Bill WIlson

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.

The thing about pressure is that most folks use too much. The old adage of letting the tool do the job applies in all these cases, even the paint brush. Use a good quality paint brush. It will hold a lot of material. Draw the brush across the board and let the material flow off onto the surface, rather than push it down and try to force the finish onto the wood. It's all about technique, just like with the scroll saw and the sander.

I have both, but rarely use the palm sander. I always seemrd to have more trouble with swirl marks left behind by the palm sander, but that may have been as much my technique and the paper I was using at the time. I've used random orbit sanders, with good quality sanding discs, for so long now, that I don't have much need to use the palm sander anymore. The ability to connect the ROS to my shop vac & Dust Deputy was a game changer, for me.

For scrolled projects, my go to finish is shellac, sprayed on with a HVLP gun. Shellac is very easy to spray and even easier to clean up. I will occasionally dip smaller pieces in an oil, but it's difficult to get finish into all the nooks & crannies of most larger fretwork. This is where shellac excels. It dries extremely fast and is best applied in light coats, so you can hit it from multiple angles without it building up like some other finishes. Also, clean up between coats isn't even really necessary. The denatured alcohol in shellac will soften hardened shellac, so I've left shellac sitting in the gun for an hour and had no problems picking it up and using it again. Sometimes I don't even clean after I'm done using it, just put it away. When I use it the next time, I just run a little DNA through it and it's ready to spray again, just like it had been put away clean. If you want to add some color into the piece, without the separate step of staining, you can mix up shellac flakes that are available in different grades, from a very deep, dark amber to almost water clear. I use mostly the clear, pre-mixed stuff from Zinnser, which imparts a nice, light amber tint to warm up most woods. Shellac is just about the ideal finish for me. I sing it's praises just about every chance I get.

I think it's a little more ergonomically friendly. Stay hunched over a scroll saw for extended periods of time and you look for small improvements that relieve some of the tension in your back, neck, shoulders and wrists. It makes a difference for some. I know I like mine better tilted.

I don't have any plans or pictures. All I use are a couple pieces of ply and several quick clamps. However, Carole Rothman is the stacked ring bowl expert, IMHO. I believe she explains her bowl clamp on her blog. If you want to learn about stacked ring bowls on the scroll saw, Carole is the person to go to. http://scrollsawbowls.blogspot.com/

Apparently from Mars.

Just my humble opinion, but I think that's too high.

Many years ago we had someone come into work and test employees' hearing. A lot of the older machinists at the time were found to have significant hearing loss. It had happened so gradually, they never really thought much about it. Somebody asked the guy who was doing the testing what the best kind of hearing protection was. His response was; "The one that you will wear." That made an impression on me and since then I've made it a point to wear ear plugs anytime I'm running any kind of machinery.

Hearing & breathing damage will sneak up on you after a while. Trouble is, that once we realize there is a problem, it's often too late to do much about it, except for trying to prevent it from getting worse. Get in the habit of taking precautions. You're ears and lungs will thank you years from now.

I like to make frames for the pictures I've cut. That way I can make them any size I need. I don't use glass, but I have occasionally matted them. As mentioned, there is no limit to the variety of styles and types of frames you can make. You can combine a few simple router bits to make all sorts of different profiles. I sometimes make frames out of 2 or 3 pieces of wood, glued together, which can really add depth to the frame and give you more edges to profile and create all sorts of different looks. I've used contrasting splines to add strength to the miter before. They also add an additional decorative element to the frame. Sometimes I just use a 23 ga pin nailer and shoot a pin or two in each corner. The pins are headless and the holes are so small that they are practically invisible. You can also add strength by attaching the picture & backer board directly to the frame with glue/nails. If I do this, I'll make the rabbet a little wider, to give me more area to bond to. There are all sorts of options. As shown above, you don't even have to worry about trying to make perfect miters, because there are lots of ways to join the corners that don't require miters.

