Bill WIlson

I watched that the other day. I like Stumpy. He tends to offer a very reasoned and common sense perspective on a variety of WW'ing topics. This is another.

If my memory is correct, I think spar varnish generally cures softer than a normal interior varnish. Since it's made for outdoor applications, it needs to be softer to allow for more wood movement. For future reference, it may not be as desirable for projects that will be subject to wear and some abuse, such as a table top.

There are different types of epoxy and they aren't necessarily interchangeable. If you want to use epoxy for a finish, should probably buy a product that is designed to be used as a finish, as opposed to a casting resin.

I like the way you think!

Ipe is also known as "Ironwood". Tells ya something about how hard it is. According to the Janka scale, it's in the top 5 of the hardest woods in the world. For comparison, Ipe measures 3684 on the Janka scale, while hard maple measures 1450. The hardest is lignum vitae at 4500

It doesn't really take all that long for the glue gun to heat up. I usually work on organizing stacks of blanks, applying patterns and clamping them together while it's heating up and by the time I'm ready for it, it's ready to rock. I actually have a couple of them. One takes the mini glue sticks and the other takes larger ones. I didn't buy them for scroll sawing, but that is what their primary use is these days. From some of the comments I've read, I think there may be a mis-understanding on how the hot glue is applied, not from Kevin's reply, but from others over the years. The hot glue is not applied between the layers. It's applied in strips, across the edges of the stack. All pieces in the stack need to be the same size, so that the edges all line up. It does not cause any gaps between layers. It merely holds the edges together, sort of like the binding on a book. I use this technique mostly when I'm cutting Christmas ornaments. I'll place patterns for multiple ornaments on the blank. Most of the time, the edge of the blank is not part of the pattern and gets cut away. I do not cut into any edge from the outside, until I've made all the internal cuts and have freed the finished pieces from the stack. That way the stack stays together throughout all the cutting.

Like most veteran scrollers, I've used several methods to hold stacks together. I've pretty much settled on the hot glue across the edges technique. It's fast, simple and works well for me. I hate fussing with tape, but I understand the appeal. I have a pin nailer, but unless I'm working on a pretty large piece and have concerns about areas in the middle being secured, it doesn't offer any advantages over the hot glued edges, at least for me. We all work differently and not every method works as well in every application, so having options and flexibility is always a good thing.

Well, it sounds like a pretty good deal, but whether or not you can justify it, only you can determine. I probably use my planer as much or more for scroll saw projects as other WW'ing stuff. Having the planer gives me all sorts of flexibility to use different thicknesses for different projects. I'd be lost without it. That said, dropping $600 on a tool is not a decision to be made lightly. You've already committed to spending several hundred $ on the Wen and Dewalt 734. Now the question is, can you realistically step up another couple hundred for the 735? Good luck. I hope you can find a way to make it work.

I agree it's probably white oak, but ash is another possibility.

I know you are anxious to get back to scrolling, but I wouldn't expect that you will be satisfied with this saw for very long, especially after having a Hegner. I say this, knowing nothing about the saw in the picture, but it looks similar to one I had was given a number of years ago. My primary saw was a Dewalt. I was looking for a 2nd saw that I could take with me for demonstrations. I was given one for free. It was a Performax brand. I had heard of Performax and thought it would be a decent saw. It wasn't. It was just one of those cheap entry level, $100 saws that were available in many different colors, under many different brand names. I ended up giving it back because I just could not use this saw. The reasons are many and I have no idea if your new saw shares any of the same faults, but I wouldn't be surprised. I truly wish you luck with this saw. I'm sorry your Hegner was stolen. That is a real bummer. You may be able to grit your teeth and make this one work for you, at least for a while, but I suspect you will need to start saving for a better one.

Personally I think that risk has always been overblown, but what do I know. Treated lumber (CCA) from 30 years ago was potentially more harmful because one of the chemicals used in the treatment was arsenic. That was banned back in the early 2000's, if I recall correctly. The replacement (ACQ) was supposed to be far less toxic, but if it isn't absolutely 100% food safe, able to be drank straight from the bottle, then it will always be suspect in some circles. I think the reality is that most of the transfer of any toxicity from the treated lumber to the actual produce growing is hypothetical rather than scientifically observed, and even if it was transferred, is it in any amount that would be considered harmful? Disclaimer: I'm just ranting here. I'm not a chemical engineer, so I really have no idea, so don't take anything I say as fact or sound advice.

Wood's resistance to rot will vary depending on circumstances. Being exposed to occasional rain/snow is much different than being in constant contact with moist dirt. I think treated lumber comes in 2 different types. One for general outdoor applications (cheaper) and one for ground contact (more expensive). The cheaper type will not hold up to ground contact for very long without some sort of coating/sealant. Natural cedar may hold up better than the cheaper type of treated lumber, but if it is in constant contact with wet dirt, then I doubt anything you apply once will last very much longer than doing nothing.

