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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: northie66 on April 24, 2010, 07:03:38 pm
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For me it was an older gentleman at work. His work is all over the office. One day I asked him to explain how he makes this stuff and he told me about the scroll saw. I was really interested and he let me borrow one of his old saws. I loved it immediately! ;D
He let me borrow it for a while to make sure I wouldn't get tired of it. Then, I ordered myself a Dewalt 788. He told me I was going to love it even more when I used that and he was right.
We talk "shop" all the time at work. How did you get started?
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I was working as a correctional officer in a maximum security prison, (from which I retired) and really needed something to release the stress. I was at the state or county fair and saw a guy cutting names out of wood. I watched him for almost an hour and was amazed.
His wife was talking to me and explaining how it worked. It got a little slow for orders and he asked if I wanted to try the saw. I said naw I'd cut my hand off. He explained to me that the scroll saw is probably the safest power tool you could own. I sat down and he gave me a couple of scraps to lay with and then he drew out my nickname on a hunk of pine and I cut it with him coaching me. I still have my DUNK sign right here in my office. That was in 1985, I've been tinkering in wood working ever since. I went home and thought about it and went down the next day after work and got a 16" Ryobi, my first and worst saw.
I of course now love my 788 Ol' Yeller, she is about 9 years old I think.
How did you get started?
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A trip to Lowes. Jaun was explaining what I could do with the scroll saw and I had the money at the time. It was a basic Dremel about 6 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing so I went searching for answers via the internet. If it were not for forums like these, then I would be totally lost. I half-way know what I am doing now....I think. LOL.
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I saw a friend working on a project and it intrigued me as to how taking a plain piece of wood and watching it almost come alive by all the different fragile cuts. I was hooked and cant think of any other hobby I'd rather have (I do sneak off to a fishing spot sometimes tho lol).
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12 years ago I owned a Coping Saw and I did all my scroll work with it. One day I saw a Scrollsaw in a wood magazine and I was amazed. I had no idea there was such a thing. I ran down to Home Depot and bought me a 788 and I havent stopped since. I did lose my DeWalt and reinvested in my Hawk.
I really love the hobby, I just wish I could work the software programs and learn how to make patterns. Im in need of a Clock Dial right now and it cant be that hard to make if I just knew how to use my computer to help me design it.
I hope everyone is having a good Weekend!!
Gary
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Suet Feeders!
I found a plan to make an acorn shaped suet feeder and began by cutting them out of cedar fence boards. Learned early that doing them with a hand held jig saw was the pits! So i bought a junker scroll saw and tried that. Then I tried something just a bit different and needed a better saw so I bought a used Craftsman 16" vs. That totally hooked me! Made a bunch of Christmas presents, ornaments and such as well as wedding present for my grandson. That drew so many compliments that I have to get a better saw!
Now I am selling my various bird feeders at a local farmer's market and putting that money away for a DW788! Should have enough by August so I can make Christmas gifts this year for almost everyone!
Never had such a relaxing and also vexing hobby in my life!
GrayBeard
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I was at a wood working show in Vancouver BC and there was this old gentleman that had a wood gear grandfather clock that he had made. I was very impressed with the clock and had asked him several questions of how it worked. He explained in great detail all the various parts and apologized profusely that it wasn't working. He said it was because of the high humidity. At the time I found that hard to believe (since then I have learned just how much humidity can effect a wooden clock).
A friend of mine came across an advertisement for a wood gear clock in a British newspaper and showed it to me. I ordered the plans and bought a low level scroll saw. There was a lot of wood lathe detail that I had to do, but that didn't bother me since I knew how to use a lathe. The scroll saw was different, I knew nothing about how to use the saw let alone anything about making clocks. I had to learn how to use the saw then I had to learn how to cut the gears. It took me about 6 months to make the clock but I couldn't get it to run. There are several reasons why the clock wouldn't run but I won't go into those details here. I can elaborate if anyone is interested.
Since those meager beginnings I have perfected my skills on the scroll saw as well as learned the process of building a wood gear clock. I have made 6 different clocks, I have 2 hanging in my living room and gave one to each of my children. They keep almost perfect time and have a run time anywhere between 26 hours and 6 1/2 days.
