Messages

16

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Diode Lighting Of Scroll Saw Creations.

« on: June 12, 2016, 07:57:30 pm »

G'day Jim,
I'm not too bright when it comes to power that drives these diode lights as I don't fully understand the power systems. I know that the power we have in our home is 240 volt DC and I think these diodes run on what is call 12 volt AC like a cars power system.
How where I live out in the bush the wife and I have two pumps setup that pump water from our outside water tank into the house. These pumps are generally used as bilge pumps in caravans and boats. To run these pumps on 12 AC we had to buy a 15amp 13.8VDC Regulated Power Supply - I understand that this thing reduces the power from our 240 volt down to 12 volt so we can run these pumps.

Now these scroll saw creations I have been looking at must be using small diodes to light them up and I don't think that one would need to go out and buy a big Regulated Power Supply. I was thinking that I have some 12 volt battery powered radios in the house and in order to run them they come with a little box thing that plugs into the wall and then into the radio so it will work. So to my way of thinking these scroll saw creations have to be lit up with diodes and possibly have a little box affair like my 12 volt radio.

I could have me DC and AC all mixed up - but I'm just fascinated by these creations and how its all done. Like I say I got no idea about power other than what I've tried to explain above.

Hooroo
Erewhon.

 

17

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: June 12, 2016, 07:25:44 pm »

G'day Bill,
I thank you for your encouragement, I try hard to have a positive attitude that this darn disease aint gunna beat me but believe me there are days, many days more than I like when I just wanna give up and hide away from the every day problems that I face with it. I'm gunna do me best Bill and I'll keep fighting all that it tosses up.

Hooroo.  





 

18

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: June 12, 2016, 06:22:34 pm »

G'day Dave,
Yes the more I think about these different tools and view jigs on the you tube etc I can see ways that some will help me a lot. I've this crazy idea in me head at present that I think will help me with my scroll sawing.  I have ideas in regards to cutting out centers for wooden wheels I wanna make for me toys, being small they pose a problem for trembling hands to hold onto so I thinking of making a jig that will hold these small things steady and the size of the jig will give me a little more control over it 'I Hope'. I amaze my self at times with the crazy ideas I come up, nine times outa ten ninety nine percent of them never work  but its fun havin' a go.
 Hooroo  

19

General Scroll Saw Talk / Diode Lighting Of Scroll Saw Creations.

« on: June 10, 2016, 10:55:37 pm »

G'day All,
I have seen some wonderful scroll saw creations that have been turned into Night Lights and Wall Hangings and can not seem to find anything on the internet about how these creations are lit up. I take it that rather than use an ordinary house hold light fixture these scroll saw works of art must use things like Diodes that don't create a great amount of heat. While I have a very long way to go in creating such a creation I'd like to learn how these creations are lit up. Hopefully some of you may have created such a wall hanging or night light and would like to share with me what knowledge you have.

Hooroo
Erewhon.

20

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: June 10, 2016, 10:35:26 pm »

G'day All,
Well I'm still above ground and to day is one of those days that the Parkinsons Disease (PD Terrorist Organisation) has me house bound away from my woodworking workshop so I thought I?d let you know what I been up to.

It?s been a hard last two months battling this Terrorist Organisation and I?ve found a few ways to help me do what I want to do with my power tools in the workshop.
Being diagnosed as a grade two PD sufferer has been very hard to accept but I?m slowly accepting and dealing with what it tosses up and if this keyboard would just stop making all those spelling mistakes it shouldn?t take too long to tell you what I been up to.

Firstly I've spent a lot of time in my woodworking shed of late sitting and looking at all of my power tools that just might pose dangers to me, I still have five digits on both hands and would like to retain as many of them as I can because I like to use them at times for calculating purposes and picking up things.

Table Saw: Well there is only so much protection one can have here and a sled I made for it some months ago does give me confidence and the use of clamps when cutting smaller pieces helps a lot. Ripping timber is a worry but I'm working on and idea that I have floating around in me head in relation to some jigs.

Drill Press: While not a big problem my drilling of holes has been for sometime been a hit and miss affair, so I've built a couple of jigs that have solved my accuracy problems and I very happy with the results I can now achieve as I shake, rattle and roll. Hasn?t been easy constructing these jigs but all in all I think I done pretty darn good.

Scroll Saw: I have had a good ole play with it of late and is best played with when I don't tremble so much. My biggest problem is keeping close to the lines of what I'm cutting out, while my eyes have been tested and I do wear glasses at times PD causes my eyes to strain and hard to focus so my time at the scroll saw is limited. I?ve read that by printing out your designs in Red rather than Black is a good help as Red is much easier to see, so I?ll put that to the test next time.

To give you an idea as to my problem with the scroll saw is best described this way. My PD has given me tremors on the right hand side of my body, thus my right hand (being my dominate) is in constant tremor mode. My left hand is my most steady but it does at times get a very slight tremor or causes my fingers to want to rub against one another, so at present my left hand is getting a real work out.

