Fishman

Looks great! I think I want to make one!

Thank you everybody! Glad you all like it, you all have more experience with the scroll saw than I do...so it means a lot when something passes your guys (and gals) approval. Also, the wood I used was Birch and Mahogany.

Pattern is from Steve Good, I just changed the lid design and size a little. I made this for a gift, and wanted to go all out so I tried my first inlay! The finished one is after one coat of poly, I just applied the second coat and am waiting for it to dry now. What do you all think?

You might want to check this out!

Thank you for all the kind words everybody!

It's been awhile! I've been busy getting ready for my trip I leave for on Wednesday! Some of you might remember my first portrait I designed and cut out. I felt it needed some improvements so I cut it again, made some changes, and I made a nice custom birch frame for it this time. Still need to do a tiny bit of work, but here it is! My first portrait, version 2! What do you all think?

Thanks, but I can't choose the pen. I'm taking it somewhere to get signed. I'm just going to clear coat to fill the wood pores and hope for the best.

So I have a kind of odd question. Anybody have any experience with a Sharpie marker or something similar on wood? Somebody is going to sign something I made, and since wood is porous like a sponge signing right on the wood doesn't seem to work too great. I've tested it a bit and there is some bleeding. Is there something I can put on the wood, let it get signed, and then maybe even something I can put over it to protect it? I was reading that Sharpies are alcohol based and don't react well with lacquers. That I should use a water based poly? Any input is appreciated. Thank you!

These are great! You did a fantastic job!

Very clean, it came out great!

To the the people that roll the glue across the entire back of your portrait, what do you do about the extra glue that oozes? Or do you just put a really light coat and don't have any extra ooze out? I think I'm going to pick up a bottle of the super glue, I've done a few projects now where something that dries fast would of been really nice. This the one you use? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla-20-g-Super-Glue-78056/100661959

See, this is what I was looking for! I know there is no "one best way to do it all" but it's the first post and you already gave me an idea. I never even really thought of a pin nailer, but I could see how in some situations that would be really handy. You could maybe dab a little glue, shoot a few nails in it and be good. If you're going to have a frame overlap, you could even put the nails around the outside. Little bit of glue/dust would hide any trace of the nails in the middle too.

So this is a pretty basic topic, and should be straightforward. You never know though, sometimes the easiest things can be made even easier. So I'm wondering what everyone's method for attaching their portraits to the backer is? My main wonder is really for the smaller detailed fret type work (where there isn't much surface area). Do you ignore putting glue on the smaller parts to avoid the risk having glue ooze out on the backer? Or do you just put glue on the entire back of the portrait, and just clean up any ooze between cuts. I can't help but think that just isn't feasible for some pieces, seems it would be a pain to clean all the glue between the smaller cuts. What glue do you use? Normal wood glue? Fast drying CA glue from the hobby store? Both to avoid clamping? I know this might seem silly to some, it being such a basic task; glue the two pieces together. My mind is always active though (blessing and a curse), I'm always wondering if there is another/better way to do things...and how other people do it.

Thanks Travis. I have already checked for this and everything appeared to be aligned. I will check again though, just to double check...don't have anything to lose.

Sorry to hear, I'm sure I would have been upset if it happened to me....even if I had an extra. It's great you had another one though. In the grand scheme of things, worse things could have happened though. That's what I always think if something goes wrong/doesn't work out. I was just doing this yesterday (nothing as delicate though) and actually had this fear. So now I'm wondering, did you cut your moose on another piece of scrap backer for support, or just cut it by itself right on the table saw?

Quick update.... I tried everything and nothing fixes it. I did find out how off it is though by trying that business card trick. I cut a slit in the card with a scissors, taped it around the blade, and after turning the saw on it made a hole/shape based on the path of the blade. So it looks to be going forward, back, and to the right. Makes cutting a giant pain, and also makes everything take longer....but I'll just have to deal with it for now I guess. Something is off with the saw itself, and it's not returnable. Going to try and not let it hold me back and just deal with it till I can get a new saw.

No problem. If you don't need all the bells and whistles (copy, scanner, etc) you could get just a printer. Having all in one machine can be a very nice convenience though....if you need it.

It's an older model, but here it is: http://www.brother-usa.com/MFC/ModelDetail/4/MFC7420/Overview#.VRB8MOE3LSg

I've had the same Brother combo machine for many years. With the very occasional minor maintenance it has had no problems. Only little hiccup you get every now and then is a paper jam, which is easy to fix. It actually has a page counter on it, the machine has printed over 15,000 pages and still going strong. It uses the black toner, which is perfect for black and white printings....and lasts a very long time. My personal opinion is Brother (laser/toner) for text, patterns, anything black and white. Epson if you want high quality photo prints. With that said, I would NOT print photos at home, the cost of ink and paper is just way too much. It's much better to use a printing service for actual photos.

They look great! Thank you for sharing, it's really nice to see when your patterns are used.

Another good place to check out is: http://www.meritline.com/printer-ink-toner-cartridges---c-3.aspx They have tons of ink/toner that is generally way, way cheaper than the name brand. Just as good for most things and last longer too.

Thanks everybody, glad I'm a part of this community. I was getting pretty frustrated and you helped me calm down a bit. Great idea, I will try it tomorrow! Thank you for the compliment too. Hmm, maybe it's just the saw. Great tip for the threaded knob, blade changes can be a giant pain. What knob did you get? Just any old little knob that would fit from your local hardware store? I will try this as well tomorrow. Thank you.

I've been having a hell of a time with this Craftsman 16 inch. I just can't seem to get the blade running parallel front and back, rather than the blade going straight up and down... it goes more forward and back. Once you're about 1/2" or so in the wood, it isn't much of a problem, it's on the smaller fret type cuts and starting a cut where the problem becomes a giant pain. Like it will "bounce" out of your current cut and it's starting to cause all sorts of problems. There could be some wobble left and right too, kind of hard to tell. It's really becoming difficult to do some of these cuts as a progress further into more intricate projects. I've tried all sorts of things from moving the saw elsewhere to all sorts of adjustments. Don't think it's a tension problem either, that seems to be pretty good. Am I missing something? Is my saw itself broken? Or is a little bit of blade bounce normal on a cheaper entry level saw like this? I'm about to give up on scrolling (or just stick with less delicate cuts) till I can afford a new saw, it's really starting to get frustrating. I'm going on a trip next month and just don't have the extra money for a saw, which is a shame because I'm trying to make a few gifts to take with me. Any help would be appreciated, I really want to do these projects.

Yeah, changing the blade on the Craftsman can be a major pain. Having to unscrew/screw with the hex key, then turn the knob every time. I also notice some blade wobble on it. I really don't think it's anything but the saw. I could be wrong but I've tried everything and it just doesn't get much better, I think with an entry level saw like this.....it can only get so smooth. I might have to look into upgrading at some point. Look forward to seeing more cuts!

Looking great! Grats on the new saw. I'm currently using a Craftsman 16" myself. How much of a difference with cutting do you notice with the Excalibur? Was it like a night and day difference?