Presently I am trying to go one step higher by building a Kinetic Sculpture that will be driven by a wood gear mechanism. It's about half finished and I hope to be able to complete it this summer.
Regards, Keith
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I was learning to woodturn at the time when my husband brought himself a scrollsaw, I ask how it worked and that was that. I gave up woodturning and got hooked on the scrollsaw, since then my husband has never been on the scrollsaw and I've never been off it. The one I started with was a 16" Delta and now I have a DeWalt (my Baby). A friend said that I should not spend so much time on it otherwise I would soon get bored, that was about 11years ago and I'm not bored yet.
Marg
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When my children were little I dreamt of making wooden puzzles as we are a family of puzzle lovers. I soon found out that a Jigsaw wasn't the tool for the job and that was that.
Many years and a new husband later we attended an agricultural show in Gympie in May 2002. I was thrilled to see a display by the local Woodwork group which included a wonderful lady using a scroll saw who patiently demonstrated it for me & answered my many questions. I then dragged my hubby from the goat & cattle judging to show him. The rest is history we purchased a Delta 16"saw for $279 which I still use.
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I was learning to woodturn at the time when my husband brought himself a scrollsaw, I ask how it worked and that was that. I gave up woodturning and got hooked on the scrollsaw, since then my husband has never been on the scrollsaw and I've never been off it. The one I started with was a 16" Delta and now I have a DeWalt (my Baby). A friend said that I should not spend so much time on it otherwise I would soon get bored, that was about 11years ago and I'm not bored yet.
Marg
you will never get bored because every new piece of wood is like a new adventure
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i work in a woodshop for a frame company. we make frames for, and frame art for frame shops, galleries and museum's in new york city. one of my girlfriends at work had a scroll saw and she brought in a fretwork picture of a bear that she had made for someone and i was amazed! i had never seen any fretwork before...that was where i first got interested.
i was making bowed psalteries out of scrap wood and another friend who wanted a psaltery asked me if she could take the face of her's home and have her husband scroll something for the sound hole....this was the result: (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/ljfrompa/march017.jpg)
after that i was hooked! i just had to have a scrollsaw!
an elderly gent at church used to give me a christmas present every year...something he had made out of wood. that christmas he told me to come out to his car, he had something for me...it was a scrollsaw! he had 2 and knew i wanted one, so he gave one to me.
it was an old craftsman...only took the pin-end blades but i was happy (http://images.yuku.com/image/gif/6a425a14e098245d09f8abf7c3e0c4a0336afcf.gif)
a couple months later when my husband saw me struggling to work with that old saw, went out and bought me a new craftsman and that is what i've been using every since....someday i hope to get a more expensive one.
i had it set up in my office at our house where it was warm and i could use it whenever i wanted to...since then we've moved and i'm now set up in our basement where the woodstove keeps me toasty warm in the winter and eats all my mistakes too LOL! (http://images.yuku.com/image
/gif/fd3150469148048b9c4abeb27c47ec94215e11c.gif)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/ljfrompa/woodworking/retreat022.jpg)
because of my job, i have all the scrap wood i could ever want...maple, poplar, padouk, wenge, rosewood, mahogany, ash, oak, walnut...etc. (http://images.yuku.com/image/gif/fd3150469148048b9c4abeb27c47ec94215e11c.gif)
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Those are just plain awesome. I have never heard of a psalteries. Thanks for showing us.
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I had never heard of psalteries either. Now I want one as they are beautiful.
It seems the common theme of how people get started tends to be "the kindness of other scroll sawers". We must be a kind bunch.
;D ;D ;D
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Hi. I love woodworking! My story is a little long but I think you will find it interesting. Take a look at my page in my website. http://woodcraftsbychris.com/aboutme.html
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Sorry to hear about your health issue crusty but I'm glad you have a hobby that you love. Your work is very nice. I've never seen a scroll sawed shot glass. Very cool. Do you make your own patterns?
