Dak0ta52

Hey Ray! Hope she doesn't read the forum!

I know the feeling, Eric!

Great job, Charlie. Never thought of using material as a backer. I agree, the eyes are wicked!

Very nice, Dan. And very creative.

That looks like a lot of critical cuts. You did an excellent job!

Hi Mike and welcome to the Village from SE North Carolina. I have the WEN and while it is a decent entry level saw, I feel you will out-grow it quickly. You said $130 in you post. Not sure if that's on Amazon but you can actually buy it directly from WEN at a lesser price. I believe I saw the one I have listed at $107. As far as limitations, the upper arm does not lift so you can only bottom feed. The blade clamps are a pain and will wear out quickly. I've already had to replace mine (7 months) as well as the blower bellows. I purchased several clamps but did get the bellows under warranty. The blower isn't great so I glued a wooden button on the upper arm to compress the bellows a little hard. It definitely helped. I'm planning on a new saw as soon as the money is right. I agree with David that the Hegner would be a much better purchase. I'll also add that WEN does make a new scroll saw (LL2156) they came out with about a month after I purchased my saw. This new saw has a 21 inch throat, the upper arm lifts and the blade clamps are much improved. Also the table is larger. Don't let the Dremel prevent you from enjoying this great craft. I've found it to be very relaxing as well as very addictive. Don't hesitate to ask questions here at the Village. The knowledge here is vast. If you stay around very long you'll find the members here are like family. Good luck on your decision.

Wait... It looks all misty! No, that's just tears in my eyes. I want one!!! Congrats!

There are a lot of pieces for these projects and you did an outstanding job. Don't know if you have plans for them but I know a lot of kids that would be very pleased for a gift such as this on Christmas morning.

Welcome to the Village, Rich. I also have a WEN but mine is the model 3922. My only concern with the 3921 is that I believe it does not accept pinless blades. These two models look to be the same except for the light and the fact of being able to used pinless blades. My saw runs great but I've had issues with the clamp system and have already had to replace the upper blade clamp. Also, the plastic clamp screws will wear out over time. I've had mine about six months now and have made my own clamp screws to replace the ones from the factory. I've also had to replace the bellows for the blower. The original one split but I was able to make it work by gluing it until the new one came in. The WEN is a great entry level saw but you will find you will outgrow it rather quickly. I'm already searching for a better saw and have narrowed it to two or three different brands. I've made some very nice projects with the WEN but you'll find it aggravating that your upper arm does not lift limiting you to bottom feeding only. The blower works but doesn't do a very good job. I've added a small wooden plug on the upper arm below the bellows to increase its effectiveness. WEN came out with the LL2156 about a month after I had purchased my saw. This is a much better saw and is more in the mid-range. It has a 21 inch throat, an upper arm that lifts, a larger table, a 1.6 amp motor and a much better blade clamping system. I hope my post is not so negative that it discourages you from scrolling. As I said, the WEN 3922 is a very good entry level saw and you'll find that you really enjoy creating projects. In a couple months, let me know if my assessment is correct. I agree with Don that you should seek out Steve Good's blog and forum. He, as well as many members of this forum, have dedicated many hours of scrolling information to assist beginner and experienced scrollers. You'll also find that the members here on the Village are more than willing to provide advice so don't hesitate to ask questions as they arise. Also, please share your work in the "Bragg" and "Work In Progress" areas.

Cutting that pattern at 8 X 10 had to make some mighty small holes. You did a great job. I'm working on a couple Jim Blume patterns myself right now.

The contrast between the cedar and maple are beautiful. Fantastic job. I'm sure she will be very pleased.

Excellent job, Ray.

Excellent cutting, Eric. That looks like red oak. Pretty hard wood. It turned out great.

Very nice job, Ron. Isn't it funny that someone can take what most of us would throw away and turn it into a work of art.

Best of luck, Barb!

Great job as usual, Tim. Love the ring contrast in the bowls. Been through TN a few times but it was always on business and didn't have the opportunity to do any site seeing. Would like to get up that way to check out some of the guitar shops and try some of the Memphis BBQ to compare it to what we have here in NC.

You've been busy Dave. Great cutting. I'm partial towards the owl.

Very good, Eric. Do you plan on finishing the project with paint or stain? I tip my hat to Steve Good for being kind enough to share his patterns.

nice project, Kirk. I can imagine it took a while, despite the distractions. Great job!

Great job!

You have been busy Pete. Love the little sleds and the cutting board turned out great. The wood contrasts are exceptional!

Excellent job, Jim. These type of patterns really seem to be popular lately.

Nice project, Eric. I see nothing a little sanding wouldn't take care of. Something I've noticed when cutting, especially with wood such as pine, is the blade has a tendency to follow the grain when cutting with the grain and when cutting against the grain, the feed of the blade will slow down as it cuts through the hard portion of the wood and then speed up when it is pushed through the softer part of the grain. If you're not careful, it will make you drift off you lines. I notice this more with spiral blades. Anyway, this has been my experience. Others on the forum may have other ideas.

Awesome job, Craig. I personally like the darker one best but both are outstanding.

You and your wife did a great job, Berry. I'm sure your co-worker will be very appreciative.