If you have to buy something, go with exterior paint. It will provide the best bang for the buck. All the other clear finishes or stains will need to be reapplied every year or they will degrade and be useless in short order. Exterior paint contains additives and pigments that you won't get in Big Box spar varnish or other clear finishes/stains. The additives in good exterior paint do more to prevent mold, mildew, UV damage, etc. which are just as big an enemy to wood as moisture. I wouldn't necessarily overlook acrylic exterior paint. I know oil based is the tried & true, but acrylics have come a long way and are probably more readily available in most areas.

I use my drill press most of the time. I also use a Dremel, mounted in a drill press attachment. Maybe not quite as versatile as the Dremel plunge router kit, but works well for me. I rarely have a circumstance where I cannot reach a hole location by using these two. I like the convenience of having the Dremel located near the scroll saw to catch those hole locations I missed on the DP, which is at the other end of the shop.

Gwinnet Woodworkers Assoc. is located in Georgia. According to their website they offer Zoom classes. https://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/about-gwa

I have enough trouble fitting the wood between my gut and the blade on projects that fit my 21" saw. Can't imagine swinging a project large enough to require a 30" saw. I'd be so far away I couldn't see the blade.

I'm dipping my toe into using colored epoxy casting resin. Picked up some at Michaels for a project I'm working on for my daughter. It isn't a scroll saw project, but rather a simple bench. I want to rout the letter D into the top and fill it with epoxy. I've used 5 minute epoxy to fill small knot holes before, but never used epoxy for decorative effect. I made a test piece, because I had several questions regarding its use. The project is made of red oak, which has a very open grain. I was concerned that the dyed resin overflow would seep too deeply into the pores of the wood to be effectively removed by sanding the resin flush with the surface. That proved to be less of a problem than I had imagined. Next question was would the area around the epoxy inset take stain similar to the rest of the surface or would there be a noticeable halo around where the stain couldn't penetrate as well, due to the overflow of the epoxy that I ended up sanding off. That too proved not to be a problem. My next step is to see if it will accept a topcoat. After some internet searching, I've read mixed reviews of applying a polyurethane topcoat over epoxy. Most said it worked fine. Others said it didn't. I'm going to apply a seal coat of shellac first, then a topcoat on my test piece to see how it goes. The biggest challenge I've had so far is controlling the overflow of the epoxy. Once it flooded the banks of the routed inset, it kind of ran wild on me. I over did it by pouring too much and once it started overflowing, trying to scrape it back into place and remove the excess just created more of a mess. I definitely need a little practice with this part. I'm going to try it on a 2nd test piece, but I've applied clear packing tape over the area of the inset. I then routed the area and have applied a bead of hot glue around the perimeter to control any overflow and keep it from spreading too far. I hope to test this in the next couple days. For those of you who are more experienced with this process, do you have any tips & tricks to offer to a newbie?

I've cut many ornaments and have used both ply and hardwood. If the ornament pattern is very detailed and fragile, I go with 1/8" BB ply. Simpler ornaments with less fragile cross grain areas tend to get hardwood. I usually plane down to somewhere around 3/16". Like Dan said, 1/4" is too chunky and 1/8" is too thin & fragile for hardwood ornaments, IMHO. Lately I've been gravitating more toward the fragile, detailed ornaments, so I've been using a lot more ply. I don't think it detracts from the appearance, because there usually isn't enough of the wood left to see the color and grain pattern anyway. Also, if I want to spruce it up a little, I can add a little color and/or glitter to add visual interest. I've found that the ornaments I make from my favorite hardwoods like cherry & walnut, tend to disappear on the tree because they don't stand out like lighter colored woods or brightly painted/dyed ones.

I'm an advocate for spiral blades, but sometimes they just aren't suitable for the piece being cut. In those cases, I do much like JT and just stand and bend awkwardly to make the cuts that are difficult to reach. I ty to avoid this situation whenever possible, but sometimes it just isn't feasible.

Never worked with it, but here are a couple comments, cut & pasted from the Wood Database; https://www.wood-database.com/limba/

Well, if you were going to scrap it anyway, sanding may be worth a try. At least you will know if it works or not. Info that may come in handy someday.

I will scroll until I start to feel it in my neck & shoulders. Can't really say how long that takes, as there are variables and I never really kept track. If I had to guess, somewhere around an hour maybe. I know I've gone longer than that, but I don't think it's typical.

Oh my goodness! How did I miss this thread? Dave, that is absolutely beautiful craftsmanship. I take my hat off to you sir!

Typically just a frame.

I won't say they are the best, but I have one like this and it has worked well for me.