Bill WIlson

I always thought the primary purpose of the internet was to tell people what to do.

One might need to consider how they attach the pattern to pre-finished wood as well. There are ways to do it, but I wouldn't use my regular method of spray glue the pattern directly to the wood, then remove with mineral spirits.

The Dewalt will cut more aggressively than some other saws on the market. Unlike some other saws of similar design, there is no way to adjust the vertical stroke to be less aggressive as can be done on an Excalibur, Pegas and some other brands. That said, don't despair. All is not lost. First, I would try using the smallest blade that will readily cut the chosen material. Smaller blades, with higher TPI count will be less aggressive. Also adjust the blade speed down a little. Don't go too slow, as that will cause its own set of issues, but find a slower speed that you can saw detail comfortably. One last thing, related to the saw set-up, that might help; when looking at the top & bottom blade clamps, see if the blade is aligned vertically. There is a set screw on the left side of the blade clamps. It should protrude into the blade slot an equal amount in both the top & bottom clamps. If they are not in alignment, the blade will lean slightly to the left or right and when in motion, appear to wobble or "flail" about. Looks like you are doing well for a "rank amateur". Keep at it and the comfort level will come. I had a Dewalt for several years and eventually got used to the aggressive cutting motion. I replaced it with an Excalibur a number of years ago and have it tuned for the least aggressive cutting motion. I've gotten used to that now and when I go back to cutting on a Dewalt, it feels much harder to control. Good luck! Hope this helps.

I like to think I'm a self-taught scroller. I picked up the hobby before forums like this existed. Fortunately I discovered and joined a local scroll saw club about 20 years ago and a whole new world opened up for me. Following the advice of the senior members of the club, I subscribed to the scrolling magazines, found on-line sources for patterns, blades & supplies. Later I discovered the forums. IMHO, they are the next best thing to belonging to a local club. So while I did teach myself most of the basics during the years between buying my first scroll saw and joining the club, forums like this have been a tremendous resource for me as I've continued to grow and pick up new things along the way.

It isn't necessarily an intuitive concept for some people, so explaining it isn't easy to do. I'd simply put it this way...Use the waste area to your advantage. If that means veering from the line to be able to approach a sharp corner or tight turn from a better direction to get a cleaner cut, then by all means do so. I do it all the time, as well.

We have a couple of them around the house too. I'd use them for weights, but then how would my wife iron my socks?

And only take the lightest of cuts with each pass. I've heard of some folks using a planer sled and adding a sacrificial block to the ends of the board, so that it takes the tear out instead of the cutting board. Again, I've never done it and have no intentions of doing it, but I believe it can be done.

I've made a couple end grain cutting boards, but never ran them through the planer to flatten them. I've watched a couple YT videos and believe it could be done, if you took precautions. However, for me, the risk outweighs the reward. I don't want to take a chance of ruining the board after I've put all the time & effort into getting it to that point. For me, it's better to put the time & effort into getting a good flat glue up so that you minimize the flattening required. The last one I made, I took a lot of time to ensure my cross cuts were straight & square. I used cauls to ensure my final glue up was as flat as possible. A few minutes with my 6" ROS, working through the grits, 60 - 100 - 150 - 220. It didn't take long at all, compared to the time I had already invested. A lot of people use a wide belt sander and that would be ideal, but I don't have one and am not inclined to get one anytime soon.

In simplest terms the short point of your miter will be the length of the corresponding edge of the piece being framed, less 2x the width of the rabbet. If the dimensions of the piece are 10" x 12" and the rabbet is 1/2" wide, then the short point of the miter for 2 sides would be 9" and 11" for the other 2 sides. Cut them a hair long and sneak up on a final dimension for best fit, if you aren't comfortable committing to a finished dimension with the first cut. Always make sure to cut pieces for parallel sides to exactly the same dimension.

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.

A lot of inlays in cutting boards are done with a router and guide bushing. Using a template you route out a shallow shape, then using the same template (with a different guide bushing) you can route the inlay to the exact same shape, such that it will fit perfectly. There are a ton of YouTube videos on this that will show you better than I can explain it. Due to the thickness of the average cutting board, doing something like a beveled scroll saw inlay is difficult, as Dave alluded to above.

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.

The broad answer to your question is that any wood that you can cut is good for the scroll saw. With the right blade you can cut most anything. Some woods are harder than others, which make them more difficult to cut, but sharp blades & patience will take you the rest of the way. Plywood comes in many flavors. The most popular type for scrolling is Baltic Birch plywood. This is something that you generally won't find at the local home center. You will probably need to seek out hardwood/plywood lumber supplier. The type of place that caters to cabinet makers and furniture makers, not home builders. You can also order it on-line, but shipping can get pricey. As for natural wood, any hard wood and most soft woods are fine for scrolling. The end use goes a long way in determining which type/species to use. When choosing a wood species, think about how it will make the final project look. Do you want a dark or light colored wood? Do you want something with a plain or very distinct grain pattern? There are other variables to consider, such as price, availability, potential for allergic reaction, density/hardness, etc. Generally speaking domestic hardwoods, such as maple, walnut, cherry, poplar, oak, etc are good choices. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of softwoods like pine. They cut OK, I'm just not enamored with their appearance and working properties for most scrolling projects. There is a lot more that could be said about this topic.

I think Scrappile is on the right track. Dust can sometimes finds its way into the collet causing a build up that could create the problem you describe. Remove the bit and clean the inside of the collet. I would think that something like a liquid blade cleaner on a q-tip would work pretty well. I would also check and clean the shank of the bits as well. While you're at it, clean the cutting edges of the bit to remove resin & pitch and it will cut better. Good luck, HTH.

We had a massive cicada emergence several years ago. I can remember the dead cicadas were piled so thick around the base of a couple large trees in the yard that it looked like mulch. I would mow the grass and catch a whiff of what smelled like a dead animal. Couldn't figure out where it was coming from for a while, until I got close enough to the tree to see all the cicada carnage. It was pretty disgusting.

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.