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Hi Janet. Things like the shot glass, I just make as I go. I plan on wooden beer mugs next, or Tankards as they are called. Mostly I buy plans. I've never been any good at drawing or design. I can copy things from a picture though
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i saw a collapsible basket in a furniture store, studied it, figured out how it was made, and i'm still trying to successfully make two in a row that will open all the way, oh by the way i've only been doing this for a couple weeks :-)
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When I first got started scrolling I had already been woodworking for 10 years or more and I decided to cut some letters out so I brought a craftsman scroll saw. I cut and mounted some letters on a board for a home address and back then there> was no PC or patterns to get off friends . But soon after when the enternet came along things changed so much and fast ......any how this is sort of what got me started ....Marshall... :)
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I started scrollsawing a couple of years ago when my wife said that I needed a hobby to keep me out of her hair. I try painting pictures didn't like it. I then bought a spin saw and started cutting shapes out of wood. An older man that live next door to me give me a scrollsaw and some patterns after that I fell in love with scrollsawing. Now my wife never sees me, I am always in the workshop.
Shawn
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I fell in love with woodworking when I was in my first 6 months of High School. I took a 6 week course in carpentry and was instantly hooked, that was 62 tears ago. 20 years ago I was at a Home show and a rep from Advanced machinery was demonstrating the wonderful art of scrollsawing on a Hegner, I bought it even though it was pricey at over $1200.00 I never regretted it and the rest is history.
Mike
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When I was 6 my dad bought those long handled coping saws for my brother and myself. He worked for a company that sold wood to furniture makeres, so we always had a free supply. He also gave us patterns for key racks and just pictures to cut out.. I felt for him tho... he had to keep changing the blades I kept breaking at alarming speed.... my fingers couldn't get the screws tight enough.
I dont' remember what made us stop sawing... but I didn't get another saw until I was a cub scout leader... and that one only lived through two projects... after that it was another 20 years before I had another saw.... My second husband gave it to me together with a drill press for our first x-mas... lol Called the saw a bush pig... it was so hmmm.... "hardy' ? Pin blades... but then I didn't know about pinless.. that saw didn't get used much.. then he lost his job and we joint the woodclub .... I was introduced to the Delta and all the wonderful things one can make with a scroll saw... haven't stopped since...
Juvy
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Shawn,
what is a spin saw?
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My fascination with the scroll saw started in either 94 or 95, there was a man who had a kiosk in the mall making key chains and such, he also did custom orders, I was intrigued by what he was able to do. The wife had him make me the business card holder pictured below. We bought a few other things from him too. Then he moved on and it dropped out of my mind. I had been doing some furniture making and yard decorations prior to that. Then in probably 98 I saw a copy of Creative woodworks and Crafts magazine and been hooked since. I just recently have been learning to make patterns with the help of Arpop, and his pattern academy.
Greg
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I was sitting at home one day bored out of my mind and decided to check out youtube. I saw a video Steve did and was intrigued. I watched several of the videos he had posted, then made a trip to Home Depot and bought a scrollsaw. Have been hooked ever since.
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I've always been intrigued by decorative woodwork, mainly Victorian Gingerbread, i was looking through an old Handycraft book from the 1930s that was in among a bunch of stuff i picked up at an Auction and came across a section on Fretwork, i thought i would like to give it a go, i bought a hand fretsaw (didn't know you could get electric ones back then), then when my son was about 2 i started making toys for him (they are being passed on to my grandson now), just progressed from there.
Ian
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Hi Janet -
I was thinking about what I could do when I retired from the Postal Service, as a hobby. I have always loved watching woodworking shows and very impressed with things made of wood. As a complete novice I wanted to do something relatively safe. When I googled scrollsaw I was sent to the Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts website and to Steve's. I watched practically all of Steve's videos and eventually bought a Dewalt. I took a course at my local Woodcraft Store and have been hooked ever since. I make a lot of toys and things for my twin grandsons (age 2). I don't sell anything just make stuff to give away. Although I have yet to retire it is cool to say I now have a hobby.
Barry
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I picked up my saw about ten years ago to help my son with Pinewood Derby for Scouts...We made three cars and then the saw spent some time back in the box...I dug it out a couple of times to do a couple of things, and then it went back into the box...Finally, I took it out, found Steve's site, and have been going strong ever since...Now, I'm experienced enough to recognize that I need a better saw.
