FrankEV

When Spiral blades produce a lot of dust on top of the work, it is usually and indication that the blade is installed upside down. I use sopiral blade almost exclusively for fretwork type cutting and have experienced this. Yes, spirals do generate a little bit more dust than straight blades, but not that much and the saw blower can keep the line clear if directed properly. The only other possibility I see is that you applied toooooo much adheasice to attaach the pattern and the glue bled through the paper and the dust is sticking to it. IMHO, not a likely scenario Hope this helps.

Very Nice. Well cut. When checking your cutting up close I found a piece of something stuck to the backside under the upper part of the horn. Just thought you might like to know!

My SOs daughter requested me to make a Bethlehem Star to hang on the wall above her Nativity Scene she displays for Christmas. Believe it or not, I could not find any simple patterns of just a star. I finally found an image of a star made/folded out of card stock that was exactly what I was looking for. I converted the folding pattern to a nominal 6 1/2” x 12 12” cutting pattern. This size is proportionally correct for where it will be displayed over the Nativity set. I’m not sure what to call this…it is not Intarsia nor Segmentation nor Fretwork nor ???…, but I did cut it on the Scroll Saw, so I guess I’m allowed to show it off here. The two stars are identical with the small Star about half-size. I used a Pegas #5 mgt R blade to cut the bottom big star from nominal 3/4” (actual 5/8”) thick Whitewood that had very little grain and the small star from the same board milled to 1/2” thick – on the Table Saw. I sculptured the small star to taper the sides of the points, much like how the card stock was shown after it was folded. If I had used a harder wood, the sharp ends of the Stars points may have held their shape better. After sanding, sculpturing and mounting the small star, I applied an Acrylic Air Brush Sealer White prime coat. I then used my Air Brush to paint the star an Acrylic Craft Paint called Pure Gold. After the paint was dry, I applied a coat of craft glue and a thick coat of Fine Gold Glitter. This was the messy part of the entire project, and you can see in the photo, it is hard to remove from where it is not supposed to be. After the Glue dried the entire Star was coated with a Krylon product called Clear Glitter Blast, that is supposed to brighten up the Glitter while securing it in place. Like photos of most Scroll Saw work, all the blemishes are very visible, but when displayed on the wall it doesn’t look bad at all. My Lady is happy, and I think her daughter will be also. Comments and critiques always welcome.

Beautiful! A lot of small contact points between rings. What glue did you use? How did you aplly and clamp?

One piece at a time! I'm no expert by any means, but I find the accuracy of cutting of the various pieces is key to a good fit-up. You really need to be able to cut the same line exactly the same - twice. Once you have a good fit-up, the shaping and sanding is easy fun part.

Very nice abd very nice clean cuts. Quick questions about the big yellow nozzle. I'm assuming that is suction from the the big hose I see in the bot pic. How and where is it connected to the vac hose? And does it lift with the arm like the air tube does? Where did you get it? You can message me your reply if you don't want to take this post off topic. Thanks

The King is dead....Long live the king! This type of Scroll Saw Art is quite enjoyable and satisfiying to do. However, the cutting is very simple as long as you can stay exactly on the line 'twice". All the real work is in the shaping, sanding and finishing. But at least I don't have to make a Frame!!!!!! Intarsia has been a welcome break, but I realy got to get back to cutting a nice 600+ hole art panel and my coloring with my Air Brush! Thanks for the nice comment.

Another attempt at an Intarsia project. For a detailed write up see my post in the Intarsia/Segmentation furum. Comments and critiques always welcome.

Really, really nice work. A lot of long straight ine cuts beautifully done!

My third Intarsia Project. A 7.5" wide x 9.5" tall Oval. For a full write-up see my post in the Intarsia/Segmentation Forum. Comments and Critiques always welcome.

