Doug

Read on ONLY if interested in potential harm from sawdust. Excerpt from a British Medical Journal Article: "It should be noted that in some of the large scale general population studies assessed by the American Thoracic Society, the original aim was to determine the overall impact of workplace exposures on the population burden of COPD, and not necessarily to identify workplace specific causes. However, in certain studies, information was sought on the specific substances and occupations associated with increased prevalences of COPD. Occupations linked to increased prevalences of COPD include construction, leather, rubber, plastics manufacturing, plastics and rubber workers, textiles, food products, spray painters, and welders. Specific substances linked to higher prevalences of COPD include quartz, welding fumes, wood dust, sawdust, asbestos, and solvents." The full article can be found at: http://oem.bmj.com/content/62/4/212.full And a couple of other articles: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/ http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

Roly Being fairly new to scrolling and newer to this forum, I thought I would check you out. It appears you have a lot on your plate so do not spend too much time looking for the pattern. I found this on the internet, so it must be true. It seems you are carrying on quite a legacy. Tell Diane and the kids hello!!! The Phantom is the current of a line of crimefighters that originated in 1536, when the father of British sailor Christopher Walker was killed during a pirate attack. Swearing an oath to fight evil on the skull of his father's murderer, Christopher started the legacy of the Phantom that would be passed from father to son, leaving people to give the mysterious figure nicknames such as "The Ghost Who Walks", "The Man Who Cannot Die" and "Guardian of the Eastern Dark", believing him to be immortal. Unlike many costumed heroes, the Phantom does not have any supernatural powers, but instead relies on his strength, intelligence, and fearsome reputation of being an immortal ghost to defeat his foes. The current Phantom is married to Diana Palmer, whom he met while studying in the United States; they have two children, Kit and Heloise. The Phantom lives in the ancient Skull Cave, and has a trained wolf, Devil, and a horse named Hero.

Nice - is it going to make it to the Pattern Library? I would like to do it for my daughter who went to Paris this summer.

Thanks Paul - I know some avid fisherman I can do that for!

Not sure I am understanding the drill problem but in working with 3/4 to 5/4 hardwoods I find the wood graining in many hardwoods will pull the tiny drill bits (especially the wire drill bits #58 to #68 which I frequently use) off a little. I generally can keep the drill bit going straight by doing the drilling very slowly and every little bit backing out a little and then continuing with the drilling. It does not always work but I think the method helps. I also always use a drill press.

I really like that - where can I go to get the pattern?

Great job. When I see what people do with portraits and intrasia I remember why I do neither. Love the work but do not have the skill and patience.

I am certainly not going to try and convince someone to change what they are comfortable with. Sawdust in the shop really does not bother me too much, although I am somewhat of a "keep it clean" freak, as I can vacuum it. What concerns me is sawdust in my lungs and it could be 2/0 spirals and 3/4 to 5/4 hardwoods create more airborne dust than many other types of wood and blades. What I do know is that for what I do my ceiling mounted air filtration collected a lot of fine air borne dust before the table top vacuum and it still collects some but not nearly as much. I think the air filtration system convinced me as much as anything of what I could not see but was inhaling. As many of the hardwoods are exoctics, I also have some concerns about the potential sensitivities and reactions to some of the dust in the lungs. I hope no one's pulmonologist ever has to suggest they maybe should have done more dust collection.