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I was peacefully sleeping on the couch one evening at about 8:30 when my wife said"get up and find yourself a hobby" eight years later the house is full of fretwork and now at 10:00 P.M. at night my wife says"When are you coming to bed?"
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I was peacefully sleeping on the couch one evening at about 8:30 when my wife said"get up and find yourself a hobby" eight years later the house is full of fretwork and now at 10:00 P.M. at night my wife says"When are you coming to bed?"
LOL. Skeeter, that is just hilarious.
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Man! That was a long time ago. About the mid 50's I was really interested in Muzzle Loading and wanted to make myself a powder horn with some small figures I could attach to it. The horn was easy but can't recall now if you could get/buy those figures. More than my pocketbook could stand anyway. So decided I'd cut them out with a coping saw & crutch my Dad had. He had a small sheet of German Silver and I made up several patterns and cut them out and nailed(?) them to the horn. Since then there were many small projects I hand cut until 10 yrs. or so back I got a Dremel saw which allowed me to do a lot more intricate stuff, faster. A coupla years ago I upgraded to a Delta P20. Latest project has been a Mtn. Dulcimer.
Pete
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I got my scroll saw at an internet auction really cheap and was not really expecting to win it, it lay in my work shop for around 6 months before I did anything on it now I think I am hooked but the Ryobi is so frustrating to use, I have looked T getting a better machine but they are very hard to come by in NZ, it is mainly the cheaper models that are available, I can get an Excaliber but at $1400 plus frieght is a bit much.
Jimbo
PS I am also a woodtuner hobiest
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I've always wanted to be able to make things to give as gifts but never considered myself clever at any crafts. I tried a bunch though. A couple of years ago I decided to try carving. I was never particularly gifted at that either but enjoyed working with the wood. Starting last summer, I thought about getting a scroll saw so that I could rough out some basic shapes - mostly because I am intimidated by band saws.
I went to youtube to look for videos and found Steve's. I watched all of them. Finally in December, I bought myself a Christmas present - my first scroll saw. Funny thing is, I haven't carved since. I'm totally in love with the saw now and I can already make things on it that are far nicer (in my opinion) than anything I ever carved.
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Jiimbo - I know the frustration we encounter trying to buy a good saw over here in Australia.
Not many models to choose from... but one of the new guys from our club just bought a Sherwood saw while at a woodshow.
I have to say.... I'm impressed. The price is right.. he said just over $300... that was about the price of the Delta.... and it's VERY VERY quiet! Only thing... they had to do a bit of surgery on it... cut away part of the top covering so things were easier to reach. Then installed Hegner blade holders and all's fine!
Worth a look I think.
Juvy
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I have no idea why I started scrolling....I just opened a magazine and saw what people were doing. I never worked with wood before. now I love it.
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At the time my wife was in a tole painting club that met at our house once a week. Seeing the cutouts they would buy at the tole store, I new I could do that if I had a scroll saw. So Santa brought me a Dremel saw that year.
I started cutting wood for about 12 women every week. Making about $300 a month, was able to buy new tools and build up a nice shop. That was about 15 years ago and the Dremel has been retired. I now have two DeWalt 788's.
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Hi I started scroll sawing about 18 months ago. This after I had to stop my regular job as a result of 2 minor strokes. I started to attend a day care centre(I think that is what you call it), and asked if I could do something with wood. At first I tried wood carving, but than saw this scroll saw standing in a conrner doing nothing, I asked if somebody could explain how it works nad that was the start. I started on scrap wood, but within a week I was making other things. This was on a Hegner. Hegner was to expensive for me to buy, so I looked around for an alturnative and bought a Proxxon DSH/E. Super machine and I truely must say that I am addicted. Friends and friends of friends keep asking if I can make this or that for them, so I am forever trying new things and buying new books and patterns via internet as there is very little of that stuff in this neck of the woods(Netherlands). At the Day Care I make stuff which is sold in our shop there. I don't think I will ever get tired of it.
David.
