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Jim McDonald

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Everything posted by Jim McDonald

  1. Jim McDonald
    I'm not Kevin, but I think the cross is from Sue Mey. She had a large assortment of such designs.
  2. Jim McDonald
    Watco makes a great fast drying lacquer (satin, semi and gloss) and the gloss even has levelers in it. Don't know if you have Menard's that far south, but I'm sure there is somewhere to buy the brand locally.
  3. Jim McDonald
    My sister saw the picture and now wants two sets--one pink and one purple. Just have to wait out the heat advisory.
  4. Jim McDonald
    Those are actually 1/8" dowels that I put through a pencil sharpener.
  5. Jim McDonald
    This is a John A. Nelson pattern for birthday candle holders that I got from the recent SSWC issue. Took 1/2" plywood and coated both sides with three generous coats of appliance white spry and let it dry a full day between coats and three days after the final coat. This is one project you really want to use painters tape on and make really certain the tape is stuck down good as it serves as a mask while you are painting the cut edges. This box is from The Container Store and is covered in a whale motif fabric since the nursery is being decorated in whales. Did it with 3M 77 spray glue and some mediocre scissors. It would have been easier with a better pair of scissors, but once you start, it gets a little hard running around for a better pair of cutters. (I'm pretty good at wrapping the OUTSIDE of boxes with wrapping paper, but lining the inside of the box is a whole new challenge.)
  6. Jim McDonald

    DeWalt DW788

    Jim McDonald commented on Travis's scroll saw review in Scroll Saw Reviews

    My DeWalt is a second upgrade for me and I have abused all three saws. The DW has been a rugged performer for me. I bought it from DW refurb and had to get some bushings replaced and have replaced the blade screws, but it has never hesitated to do what I asked (demanded).
  7. Jim McDonald
    Frank--another great project and I know the folks truly appreciated the effort and thoughtfulness.
  8. Jim McDonald
    I have a "mom and pop" hardware store that does sell numbered bits, but they are expensive when buying them singly. Best bet is to get a few different numbers from Mike's or Sloan's and keep them on hand.
  9. Jim McDonald
    Probably the hardest thing I ever cut was the logo for Ball State University from 3/4" Brazilian Cherry. The logo itself is a mild challenge, but that cherry was hard as concrete. If the blade got just the slightest bit dull, you could smell smoke. But, it was destined to be a gift for a recently retire faculty member who truly appreciated it, so everything came out okay.
  10. Jim McDonald
    I don't do nearly that many at once, but I use a line with slip knots tired every so far and bend paperclips to use as hangers. Works great. I should say that I use mason's twine which is cheap and easy to work with. I have used fishing line for some longer runs, but it is not as flexible as the twine.
  11. Jim McDonald
    Some of the stuff I gave away the first Christmas I was scrolling HAD to be hideous in retrospect. I have grown in my abilities and still challenge myself regularly, but there is no way I would ever consider myself a "master"--competent, maybe. I have just practiced my eye/hand coordination to the point where I am able to do some justice to the designs that so many great artists have toiled over.
  12. Jim McDonald
    For those who do not remember Leon, here is one clip. Great image capture on the cutting.
  13. Jim McDonald
    A true treasure for a new Pirate.
  14. Jim McDonald
    Did this for a guy at work who moonlights as a tattoo artist. Since Old English seems to be a favorite in the tattoo community, I figured to give it a try. At 150 points, it is still a bit fragile. Made of cherry with dogwood base and finished with gloss lacquer. Sorry for the size of the photo, it had to cropped heavily.
  15. Jim McDonald
    Same thing here on an older Explorer browser.
  16. Jim McDonald
    I have cut some simple and some challenging patterns from Sheila and they always turn out great. Her newsletter is always filled with new stuff and I have to keep both hands on the keyboard to keep from reaching for the credit card to buy something else to add to my "must cut" pile.
  17. Jim McDonald
    You have done it again Frank. Great work and lots of dedication to the craft.
  18. Jim McDonald
    Probably could find some good ones at a Mom and Pop hardware store--not the big boxes. And, if you have to blow the dust off the package--they are good old-time ones like your grandmother used.
  19. Jim McDonald
    Since I do 99% of my cutting outdoors, I use the breeze as dust collection.
  20. Jim McDonald
    As an electronics buyer friend of mine once said when judging a small keyboard vacuum, "That sucks". Then, he turned around and bought several thousand for the company to sell You made a project work with what you had and it seems to be working.
  21. Jim McDonald
    This is the PERFECT aha moment! The last gasket I made with hammer and Fel-Pro was on a 750gpm fire truck pump--probably 1982 or 83. Used "Indian Head" gasket shellac on both sides of the gasket. When that truck was scrapped, I guarantee you they didn't split those brass pump halves to get the impellers out.
  22. Jim McDonald
    I come asking for help from the assembled minds that hang out in the Village. I am helping my son with a project for his girlfriend that is going to be a hanging piece about 36 x 40inches made from reclaimed pallet wood. Some of the has a wonderful natural edge with the bark still attached. I am wondering how some of you have preserved the natural edge and kept the bark in place?
  23. Jim McDonald
    This is an old cut of mine. I lost a lot of photos in a HD crash. This is a cherry board I salvaged from a Habitat for Humanity resale store. I made two. One went to a school library when I was substitute teaching and the other went to my BIL who is a lawyer and had just remodeled his office.
  24. Jim McDonald
    I tried to cut Pinewood Derby cars blanks for my son with a jigsaw and everyone here can attest to the disaster that was. I bought a like new single speed Delta in a pawn shop and blades at Sears. Used that old Delta until parts got scarce and bought a Hitachi and when it came time to start the rebuild process on it, my wife said that with our anniversary and Fathers' Day just around the corner, I should just go ahead and get a new better saw. So I ordered a DW788 and haven't looked back. It has been to the DeWalt shop once and I have replaced a few parts, but otherwise it has served me well. A few years ago, I had my hand on my wallet to buy an Excalibur at the SSWC show in Pennsylvania. Wish now I had gone ahead and pulled the trigger on that--but I am still happy with what I have (little to no saw envy here) and Big Yeller and I have a good time out under the shade tree in the spring, summer and fall.
  25. Jim McDonald
    More pricey than the free pill bottles mentioned above. For my money, they are a great investment that will most likely outlast me.
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