Doug

Great job and I love the font - no bridges. What is the font?

Hi Rob Welcome aboard you will find it is a great ride at SSV. I am from the other side of the pond in the middle of the country - hiding from the Northerners, Southerners, and those on the coasts. Could be in the witness protection program but they would not take me. This is one of the first places I check each morning and one of the last at night. SSV and scrolling are both addictive.

Has anyone tried the helix cutter heads on their planer. They get awfully good reviews but art terribly expensive. I would be interested in comments of anyone who has tried them and the type of material they are planing with them. http://www.holbren.com/byrd-shelix-head-for-dewalt-dw735_planer.html

Thanks for the comments guys. Have a great year and keep on trucking scrolling!!

The horse is a Sue Mey pattern. Wood is Afromosia and Chinese character is for the word "horse" and is Padauk. Done for Chinese friends to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse starting January 31. Life is Good is a Birchbark (thanks Russell) pattern in Canarywood. Done for a co-worker going for an island vacation in February. Music - Food for the Soul is my own. Wood is Afromosia and is done for grandson to give to his vocal instructor.

Here is a thread on DC back in September with additional comments and photos http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/topic/7141-dust-collection/#entry47934 Worth a look if interested in DC

Adding some - I have been using the Vog mask for sometime and have been happy with it. They recently upgraded their product to N99 protection and added an exhale valve. I bought two for my spouse to give me for Christmas. On the regular mask I found by just pulling my glasses down a little on the bridge of my nose it could avoid the fogging on exhale and it did not impact vision. I have not used the new masks except just putting them on during the Christmas celebration but I think the exhale valve will probably eliminate any need for pulling my glasses down. Web site is http://www.vogmask.com/products/advance-n99-filter-active-carbon-exhale-valve-big-bikes I think I have good DC but no matter how good your DC you are never going to get all of it and there are few things you will do where your nose is closer to the blade and the source of the dust and very few saws which will throw finer and almost invisible dust into the air than a scroll saw. I never want to be someone's invalid but if I am I do not want it to be because I did not reach for my mask when scrolling.

I strongly agree with all who say to wear a mask. Any mask is better than none and I suggest a mask that is reasonably comfortable so you will automatically reach for it before you turn the saw on. The effects of inhaled dust are usually not felt except after months or years (unless there is some which causes allergic or other reactions) and the effects on the lungs are generally irreversible. You can always Google to find out more information. Not all folks dragging around oxygen tanks were smokers. Many of them worked in environments with dust and on a scroll saw you nose is awfully close to the source of the dust. Set your saw by a window where the sun shines in and see what super fine dust is in the air that you cannot otherwise see. I have below table and above table DC, a fan behind my saw which is blowing away from the saw and thus sucking the fine dust away, and a jet on the ceiling above the saw. With all of this I still wear a mask but feel comfortable wearing the Vog mask which is a comfortable mask and the first thing I reach for when sitting down to scroll.

Or Steve good has a couple you can make on your own http://www.stevedgood.com/dewaltupgrade.pdf http://www.stevedgood.com/ex21knob.pdf the Ex21 and DW788 have the same handle. I made the DW788 oblong one and have used it for two or three years - above and below table.

I bet with that Doc gets more than just brownie points!

PVC - marked with a Sharpie on the side although marking not shown in this picture.

Attached is the actual Janka chart which I use. I like it because for the woods it does list it goes both alphabetically and by hardness. I have seen other charts which are supposedly Janka but will give different numbers and I have no idea why. The Janka Hardness Test for Hardwoods.pdf

Thanks to all for the kind comments. Dick - the Afromosia is frequently referred to as African mahogany

The hand is a pattern by Paul (Grampa) - thanks Paul, I am not sure whether it was patterned after his own right hand. Paul captioned it with "RESPECT YOUR TOOLS". The letter "S" and the letter "O" are not my favorite letters to cut and since Paul had two of one and three of the other and a total of sixteen letters, I decided to title it with the five letter word "THINK." The wood is Afromosia which is a extraordinarily hard African Hardwood. 2524 on the Janka scale compared to 1010 for black walnut and1333 for white oak. After cutting it was given a bath in natural Danish oil and wiped dry, left to dry for at least 8 hours and then the same bath and wipe down, and then after at least 8 hours 0000 steel wool and blow off with air compressor. The truck is a Steve Good pattern. He had a rather attractive lady in a reclining position on top of the truck which I left off and I changed the lettering to suit what I wanted. The wood is Macacauba which is a central and South American hardwood which is 2580 on the Janka scale. Finished in the same manner as the hand. I love trying different hardwoods but nearly always use 2/0 or # 1 FD spirals and these used a lot of blades since I nearly always work with 3/4 to 5/4 wood. I also think they are harder on my saws so I probably need to stick more with woods like Walnut, Maple, Sapelle, and others lower on the Janka scale and which cut much easier.