Sometimes my tremors are very slight and other times I suddenly get into ?Dystonia? mode. While I?m slightly effect at present with a mild case of ?Dystonia? the best way to describe it is. A movement which causes muscles to contract uncontrollably thus causing me some sudden violent movements, while it can eventually effect the whole body currently I have a mild version and only time will tell what my future Dystonia will be like.

I quite proud of what I have managed to cut out with the scroll saw at present and in time I hope to get better at it, while I have respect for the little cutting blade I haven?t as yet broken one with a sudden hand movement so I?m very pleased.
I?m not a fan of breathing in the fine dust so I tried to use those little white face masks that go over your nose and mouth and have a elastic band that gets tangled in your hair. Well wearing glasses no matter how I tried these little dust masks I just couldn?t stop foggin? up me glasses. Now I?ve resorted to wearing a green rubber type mask that has two filters either side of it, not a pretty look and while its gunna take some getting use to at least me glasses are fog free.

So that?s about it for the present, I?d love to be out in me shed but tomorrow is another day and the terrorist organization just might let me back there tomorrow.
While I?m no poet  I have had at times thought much about that which occupies my life now and after returning from our once a fortnight shop down in our nearby city some weeks ago I put down some words that I?d like to yell at those who watch as I stumble along like the local town drunk. So I wrote this;

For years health wise I?ve had many a fight,
I?ve always bounced back feeling alright.
Diagnosed now with Parkinson?s Disease,
someone explain it to me please?
I aint had time to learn about this disease,
So currently I swallow Madopar to help fight this PD.
Now just a minute, let me catch me breath,
the Neurologist said it wasn?t terminal,
Hell I ain?t dead yet.
I drag me feet, walk with a stoop,
me bottom lip quivers and I shake quite a bit.

With a head sometimes fuzzy inside,
I drift off to places where only I can hide.
With hand and arm shakes I must look a sight,
yes I to get embarrassed at my plight.
I apologise if sudden movements cause you fright,
inwardly I?m in one of my life?s biggest fights.
Yes I?m yet to accept the diagnosis given,
So stare if you must your totally forgiven.
I?m trying to deal with this the best I can,
Remember what you see outwardly
Is Not Me - The Real Man.

How I'll go and see how to upload a few images.

Hooroo
Erewhon.

21

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: April 10, 2016, 05:41:09 am »

G'day All,
Well me trip to Brisbane has been and gone and no matter how hard I tried to impress this second Neurologist that I didn't have Parkinson's Disease he agreed with the first diagnosis and I guess I gotta now accept it. He was unable to tell me what the future holds but I'm about to start on a course of medication that may or may not help control my unwanted body movements. I have been warned that there could be some unpleasant side effects as different people respond differently to these drugs hence I've decided that it might be in my best interests and that of the forum if I parked myself up until I know where I'll end up.

Without going into much detail - several years ago I was a member of a well known forum that is all about wooden toy making, I was at the time fighting a bout of depression because I was finding it hard to cope with Graves Disease that I had been diagnosed with. One minute I was going to have my thyroid gland killed off and then without warning my blood tests would swing the other way and then the killing of my thyroid gland would be put on hold. Currently as it stands the darn thing is on the move again and they are sitting back again waiting to see how bad things are going to get. Truly I was at a stage where I didn't know if I was coming or going and being depressed about the whole affair didn't help me at all. I would express my concern about some small hay bales one of the forum members had made to go with a child's toy as I saw them as being a danger to a young child. While my concern was expressed in a polite way it didn't go down too good and the response towards my concern wasn't warmly received. One thing lead to another and before long I found myself being banned from the forum.

Now as I face this new adventure with Parkinson's Disease I don't ever want to find myself in such a position again as above, so I've elected to park myself up until I'm happy that I'm able to cope with that which I'm yet to experience in the coming months with these new drugs. So to you all I'll say cheers for the time being, take care and when I'm happy that I'm able to cope with that which now ails me ............. well you know what I'm trying to say.

Hooroo for now.
Erewhon. 

 



 









 

22

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: April 10, 2016, 04:22:50 am »

G'day Mamell - that's a fantastic cloths rack and I take your point about finding ways to cope with our different problems.

23

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 15, 2016, 08:25:23 pm »

G'day Dave,
Thanks your comments Dave, I realised many years back that I could keep going down the track of "Woo Is Me' or I could accept my problems and find away to handle them all. Sure I still have those down days and I get cranky but they are now few and far between. Sorry mate gotta go the wife is ready to go shopping catch ya later.

Hooroo.