I started scrolling in January of 2010 and being a senior decided I should try to preserve what lung capacity and hearing I still had. I have very few original ideas but from this and a couple of other forums I have seen what others have done and tweaked it to where I think I am done tweaking. As a result of all I have learned from others, I thought I should share what I have done with the thought it might be especially useful to those who are newer to scrolling. I will not bother to describe everything as I think the pictures are self explanatory but I will be glad to try and answer any questions if there are some. The sawdust you will see on the tabletop is what I call kerf dust which is the sawdust which is not cleared out of the kerf while sawing and thus ends up on the table top - thus the paint brush and plastic bag. The dust you see under the table is basically kerf dust which has fallen through when I am brushing it off the table top and is probably what is present after 30 to 40 hours of saw time on 3/4 to 5/4 hardwood. I also almost exclusively use FD 2/0 spirals and I do not think they clean the kerf dust out as well as most other blades but since I do not use other blades much that is just a guess. The dust which has not stayed in the kerf is nearly completely collected by the system. I am really sold on Dust Deputy - after several hundred hours I have not had to clean the vacuum filter. I started with the Rockler Vortex and it was a huge disappointment. The only place I use it now is with the planer - it is in line directly behind the planer and feeds to the Dust Deputy and then to the vacuum. The reason for using the Vortex in this manner with the planer is because of the volume put out by the planer. Regardless of all of this I know there is still fine airborne dust which is not caught by the system at the scroll saw which is the reason for the ceiling mount Jet Air Filtration System and you will see a fan in the back left which is directed away from the saw and also helps to pull the fine airborne dust away. Although my comfort level is high, I still wear a dust mask but use the Vog mask because of the comfort and I also wear hearing protection. After one gets used to it, it becomes automatic and you feel naked without it. Enough rambling, I hope there is something in this that is useful to someone.

I assume you were saying that in a low, tender, sexy voice as you were keying the words. I also see Jerry's feminine side was peeking through. I really so enjoy all of you people even though I have little to contribute.

Here is the pattern by Paul http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery/image/2505-image/

Mahendra I know you are an awesome scroller and pattern maker, I did not know you were so quick with a quip!! Thanks to all for the kind comments.

I usually just do word art and do not have the skill and patience for most of the wonderful projects I see posted. Every once and a while something will trip my trigger and I will print it and set it aside and look at it for a few weeks thinking about whether I really want to cut it. Paul's sleeping baby got on the scroll table. Sorry the photography is not better. It is done in 3/4 teak - I do all of my work in 3/4 to 5/4 hardwoods. Comments are interesting. Male comments generally are "Looks nice, must have taken quite a while." Female comments from those who have had a child are generally "Ohhhhhhhhhh! That is sooooo sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!" said in a low, tender, sexy voice. Thanks Paul, the pattern is a real winner with the ladies. Right now I am just keeping it for show and tell but if the right baby comes along I might try to cut a name in it or do another one with a name.

If you are a passionate scroller and in a relationship, encourage your spouse/partner/significant other to be tolerant and understanding of your disease and occasionally remind him/her that scrolling keeps you off of the streets and out of the bars/pubs.

On the DeWalt and Excalibur scroll saws the speed control knob is not well marked - adjust the speed to your most frequently used speed and then draw a line on the speed control knob with fingernail polish or some other marker which is straight on with the upper arm. You will always be able to quickly return to your favorite speed and can then adjust speed up or down from that spot. On the Excalibur, adjust the upper arm so it is perfectly parallel with the table top and then do the same marking on the arm adjustment knob at the back of the saw so when the arm starts creeping down you can tell at a glance and rapidly correct it. I also cut a piece of wood to the correct height to slide under the arm and along the table which can be a double check for parallel.

Use scrap or waste boards under your pattern when drilling holes for fret work to minimize or elminate tear out from drill bit exiting your work piece and then sand the underside with 180 grit or larger to remove any bumps left by drill bit exiting to assure smooth movement on scroll saw table while sawing.

I have always found I am my own worst critic and no matter how bad I do with something which has animals, a youngster will love it. If you are unhappy with it, find a youngster rather than a fireplace.

I started with a Rockler Vortex and although it collected some, I still found myself having to frequently bang the vacuum filter against a tree to clean it out. After reading so much about Dust Deputy, I decided to give it a try. As I already had the Vortex I put them in sequence - vacuum to Dust Deputy to Vortex to scroll saw. The result is I find no dust in my vacuum. The Vortex catches a larger percentage than before the Dust Deputy catches the rest. I was astonished and pleased. The Dust Deputy by itself might do just as well but with the two in sequence it is great. Doug