jollyred

Scroll saws are at their best cutting wood 3/4" and thinner. They can cut thicker wood, but not easily. I think most can cut up to 1 1/2", but that is a pita. They also have a limited cutting capacity, with the depth of the table's throat limiting the area that can be cut. If a cut is farther from the edge of the board than the depth of the throat, it cannot be cut with that scroll saw. Also, scroll saws are not the tool of choice for cutting straight lines. That is what a table saw or track saw is for. If I were building fishing rod holders, I would choose the saw based on the thickness of the wood, which would probably be 3/4", so a scroll saw would be a good choice for any curved areas. You could cut the straight parts with the scroll saw and then plane or sand them to the straightness required. The main reason I would choose the scroll saw for this over a band saw is that the edges cut on the scroll saw require minimal sanding, mainly to remove the fuzzies on the corners of the cut. If you are going to rout the edges, then even that is not necessary. With a band saw, all the edges would need sanding to remove the saw marks and smooth the curves, which can take a lot of time. This could also be cute with a jig saw, but the edges again needing sanding. For more on choosing a scroll saw, you can look for some of the videos by Steve Good on You tube. He and many others have discussed this topic in great detail. Tom Wilson

I have noticed that if you select a number of objects at once, the description bar at the bottom of the drawing area will tell you how many of each type of object you have selected. This is easiest to do for a large number of objects if you use the selection tool to drag a box around them. Tom

I would think the best thing to do is ask a local jeweler. Also, they may be able to plate it for a reasonable cost. You could also check on getting discs of silver to do the next one. I have no idea what they would cost. I do like the design. Tom

That wood has a lot of figure, and your shape really shows it off. I like that. Tom

I am still using the older Inkscape, so I don't know if this is in 1.0, but under Path, there is a command called "outset". If you duplicate the outline, it can be outset a predetermined amount, say 1/4". Setting the distance is done in preferences, under Edit. In preferences, look for "steps". This is where you set the distance. If you want to make the outline smaller, do the same thing with the command "inset". Tom

I always take the tension off (at least 95% of the time). I have a quick tensioner on the saw so it only takes a couple of seconds. If the tension is left on for a long time, the bands can develop a flat spot, which is annoying. Besides, the tensioner cost a lot of money so I am d..n well going to get my money's worth out of it. Tom

Haven't thought of flower power in a long time. Nice cutting. Tom

Regarding the last one, Mark Twain said " If you don't read the newspapers you are uninformed; if you do read the newspapers you are misinformed." Tom

The only things I can think of is the box will contain the overspray and the pins hold the pattern off the bottom so another pattern can be sprayed immediately, without it sticking to the box. Never heard of one before, either. Seems like a lot of pins just for that, though. Let us know if you use it and how (or if) it works. Tom

Pieces that small I usually square up using my cross cutting sled. It will hold the short lengths just fine for ripping. I use something to hold doen the piece to keep my fingers away from the blade. Tom

Considering the spalting on the wood, be careful to not breathe the dust from sanding them. The markings are caused by a fungus, and the dust might not be too healthy. Be sure to wear dust protection and maybe go outside in a breeze. Tom

I often use these sanders sold by Judy Gale Roberts. I also made some larger bow sanders that help a lot with the larger pieces. I will also use a sharp knife to chamfer the edges prior to sanding. This reduces the sanding time and the amount of sanding dust produced. Tom

I made one of those a few months back. Freaked out my wife. Then I made one using just one string.

Afraid I got tied up with other things and haven't had time to try your suggestion. Will have to get some bottles and try them. Will other bottles work, do you think? Don't drink much oj, but the loml does a different juice. Tom

Here are a couple I've done. Have some more but can't find their pictures. The lion is a Botas pattern, and the lamp is adapted from an internet picture.

How can you tell the time without the hands?

I used the blower on my saw to blow the dust into the dust collector. I didn't notice a great difference from not using the blower, so now I just leave the saw's blower out of the way.

I found this on Amazon. I think it is what you are looking for. SN25T8 Dust Collector Industrial Extractor Woodworking Cyclone Vacuum Cleaner Filter Separation - - Amazon.com Tom

For those who have the Seyco vacuum attachment that uses the Metro Vacuum, what muffler does that use? From the description on the Seyco web site, it reduces the noise level to 62 db, which is a lot quieter than the unmuffled unit. I have a Metro vacuum that I use for my scroll saw and would really like to make it quieter. I have tried other things, but nothing seems to get it much quieter. I would really appreciate any information you can give me. Tom

Looking good. You will have to keep us informed on how you like the saw. Tom

Nicely cut. I have found in my cold shop that fingerless gloves can help a lot with keeping the hands warm. Mine are just brown jersey gloves that I attacked with a pair of scissors. Tom

Ouch! Tom

Steve gives suggestions on wood in his patterns, but more than once he has stated that you should use the wood that you think is right. Most of the pictures of the finished pieces he shows are computer generated, as he does not have time (or space or budget) to cut every pattern he makes. Tom

Your wife is a wonderful, caring woman. Tom

That's a good one. Mine is a piece of plywood on the rails of my table saw. The fence is a 1X clamped to the top. I don't do a lot of routing. Tom