Couple suggestions; First, for basement finishing, use waterborne products. They aren't flammable and the fumes are less of a problem. Second, you can spray shellac in cold temperatures. It takes a little longer to dry, but it doesn't interfere with curing like it does with other finishes. Humidity is more of a problem with shellac, but if the air is dry, you can apply shellac in the cold. Now that doesn't solve the comfort problem, but it does give you an option. For smaller projects, that don't require a lot of finish, I do spray finishes in my basement in the wintertime. I use large pieces of cardboard to make an enclosure that sits on my bench. In the rear, I cut an opening and attach a furnace filter with hot glue. I put a fan, with another furnace filter over it, in the shop window. Then I have a fan running behind me, gently moving the air in the direction of the window. I have a lazy Susan platform that I set in my temporary spray booth, which allows me to rotate the project and spray it all from the open end of the booth. I generally only spray shellac, which while flammable, dissipates and dries quickly, thus the overspray and fumes aren't much of a problem. I'm not saying I recommend this method, as one should have explosion proof lighting in the spray area, but I allow plenty of time for the fans to clear the air and haven't blown up my shop yet.

I generally like the FDUR blades, but for something that thick, they are likely part of the problem you are having with the stack lifting. FDUR blades have more reverse teeth than a regular reverse tooth blade, so they will tend to be a little more "grabby" on the up stroke, especially in thick material like you are cutting. You can probably get away with using them if you cut the stack thickness down, as has been suggested, or choose a different, larger blade with less reverse teeth, as has been suggested.

Finishing doesn't have to be complicated, but there are some basic elements that need to be understood in order to get the results you want. Without going into a long dissertation on finishing 101, my first suggestion is to allow plenty of time for the oil to cure before topcoating with lacquer. Lacquer and oil are quite different finishes and while they may ultimately be compatible, if you apply the lacquer topcoat before the oil is fully cured, you could be asking for trouble. You could get a cloudy film. You could have adhesion problems. The previous suggestion of using a barrier coat of shellac is a good one. That will likely prevent any problems you may have with the lacquer reacting badly with the oil. It's very important to understand the properties of the finishing products you intend to use. It's also a very good idea to test unfamiliar finishing schedules on scrap before committing them to your project. Yes, it takes time, but finishing is as important as the cutting and cutting corners will eventually lead to disappointment.

Clamps - the size, type & qty will vary, depending on the type of projects you do, but I would start out with a few one handed bar clamps and an assortment of spring clamps. You can expand from there.

If you expect to find yourself working with a variety of hardwoods, I suggest you consider getting this book; https://www.amazon.com/Real-Wood-Bible-Illustrated-Decorative/dp/1770850139

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday, but I'm still trying to figure out how to scroll a dozen roses, a box of chocolates and dinner out.

Lauan plywood was commonly used as an underlayment for flooring, especially sheet flooring. I don't know if it's as common these days. Seems like flooring manufacturers have figured out that they make more $$ if they specify their own proprietary underlayment. Anyway, Lauan is the common name for a wood called Meranti that grows in S.E. Asia. Most of the varieties are pretty soft, even though Meranti is a hardwood. Lauan ply was also commonly used as door skins for builder grade, hollow core, interior doors. It's relatively stable, but a little coarser grain than something like Baltic Birch. It is useable for scrolled projects, but I think BB ply is higher quality and typically a better choice for most woodworking/scrolling applications.

When I first started scrolling, I stood. Mainly because I didn't know any better and didn't have a decent chair to sit in, in the shop. I built a stand for my 1st scroll saw and made it a comfortable height for scrolling while standing. After awhile, I acquired a stool and tried sitting. My stand was too tall, so I put the stool on a wooden platform to raise it up. It was less than ideal. Several years later I upgraded to a Dewalt, which came with a stand. It was then that I committed fully to sitting while scrolling. I was lucky enough to snag an an adjustable, swivel stool from work that was getting tossed out. It needed some new upholstery and the back rest keeps working loose, but it is the ideal shop stool, for me. I've been sitting ever since. My stool has wheels, so I can move from the scroll saw to bench work easily and adjust the height as required. Getting a good stool is the key.

For me, it depends on the pattern. If the pattern has a lot of fine, delicate detail, I like to use the smallest blade practical. Smaller blade = thinner stack. Probably limit myself to 1/2" thickness. If the cuts are fairly simple and not too delicate, I'll use a larger blade. Larger blade = thicker stack., may go up to 3/4" thick. I've found that when I try to cut thicker stacks with a small blade, the benefits of getting an extra layer or 2 in each stack are lost in the slower cutting time.

Frankly, I accumulate plenty of scrap that I save, so most of the negative space pieces end up in the scrap bin. It's kind of like the leftover pieces when you are compound cutting. The look like they should be usable for something, but if I saved all that stuff, I wouldn't be able to find my saw.