Over engineered, I'll say! Your total 12mm (1/2") is a little thick, but I understand why you did that. I cut all my art panels in nominal 1/8" thick ply and glue them to a 1/4" ply backer for a total 3/8" thick panel. I use a homemade gluing press to glue the cut panel to the backer. Any warp in the cut panel is eliminated while drying in the press. This is what the back of my Floating frame looks like. This is a drawing of the construction detail. I just noticed that the right end of the top dimension is to the wrong place. Should be to the end of the panel. I do brad nail and glue the 1/4" material into the Rabet. I'm thinking of using my router to make the rails in one piece from 3/4" x 1 3/4" wide material. The width of the rabbet would be a min. of 7/8". I will need to buy a bigger rabbeting bit and the rabbet will need multiple passes, but would make the frame glue-up much simpler. My only problem is with the 1/4" Z-clips I use to mount the panel into the frame. I have to ve very careful to locate the screw in a full 3/8" thick section or the 516" long screws I use will poke through. not nice! I also just use a small sawtoot hanger as I don't want the frame to tilt when hung on the wall. Scroll Saw art shoul be hung flat on the wall at eye level for best viewing from about 4' away. And, yes, I burn my Logo in to the panel with a lazer engraver. Thanks for showing the back side. Hope this might be of some value.

Wouldyou flip it over and take a pic. I'm interested in how you constructed the frame and attached the cut panel. And how thick is your cut panel?

Cute image! Very nice job on the gallery type floating frame.

Similar to what I made. The stop makes the length repeatable

On these first two attemps I found the Scroll Saw cutting to be easy-peasy. The shaping work takes much more time to do well. Working with the very small pieces. like the thorns on the Rose stem, is a stiff PITA. Also, being able to visulize the image is very important. I can also see where, if trying to be true to an image, wood color choices can be daunting. Yes, it is more relaxing than cutting a 700 hole Art panel and I don't have to make a frame to mount the panel into. However, I don't get to use my Air Brush to add color, which is a skill I'm trying to improve on. Not too sure if I will get addicted to doing Intarsia, but I can see developng some of my own patterns and doing the work along with my other work. I do need a break now and then from the Art Panel work that I do. BTW I'm curious, if you were to do this piece, what would your wood choices be?

This is only my second Intarsia piece, and yes again, it is almost a direct copy of a work I found on-line. For a full descriptive write up see my post in the Intarsia/Segmentation section. Thanks for reading.

Chris, aka Hawk, just recently posted in the General Scroll Sawing Forum about his Sanding and Shaping Area of his shop. Well, I too, have a sanding station tucked in the corner of my little shop, but it was not often used. My only day to day use was to clean off fuzzies on the back side of my cut panels using a sanding mop in the wand of my Guenevere Finisher. Now for your reading pleasure, here is my story. Last week I attempted my first Intarsia project and needed to put the sanding station into use. And even though I wore a dusk mask and glasses, the sanding dust got all over the place, all over me, in my eyes, and, even with the mask on, in my throat. So, before attacking another Intarsia project I knew I had to make some changes and upgrades to my dust collection system and my dust face mask. The first job was to put new roll-around wheels on the cabinet. One of the undersized wheels I had previously used broke off and the cabinet could not be moved. Now it moves and can be positioned to a more comfortable working location easily when needed. Second, I rearranged the Guenevere Finisher and my small vertical Oscillating Sander so I can now use the second chuck on the finisher to hold shank mounted burrs/sanding drums, etc. Third, since my disk/belt sander already had a hook-up to my dust collection system I also needed to add another inlet that I attached a small tilted homemade hood that picks up the dust from the chuck mounted sanders. I’m waiting for a delivery of one more Y-fitting and a reducer so I can hook-up the Oscillating Sander to its dust outlet port. Unfortunately, since my sanding station is mounted on a cabinet I built many years ago, it is not a “sit-down” area like Chris’s. I can use my Scroll Saw stool/seat while using the chuck mounted sanders, but I must stand up to use the Belt Sander or the Oscillating Sander. In my case, since my shop is tiny, I’ll have to live with it. As they say, “Beggers can’t be Choosy”. I spent the better part of today testing out the dust face protection Items I purchased and the modifications to the dust collection systems, on a new project. The face protection equipment is a little warm to wear, but no dust in my eyes, nose or throat. So that is great. The small hood I made over the chuck mounted sanders is working fine. I can watch the dust fly into the hood and at the end of the session there was only a small amount of sanding dust on the surface below the chuck. I’m sure there is some air-borne dust created, but it appears to be manageable and nothing more than what gets air-borne when I’m cutting on the Scroll Saw. Here are some pic’s: That blue thing is the Harbor Fraight WESTERN SAFETY Multi-Purpose Dust Mask with Activated Carbon Filter My shank mounted Burrs and Sanders (before the top was rearranged) Hope this may have been of some interest.