24

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 15, 2016, 08:19:36 pm »

G'day Judy,
Well I tryin' to look on the bright side of things presently, I had to find some way to cope after my work accident back in 1988. Looking a the bright side and having a more un-serious way of handling me problems, sure I have me down days but being a bit stupid does at times put me into a better frame of mind. No I have never looked at making money from my woodworking hobby. For a number of years I watched and listened to how people were supporting our Aussie farmers during bush fires, floods and drought. Many of them have children and while the adult farmers battle these conditions the children are often forgotten about. I decided that I would start building wooden toys that I could give away to the kids in the hope that I just might be able to brighten up their little lives in some way. Sadly after getting all I needed together in the way of equipment my health issues started to bring problems. In short Judy I don't wanna make any money at all from what I desire to do, its just that there are others who suffer more than me and if I can help make their life that little much better then no doubt in time my problems I battle with will be less noticeable to me and that in turn should make me feel that little better. I hope you understand what I've tried to say. Again thanks for your comment and you take care.

Hooroo.

25

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 15, 2016, 02:53:12 am »

Well had a play to day with me scroll saw, attempted to cut out a Polar Bear and ended up with some thing that lookrd a little like road kill. Not at all looking like the bear it should have. Got to read more of these forums to see what you lot use on the scroll saw top to get a good slippery surface. My left hand has no shakes at all but my right side is like an out house door in the wind, all over the place.
While I tend to use me left hand more these days its a bit difficult due to the fact that I've always been right handed and tend to always try and use it. Tried a few ways to control the plywood and discovered that if I slowed the speed of the scroll saw down a lot I had better control over the wood, but I see a lot more practice being had yet. Found away to keep me right hand out harms way when it shook too much, just slid it under me backside and sat on it, seemed to work for a while. lol.

I'm yet to be totally convinced that I do have this darn Parkinson's disease, so the wife and I travelling to Brisbane on the 7th next month cause I want a second opinion. I've always been one that has always been a Doubting Thomas and I guess like times in the past with my mobility disability I'm just grasping at straws to see if someone will tell me that I have some thing else that will pass in time. Any ways if I feel good tomorrow morning I'll be back at that scroll saw and try again to create a Polar Bear and see if it turns out better than road kill. Thanks all for the chat really appreciate it.

Hooroo.

26

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Avatar sizes

« on: March 15, 2016, 02:31:23 am »

Thanks Hawkdave,  Just thought that there may have been a standard size that everyone uses. I'll run off a few designs in different pixel sizes and see what happens.

Thanks.

27

General Scroll Saw Talk / Avatar sizes

« on: March 12, 2016, 04:09:47 am »

Can anyone tell me please what method is used in the forum here to size your Avatar - Is it by pixel size, mm, or inch?

Regards Erewhon.

28

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 05, 2016, 07:25:34 am »

G'day termite.
Yes there are some wonderful ideas out there on how best to deal with different illnesses and mobility functions that effect us all from time to time. I'm not saying that what you have read wouldn't help me but as I approach 65 years of age if I put my dreams on hold to try everything that was suggested that may help me with my problems then I might as well sell all me gear because I'd have no time available yo use it.
I think what I'll do, I'll write up as brief as possible an account of my problems and for those who are interested I can give em a pdf file to read. I'll make a posting here when its done, but firstly I have to find a new key board that has bigger keys on it because my postings do take quite a bit of time to correct when finished.

29

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 05, 2016, 07:12:21 am »

Hawkdave Yes you are right and I do sit and look at me power tools and try and figure out ways I can protect myself from possible harm. In some cases adding some extra protection ideas I have considered could end up being more dangerous to me. But I've time to work on things. I've been working on a small wooden toy car for a good radio announcer friend of mine for over a year and a bit now, just when everything appears to be drawing to and end bugger me if something don't go wrong and I bugger it all up. He is a very patient friend while my patience at times gets stretched to the limits. Again your advice is appreciated.

30

The Coffee Shop / Re: Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

« on: March 05, 2016, 01:14:54 am »

Hi Judy Hunter, thanks for you comment also and no it wasn't a rant. I agree I can either sit on me backside and do nothin' or I can tackle this thing head on and try and do the best I can. After getting my wood work shop built and now being told I have this PD thing the last thing I wanna do is toss all my dreams away without giving it a go. I think it was way back when I first joined this forum that I got my brand new scroll saw and boy did I have big ideas and plans at what I was gunna make, I did use it once for a little time just cutting odd shapes outa scraps of wood but other than that it hasn't been used since. When I look at these tools I'm so proud of I start to wonder of them all which ones I'll keep and which I'll let go. I have decided that for now I won't let any go until I have given good thought on how to best protect that which we all value dearly 'Our Fingers'. I'm told that my PD will get worse so I'm getting in on the ground floor and seeing what I can do with each power tool before I might have to give it up.
Thanks for you comment and now that I've responded to all and corrected all my mistakes I gunna watch some Footy on TV, Bye Judy Hunter and take care all.