For those of us who truly enjoy this forum and its wonderful and talented members and scrollers, we all know that Travis and Clayton are primarily responsible for making it happen and making this forum a place most of us visit at least once a day. I am convinced many do not know an inexpensive way to give thanks and to help make certain this forum will be here when we click our desktop icon tomorrow. I encourage all who are not Patrons to go to the banner, click on the "More" drop down menu and then click on "Support SSV." You might also look at "Village Bookstore" under the "More" menu or at "Amazon" in the banner to see additional ways which may provide support for SSV; but mostly I encourage you to become Patrons of SSV if you are not already a Patron. I know what I have learned at SSV, the talent I have seen displayed, and the respect all contributors have shown in responding to questions is certainly worth much more than the $10 annual cost of being a Patron. I think so much time is spent in the forum and galleries that many are not aware of what lies under the "More" pull down menu. All of the best to each of you. It is my hope you each have a joyous holiday season and enjoy the season and coming year in good health.

Thoughts for Clayton are attached - a post script - Without diminishing the thanks or contributions of Clayton which I originally offered and without starting a new thread it occurs to me that the same thanks as expressed below should be there especially for Travis but also for all of you wonderful and talented scrollers who make this forum such a delight to visit. A big THANKS to each of you. I hope your holidays and the coming year are blessed with happiness and good health.

When you finally make a shop signing saying "The Wood Whisperer" because you would rather caress wood than animals and would rather clean up saw dust than poop. Was not in a place to attach the actual photo when making the above post - here it is.

Thanks for the idea Gary. I did the "upgrade" over the weekend and really like it.

I think the cutting is great. If you are "not the best cutter", it means my work really sucks. Your gift will have them in tears of gratitude.

Welcome - what part of Iowa? I was born and raised there until they kicked me out after high school and I have been in the witness protection program in Nebraska ever since. My area was Southwest - went to school at Malvern.

Welcome to a fellow Nebraskan, keep scrolling, and keep posting. Your work is great. My talent is limited but my enjoyment is from scrolling is enormous. My work is best characterized as poor quality folk art by an old man with bad eyes and shakey hands; best seen at a distance in a poorly lit room. Most people I know have not seen quality scroll art so my work is acceptable to them and children are the least critical and usually get the most joy out of things I do.

Amazing - your graciousness paid off. What is the opposite of "buyer's remorse"? Did she have "rejection remorse"? Did she tell you the names of the brands - especially the second one?

You know if I ordered something in the manner she did and did not like the final product, I would accept responsibility for my bad decision and then praise it to the craftsman, pay the craftsman, and then just not give it as a gift. I think she has spent too much time on the ranch and is full of male bovine fecal matter. If I had been stiffed like you, I would also try to respond as graciously as you and just shake my head after I closed the door. That is why I like my tools, although they will give me trouble from time to time - if I treat them right they are always there and I can count on them; unlike many adults. By the way, I assume the first one is the Circle L Ranch but could not figure out the second one. Sun Ranch, Broken Wagon Wheel Ranch, Ship's Wheel Ranch? Help me out!

RIP Roly, have fun until then.

Nope. Drill press, planer, chop saw, DW788, and EX21 all have stands mounted on 3/4 plywood with 4 inch swivel locking casters. The table saw has its own base on wheels but all the toys are very portable. The scrolls and drill press seldom are moved. Even though using dust collection on the others they generally get rolled out to the driveway (unless raining or extremely cold) when they are used as the dust collection is less efficient on those toys. The ones used in the driveway are also the least frequently used toys. I need them mobile because, for instance, I need to move the planer and chop saw to get to the table saw. I also work with a limitation on space so a place for everything and everything in its place and on wheels.