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i bought my first scrollsaw to cut out thing that i was making on my carvewright cnc. it was faster and easier on my carver. i wished i had bought my scrollsaw before the cnc. i have been woodworking since i can remember. my grandfather was a carpenter and he developed my love for woodworking.
i just got back into woodworking a couple of years ago and cant wait to get of work and into the shop.
i have had a bandsaw for years and did alot of cutting for my wife and she like to paint the yard ornaments and thing like that so it was just natural to fall in love with scrollsawing.
i stated witha used hegner but didnt like the single speed and the time it took for blade changes so i up graded to a dewalt 788 and love it.
only thing that keep me out of the shop is these darn forums lol.
kendall
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My wife and I had been in a MLM program. We added some crafts to our 'lineup' in order to get into a couple of shows that allowed the MLM products but required some handmade crafts. Since we were selling spices and other kitchen 'goodies' we added a few aprons. The aprons began outselling the MLM products and we found that we made more money on the handmade crafts. We added crocheted hand towels and some table runners and the crafts began selling better and better. At our last show of the season, 4+ years ago, my wife said "You need to do something to help with the craft side of our business too." At the same time Sears had a sale on their scroll saws. I bought the saw then began to research what I could offer on the crafts side. Since then we have given up on the MLM program (MLM = Most Lose Money), I have upgraded to a Yellow Beast (shoulder surgery - too hard to set the tension on the Craftsman), added a lathe, and am now the local "Pen and Clock" guy - hence the website "Pens, Clocks, 'N More". I have discovered that my passion is working with exotic woods. I'm anxious to see if I can find some bamboo cutting boards that were mentioned elsewhere on this forum (I know - not a wood - but definitely 'exotic')!
Dan
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i was in a boarding school and one year one the priest showed us how to scroll. Wiht the choice between scrolling of freezing outside during winter the decision was easy.
Edgar
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I was cleaning out some old tools I had in the garage, one of which was an old PowerKraft scroll (jig?) saw. Had a small sanding disk on the side, but the whole thing was falling apart. I tossed it and started looking for a replacement which I just had to have, never mind that I hadn't used the PowerKraft for 30 years! Bought a scroll saw at Lowe's for $140 that vibrated so much I had to chase it, took it back and tried two different low end units, and finally ended up buying the DW788 many people recommended. Haven't done a lot of projects so far, mostly made sawdust learning how to scroll and using the internet for my knowledge base. I'm enjoying what I've done and hope to get into some "real" scrolling soon, want to make gifts for grands and great grands!
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Simple....I retired.
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One word. BOREDOM. 8) dave
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About 12 years ago, my wife was buying a basic teddy bears at a store, dressing them like a granny, a princess, Snow White, etc., and selling them at craft shows. After she made a granny bear that was knitting, she wanted a rocking chair to sit it in. When she asked me if I could make one, I replied "How?". My son was taking the tech subjects at high school and said I needed a scroll saw. I said "What's that?" I had no idea.
So we went to Home Depot, and he showed me one. I bought the cheapest one, and brought it home thinking I wouldn't use it much. Well, after getting used to working with that saw, I couldn't leave it alone!! Since I had used a coping saw as a kid, and had worked on a bandsaw at the factory for at least 5 years, I had no problem following a basic line. I made the rocking chair and soon I was making more stuff for the craft shows than she was. Now I like to work on very intricate patterns. I have also taught some advanced scrollsaw classes here in London.
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I got started by walking past a shop that was selling Name plaques for children. The wife wanted to pay $40 each for 2 plaques. Nothing special. I thought no way am I paying $80 for 2 small plaques. Size was roughly 12 inches by 4inches.
So went out and paid $120 for a beginner saw. Made 2 plaques. One was for my son Matthew, the letters were like a 3D effect on the wood. The other one was for my daughter Rebecca again 3D with a Love heart at the end.
I put them up on their bedroom doors. I then got hooked and started making loads of stuff.
I then made a plaque for my daughters friend who liked dogs.
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My younger brother and his son have been scrolling for awhile and when my brother bought himself a new saw he gave me his older Delta. I have a lot to learn but love trying new patterns.