. If I'm using BB ply, then I cut them from 1/8". I think thinner material looks better and it's easier/faster to stack cut them. If I'm using solid wood, I may go 3/16" thick, especially if the pattern is delicate and potentially fragile. I've made solid wood ornaments from 1/4" before and I think they look to chunky. It's a matter of personal taste. 4. I don't do a lot of segmentation, but the few things I have done tend to be from thicker stock. It's very similar to intarsia, in that you need some thickness in order to shape and add dimension and depth to the piece. As you stated, it can be a very subjective thing. Scrolling mostly isn't restricted by specific rules and standards when it comes to stuff like this. Scrolling is a very aesthetic type of woodworking. You don't have to worry much about the same kind of structural considerations that you do with cabinet or furniture making. Let your eye and taste be your guide. Make what appeals to you. That is, unless you intend to sell, then I guess you are pretty much forced to make your stuff appeal to others.

Glad you are enjoying the hobby and that you are involving your son. That's great. Looks like a lot of fun. As for the Golden Knights, I was a fan of Marc Andre Fleury when he played here for the Penguins. I'm really glad that he's doing well in his new gig. I hated to see him go. I'll root for Marc & the Knights to go as far as they can....until it conflicts with rooting for the Pens. It would be awesome if they met in the Stanley Cup finals.

The answer depends on the type of glue used in the assembly. It is was a typical yellow woodworking glue, such as Titebond, then you could try applying some heat with a blow dryer or a heat gun. This may weaken the bond sufficiently to allow it to release. Some glues will soften if the joint can be moistened. This probably applies more to white glue, as it doesn't have the water resistance of some yellow glues.

Thanks for adding some clarity to a confusing situation, Randy. A couple points stand out to me. 1. New Excalibur saws are being manufactured in China and only time will tell if the quality remains the same. The fact that they are selling for less than they were a couple years ago may not necessarily be a good thing. 2. One reason Excalibur had such a good reputation was due to the service and support offered by Rey Seymour. Expecting anything resembling that kind of service & support from anyone selling new Excaliburs may be a longshot. For that matter, any of the new saws, other than the Seyco, may suffer from less than stellar support. As an EX-21 owner for a couple years now, I haven't needed any service or support yet. I know that Ray has commented that he will still support the saws he sold, but it does make one wonder how long that will hold true. The scrollsaw landscape is changing dramatically and it may be a long time before it really settles down and we have a true picture of what is good and what isn't.

GoJo hand cleaner, with pumice. May take a little scrubbing, but it usually comes off OK. I try to avoid as much skin contact with chemical solvents as possible (using gloves is good too). Don't know what kind of damage that stuff is doing as it absorbs into your skin.

I'm actually in witness protection, so while I'm not using a nickname, I'm also not....... Oh wait, I've probably said too much.

That's an interesting story. Thanks for posting that.

Starting the learning curve from scratch, I can definitely see the advantage of the metric system. I still have no interest in personally using it. It doesn't slow me down at all, because I'm strictly a hobbiest and speed is at the bottom of the list of my priorities. I'm pretty sure I could make just as many errors with the metric system as the Imperial. It's a gift.

With a budget of $1,300 you have several options, as MTCowpoke 22 described above. Several of the saws in that price range are relatively new and there isn't a lot of feedback on them yet. If your intention is to only use this saw to repair/build model airplanes, then I suspect you would be happy with just about any of the saws in your budget range. If you believe that this might develop into more of a scrolling specific interest in fretwork, intarsia, etc, then the choice of saw may be more dependent on the type of scrolling you do. Some saws seem to be better suited for certain types of scrolling, so it's tough to make specific recommendations, beyond just relaying our own experience. I have an EX-21. I bought it before all the recent changes in the scroll saw market and before they moved manufacture to China. I do mostly fretwork, with the occasional stacked ring bowl or compound cut project thrown in. I don't do puzzles or intarsia and I don't do production type work. I really like my EX, but hesitate to recommend it, because of the new country of origin. Before that I had a DeWalt, which I liked a lot. For hobbiest use, it's a fine saw, very user friendly and far below your $1,300 budget limit @ around $500.

I think I can go back 50 years, to grade school, when they told us we had to learn it because the US was gonna change. They also told us we would be driving flying cars in the year 2000. I'm still waiting for my flying car.

Like John said, there are pros and cons with all of those saws. Personally, I would want to go with the larger capacity of the DeWalt or Delta. I have an EX-21 and like it a lot, but I got it before all the recent changes and have my concerns about the change in the country of origin for the new EX saws. That, plus the limitations of the 16" capacity, takes the EX off the list for me. I would want to see what their track record is after a year or 2 on the market to see if they experience quality issues. DeWalt did something similar several years ago. You hear people referring to type 1 and type 2 Dewalts. Well type 1's were considered the gold standard of mid-range scroll saws 15+ years ago. In the first few years of the type 2 production run, there were a number of problems and they were all well documented on forums like this. I didn't know about any of that when I bought my type 2 Dewalt. Fortunately for me, it was a good one and I used it for over 10 years with none of the problems that many others had. I sold it a couple years ago and it's still in use today. So if $$ is the major consideration, I would probably recommend the Delta. I haven't read many reviews of it, but know one guy who has one and he seems to like it. If I were buying a new saw today and was limited to your 3 choices, I would probably opt for the DeWalt, just because I had a good experience with my last one. Like John said, we're all just offering our opinions and you know what they say about opinions.

I'm a devout and unapologetic bottom feeder. I'll leave it up to others to declare if I'm a good person or not. My first saw was a Craftsman, bottom feed only, so I learned that way. When I got my DeWalt and even when I upgraded to my EX, I stayed with bottom feeding, even though they are top feed capable. I tried it and didn't like it. I know I didn't give it enough of a chance, but I'm completely comfortable bottom feeding. It's like the metric system. I know it's easier, but I have no interest in converting and you would have to pry my Imperial tape measures and rulers out of my cold dead hands.

My understanding is that you ask for the one used for the darkest colors, which should be the highest number in their series. Different manufacturers have slightly different numbers, but it would be in the range of a #4 or #5. Paint stores are reluctant to sell it, because that kind of usage is outside the norm for their product and they fear that poor results will reflect negatively on their product. Tell them you are simply doing a test and you won't hold them responsible for any failure and they may be more cooperative.

To be frank, I've never read any good reviews of Minwax Spar varnish. It is almost universally scorned on other woodworking forums I've participated in. Good quality, commercial grade spar varnish is very expensive and usually only available from marine supply stores. One suggestion that has had a lot of interest over the years, is clear paint base. I've personally never tried it, so I can't vouch for it's performance, but I've read a number of testimonials about it. Below is a cut & paste of a portion of the first internet posting that I recall ever reading about it; There were several things I knew about paint: Exterior paints contain a mildewcide and a fungicide that a (marine) varnish does not. The best quality paints will contain a UV (inhibitor) and trans-oxide pigments in very high percentages. Almost all paint is custom mixed by the store. The retailer maintains a large supply of base products that are used to achieve the desired color. There are generally four base products and the specific one for your paint is determined by your color choice. These base products are either named or numbered. They are named pastel, deep, tint and neutral. If numbered it is cleverly 1, 2, 3 and 4 with the exception of Olympic who numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5. Olympic is unaware that “4” comes before “5”. Pastel and/or 1 is virtually a pure white and used for the lightest of colors. The others are slightly color altered from white and more translucent than pastel. These are used for succeeding deeper colors. All of this comes to neutral, 4 and/or 5. These are clear and used for (mixing) the darkest colors. In the can they are somewhat opaque but dry more or less clear.