NMBob

That is really nice. About how long did it take? That could easily -- after the letter cutting part -- be combined with a little star and stripes like on the wings of Air Force planes for an airman, or an anchor for someone in the Navy, etc. to personalize it. Good job.

Hi all! Thanks for the warm welcome! I looked around at a few of the online forums, but found nearly every topic here had been updated today. I figured that was a good sign, so I joined this one. My cutting skills only look really good in photoshopped pictures. I think I am starting to begin to get an idea about figuring out what is going on, but sometimes that ol' blade just gets a mind of it's own. I cut each of these layers individually just to get the experience. Next time I'll stack a couple together so I don't get quite so much experience...sanding. The four that are stacked up will get glued. The fifth one on the right was a disaster that I'm using for a piece to test stuff out on. The edges of the holes on that one are rounded with a 1/16" rounding bit I found for my Makita compact router. I've never routered anything before, either, and have a bit to learn there. This first box is just a proof-of-concept. The wood is some kind of "oak" that I found at our little local lumber yard. It was a planed and squared and wrapped in plastic 1x6x36" piece for $10. I figured I could afford to ruin that. I've tried a 7R, 5, 3, and even a 1 just to get a feel for the different blades. Haven't decided anything yet. I have trouble just driving down the road in a straight line, so I'm still battling that problem at the saw. The two pieces on the left with the pattern on them are the top and bottom. I may have to buy a planer for them. They were just some thin stock (oak and bubinga) I got for kinda cheap at a wood shop in Albuquerque. Albuquerque Exotic Woods if you live around ABQ. Real nice place and nice folks. All sorts of woods in there. I'll try and get a web page together on my website when I get this done with a few details. As far a scotches go I'll drink anything I can afford. I'll even buy a few I can't afford. I'm not a single malt snob. Picked up a blend in a plastic bottle at Walmart the other day. Haven't tried it yet, but one of the guys at work said it was pretty good. If you want to learn about scotches go to ralfy.com. The guy is amazing and would probably be a scroll sawer if he wasn't so into scotch. He has over 520 videos on YouTube, and they are not just about scotch, but other stuff to drink, and also some with just information about whisk(e)ys. Very entertaining. Thanks again!

Bob here. Just joined -- otherwise why would I be posting this? I've had my scroll saw (DeWalt 788) for a little over a month. About $2100 later (I didn't have any decent tools or bits or blades or a router or anything) I've almost completed a two year quest for a box for my scotch glass (a Glencairn glass if you you know about these kinds of things). Just could never find one that fit the way I wanted. Had little or no idea what I was doing a month ago. Still have no idea, but I almost have a box made. I live in a little town in New Mexico, so just about anything I need I have to order, or make a pilgrimage to Albuquerque. Right now I'm waiting for a 1/16" die cutting bit. Need to make some thin slots in the lid to insert magnet 'waffers' into that will mate up with magnet 'rods' sticking out a bit from the top of the body of the box. Making those slots with anything less than a 5/64" drill bit didn't work too well. The waffers are 1/32" thick, and the lid is only 1/4" thick bubinga, so I don't want the slot to be too big. These new bits are for cutting sideways through metal, so that might help. We'll see. If this works it will be time to start gluin' and screwin'. Cutting the foam to cradle the glass has been the worst part. Did a little fooling with wood like this when I was a kid, but that was on some fan belt-driven monstrosity that my dad had with 1/4" deep blade. Couldn't make sharp turns worth a darn, but I got used to the burnt wood smell ok. He eventually made me start paying for my own blades.