MarieC

Welcome! I just joined so I am stumbling through scrolling and just made my first project (not too successfully) so I do get being discouraged. Anyway, I am asking questions from all these knowledgeable folks as I journey through this in hopes to be a better scroller. Welcome back!

I just made my first real scroll saw project (see pics) on my new-to-me Excaliber EX 21 scroll saw. I am wanting to make another set for my Nephew's upcoming wedding.... Anyway, things were going quite well when I was cutting the 5/8" Walnut and Cherry. I was using "Olson crown tooth #11 blades, 7 TPI. Then the trouble started.... I decided I wanted to use a real red colored wood so I bought a crazy hard and expensive "red heart" wood. I cut sooooo slow but I still went through 6 blades because they would go dull on me so quickly. And when they started getting dull I started pushing (which I know you shouldn't) and the cuts started to be angled (see pic)...Arggg! As you can imagine the heart that I cut out would fit great on one side of the cutting board but would gap on the other side. So I was wasting all these hearts .... I finally gave up on scrolling and cut the small heart on my giant band saw (glad I didn't lose any fingers) and did a ton of sanding to make it fit. So now I felt like I cheated/gave up on my first scroll saw project .... Is there a better blade or technique to cut crazy hard wood in that thickness, or am I just dreaming?

Joe, I have a 6" bench top Grizzly which works okay for me. I like the bench top ones because they don't take up sooo much space... except they are really pretty short. Rikon makes a new bench top that has extensions that you can pull out to make it longer but I'm not sure if you can get a wider one than 6". For edge jointing I use my track saw mostly because I hate to spend the time going back over the edge until it is straight and I too am pretty afraid of Jointers. Here is a good Youtube video that shows how to do it with a track saw if you don't already know: For flattening large pieces that are warped or twisted, I am making a router sled which I am hoping will work instead of buying another scarier larger jointer .

Hmmm good question...I honestly don't know. I was looking at others work and really think fret work is beautiful but I think I will start with larger scrolls like cutting out a shape of something practical like maybe a cutting board....what about you?

Those books are awsome! Lovely work on everything...I am new... so you have given me inspiration!

Dan what a cutie. Baton twirling is such a fun activity, it requires good balance, coordination and stength and endurance....beats video games! (I would stay away from fire until she is in HS!) Plus she can march in parades! Glad to see her interest in your scroll project...very nice.

Bill, Glad we both started roughly the same time. Even though you have been here before. Cool, you were a skydiver. I use to date a skydiver in College, he did "team" diving. I never got the nerve to go up, though...I like to have my feet on land. Glad to hear your shoulder is doing well. I am a physical therapist so I have seen a few folks with rotator cuff repairs....Anyway, Welcome!

I have no idea how old my Delta is. I can't even remember when we go it. Probably the early 90's. But I used it to cut everything since it was my really first woodworking tool. I made things that you shouldn't make with a scroll saw but they all came out pretty good, that was one tough saw. Now I have other saws and will only use the Ex 21 for just scrolling. I am sorry to hear you are too old to scroll....I am hoping to do scrolling for as long as possible. Doing the other type of woodworking like Cabinet making is really getting tough as I am not very strong even though I do my exercises. Wishing you the best ...mc

Welcome to you as well! I haven't started yet. But hope to this week. I have been finishing up other projects. I am going to start with just practicing turns the Dak0ta sent me a link to, then I am going to cut out a simple design for a cutting board....Not too fancy but I thought I would start something easy that will lead to success. I also need to get a high stool that is comfortable... as the one I have is an old wooden stool that isn't very comfortable. I am excited to use the EX 21.

Awww, thank you. I home mine last as long! Glad to hear that was a good buy as well. mc

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I am looking forward to learning from all of you and seeing all the amazing creations that can be done with the scroll saw...

Thanks Bill and Dakota, much appreciated!

Thank you all! I am unsure how to reply to each individual but yes I bought the Ex 21 and am sleeping well now. I posted this Intro on Friday evening... I think... and it got stuck in the system so I didn't want to lose my chance at the purchase of either....so after fretting a little more I bought it over the weekend....had to drive 2 hours to get it....I am sooo happy with the Ex-21. There isn't a scratch on it and am so looking forward to really using it. I need to lower the stand first though ...so hope to do that today and start practicing on the curves, straight lines, etc. Denny, isn't the 30th anniversary edition the really pretty one? I did read a lot of folks replaced the holders with "Pegas" ones, but not sure why. Don, Glad to hear this green one is a good one. It reminds me of my sewing machine actually, rather than the jack hammer that my old Delta is. Prior to this, I used my Delta like a table saw, router, etc.... including using it for making lams, treadles, heddles and finger and tenon joinery for a weaving loom that was falling apart. Now I would like to use my new saw for cutting out designs and other uses I read about on this forum. So excited! Scrappile (aka Scrappy to me ) I do live on the dry side of the Cascades ... I would love to touch bases with you sometime... not sure how to go about doing that though. Dan, I had considered buying both but I thought someone else would like the other one and be able to work on it and since I am really a newbie to real scroll sawing, I didn't really need two. Bill, the ease of using it was one of the things I did read about on this forum and so that was also a reason I chose it. I remember reading one of the older posts that there are some templates available online for practice...does anyone know where I might find those. Thanks again to all of you for making me feel better about my purchase. mc

Good evening, I am brand new on here...I currently own an old 16" delta that is really on its last legs..... Anyway, I have been fretting for days about which scroll saw to purchase, It was between a used 220vs hawk ultra and a Green Excalibur 21 (pics below). The hawk is $125 - when I turned it on at higher speeds it rattled like a freight train and I notice the rear tension handle was non existant. The guy selling it is a Home rental manager and new nothing about it. The saw had no rust but was covered in sawdust but other than that looked pretty good. He said the owner ended up going into assisted living. The other saw is a really nice Excalibur is $350. The elderly owner who is a wood worker, bought it new for his daughter years ago and She had only used it for 20 hrs or less. It has been in storage since. It looks like new and is in beautiful condition. I read almost every post on here about both of them...(loved the insight from Scrappy, A toolguy, a mickey mouse picture person, a clown picture person and many others- my apologies for not remembering names correctly!) Anyway, I am thinking of going for the Green Ex 21 because I am afraid if the Hawk's rear tension handle is gone, what else may be wrong with it even though it looks to be a good price and it does turn on/off and the variable speed works. I called the Hawk place (Had another name) and they do carry the parts for $45ish. I would really like to hear what you think. Thank you ahead of time