A lot of good answers above, but my question is "WHY 1/8" BACKER?". To me a Plaque has significan thickness. So if the cutting is done in say 1/8" or even 1/4" material, the backer needs to be a minimum of 1/2" or maybe 3/4". Thus, no problem with using a sawtooth hanger. If by chance you are cutting a thick panel and only need a 1/8" backer, then I can see a problem if the hanger is located at a cutout area. I've had this happen and I wound up gluing a small piece of 1/8" material to be back of the backer where the saw tooth hanger is to be located. I use the vary small 'Hammer-in Sawtooth Hangers' so the prongs are short and won't penetrate through a 1/4" total thickness. I like JimmyG's solution to hanging thin panels without frames. But in my case, I never use anything thinner than 1/4" for a art panel backer, so again the small sawtooth hangers would worrk. However, for me I always make frames for my art panels and the hanger is mounted on the frame. For me the real answer is simple, just use a 1/4" or thicker Backer...then no problem using a Sawtooth Hanger.

Well, such a dilemma! A silhouette is a good Idea, but a collorful paint job would be better, IMHO. How tall is the cutting? If small, it could be mounted on a stake and used in an indoor garden. If large (over 8" tall), I feel it could to be mounted on a nice thick oval backer for a nice plaque type wall hanging. Simple, but elegant. I might even suggest, to complete the scene, you could cut out a image of a simple small potted plant to sit just in front of the watering can. Just my 2 cents.

This is my first Intarsia piece, and yes, it is almost a direct copy of a work I found on-line. For a full descriptive write up see my post in the Intarsia/Segmentation section. Thanks for reading.

My reference is to the scrolled Flag Stand. Not the Plaza, which is correct. On the display stand, I don't know what the other flags are. IF THEY ARE NOT NATIONAL FLAGS THEY ARE CONSIDERED "LESSER" FLAGS AND THEAMERICAN FLAG SHOULD BE DISPLAYED HIGHER. Nothing more nothing less. If it is to reside in your NATO office, so be it, but, not knowing the planned use, it could be displayed anywhere...so I only recsognize the usual American Flag Protocol for such a display. Especially when presented in this or any other forum for the readers to view. Sorry if I'm a nudge when it come to our NationaL Flag.

I read what you wrote, and if I understand correctly,the Flags in the plaza are all national flags, therfore all being equal they are all flown at the same height. If the flags to either side of the American Flag in your display are not flags of other nations, then by definition they are considered "lesser" flags and the American Flag is supposet to fly higher. This flag protocol is easily found on Google and elsewhere.

Great set-up! Sure wish I had room for something similar. I have a sanding station that includes a Vertical Belt/Disk sander, a small oscilating sander and a Guenevere finisher with Wand setup. I also have a dremel with wand like I see hanging in your area, I also have a lot of the shanked sanders as you do and also have a number of shaping/carving burrs, both some very rough and some quite fine. And my vacuum only services the mounted Benc sander. My set-up works, but not quite as nice of a sit down area like yours. I would actually have to sell my home and move to a bigger home and property in order to have a bigger shop...afraid that will not be happening at my age.

According to google, those flags would be considered "lesser" Flags. Therefore the A. F. should be in the middle and flown higher. My flag flys 24/7/365, but I do have a spot light on it as required.

Very nice work on both. Love the Flag Stand. I'm not familiar with the two flags on the stand with the American Flag. If they are orher countries National Flags, all is good. However, If they are lesser flags, the American Flag shoud be in the middle and flown higher than theothers.