LauraBeth

Thank you for the welcome! I've set the acrylic project aside. I enjoy wood so I'll stay with wood projects for now. I got a variety of blades in the mail recently. Today I plan to order some wood online. Wood from my local woodcraft seems pricey for a newbie like me so I'll try using a link from a resource listed on SSV. -Marg, a steno machine is like a specialized typewriter. Court reporters use one to write in shorthand every single word being said during court proceedings. Sitting for hours on end and holding my hands, arms in position writing on the steno ended up too much for this body. I'm simply so surprised at the timing. The very day I sold my steno I picked up a book of puzzle scroll saw patterns and couldn't resist checking the activity out. I tried using my father-in-laws very old pin-end Craftsman once. Within days I took the cash I got from the sale of the steno and bought a Delta. I'm learning so much just every single day, AND the hands/arms don't hurt!

Hello from Richmond, VA. I loved learning steno, but the activity hurt my arms too much. I do love working with my hands though so I sold the steno and bought a scroll saw. Great idea! I am starting with the Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson, planning to go through each exercise in sequence. I'm also reading The New Scroll Saw Handbook by Patrick Spielman. I've reached a frustrating project this week trying to cut stacked pieces of acrylic sheet. I used duct tape on the top layer, cutting with a #5 crown tooth blade. I slowed the speed on the saw. Some of the cuts melded back together though. I'm planning to slow the speed of the saw even more and to go slow with the feed rate. I'm wondering if I ought to take apart the stack and tape each layer? I'm also wondering if the material I picked up at home depot just isn't great stuff: Optix, acrylic sheet. I'm pleased to have found SCV!