mild_peril

Welcome David, another noob here too, been scrolling for just over 2 months. I've been here a week or so and have read through dozens of fantastic threads and had a look through hundreds of patterns, and I can safely say that there are some brilliant people here willing to encourage and share their knowledge and experience, so you're in good hands. And that's a great first attempt by the way, enjoy your new found hobby. Tommy.

Welcome Bob

Thanks for the more welcomes everyone, you've made me feel very comfortable here in a short space of time. It's a terrible design, and the allen key and bolt round off in no time at all, especially if you're a rank amateur like myself and are tightening it way too tight. If the model can be put up in the machine section, then I'll happily doa full review of it, as I've not come across much info online myself regarding the saws. I'm normally a good researcher too, and I would have been put off by the lack of reviews online, but just got carried away as the tool shop is just down the road and they had them in stock at the time. Ya live and learn. That's great to hear. I'm not sure I could have picked a better hobby - or rather been picked by the hobby.. I'm sure I will at some point, but I'll wait a while first before I start embarrassing myself

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, and thanks to amazingkevin for my lifetime membership! It's nice to be here surrounded by people who share the same passion. This might sound daft, but in a way I'm kinda glad it happened like that, as it made me more determined to do it and take it up as a hobby, and I've found that the more I do it, the more I enjoy it too.

Hi everyone, and thanks for having me. My name's Tommy, and have been scrolling for a little over a couple of months now. Was first introduced to it just before Christmas 2014 after visiting a new friend at his home one day, and was instantly struck - I just loved his simple designs and what he was making as gifts - and I was also a bit envious!.. So like a good elf, I started to visit him for a few days a week over a month or so, just sanding his stuff, watching him cut and so on and developed the urge to have a go on the machine myself, until I eventually asked him for a go. He obliged, naturally, and I just cut a small rabbit puzzle out of some thin ply, and I was hooked. So I saved up a couple of pennies and bought a budget 16" SIP scroll saw. They're not perfect by any standard, and I had a few issues with it at first. After a week of having it, I switched it on one morning and it began to make some very unhealthy sounds, so I took it back to the shop (Tool Station) and got a replacement. The replacement didn't even work! So then I had to take that back to another branch of the same shop in the city, and got another replacement, which luckily worked. So I was happily on my machine for a good few hours a week for a couple of weeks, just using very standard blades, until I did a little research and came across the spiral blades, which I promptly ordered from amazon. But, the method for changing the blades is a little awkward on the SIP, as you need to tighten up a small clamp with an allen key to fasten the blades. This wasn't such a hassle with the pin end blades, but the pinless spiral blades were a bit fiddly. Add that to the fact that there is no direct access to the bottom clamp on the SIP, and you have to thread your blade throught the gap, and then in the clamp and then tighten it up with the allen key. But these machines aren't really set-up for pinless blades, as after a few tightens too tight, the allen key bolt rounded off and the damn thing got stuck! And for love nor money could I budge it, and ended up having to send it back to SIP for them to repair it. (It was still under guarantee with tool station, but they had none left in stock and were being a bit funny about giving me another one.. I digress.) I got it back nearly 2 weeks later and started afresh. I also worked out that I didn't need to tighten it any where near what I had been tightening it with the pinless blades and was beginning to get used to it.. But then, the bolt rounded off again, and it was stuck, again! Thank god though, this time I was able to prize it out, and I got myself a packet of M4 flat head screws/bolts and some new washers, and was able to fit them, and touch wood, it's been fine since. So I'm a happy scroller now, and just slowly beginning to build some confidence and watching my technique grow slowly more steady. Have largely been using pine to practice and cut shapes, but have recently aquired a load of half inch solid oak panels measuring about 20x20 inches, and have started to undertake some more daring fretwork, although I'm no where near the standard where I want to share photographs of my projects. And I do apologise for the long winded first post, but just thought I'd introduce myself a little more fully. All the best, Tommy.