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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: wntrrwd on February 16, 2012, 10:58:52 am
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OK I am learning so figured I would just start asking questions.
What is the best type of woods to use? I have just been messing around with scrap lumber I have around my garage. What types of woods do I need to look at and what are the best places to buy it? Thanks for any help.
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That's a tough question to answer because the type of project you are cutting determines what type of wood you need. Every wood has its own distinct properties. Plywood (especially baltic birch) is good for portraits and many other projects, pine is good for thicker projects especially if they will be painted, hardwoods are great for many things but you may need to be able to either buy them in thinner thicknesses or plane them to the desired thickness. Some woods are very tough, and some are relatively easy to break. A few of the hardwoods like cherry and maple are great, but have a tendency to burn when the cutting is too intricate. Tell us what you want to build and what wood you have available and we can help a lot more.
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Bill is right: Are you planning on doing Fretwork? Intarsia? Segmentation? Compound cutting? Inlay? Bowl making? Toy making? Each of these are best done with different woods but all are done on a scroll saw. Let us know what you intend to try first.
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What is the easiest to learn
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The way I started was with pine. It is cheap to buy and you can make some really nice things from it. It is also a good wood to learn to use your saw. Get on Steve's pattern page and pick out a patteren and go for it. Don't lose hope if you miss up the first few times. It will all come together in time. Happy sawing.
gene
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As a scroll saw instructor At Woodcraft, I start my beginner students on 3/4" pine. Like Gene said it is cheap and easy to cut.
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If your looking for something a little nicer looking than pine, poplar is a nice choice. It is readily available at the big box stores and is very easy to work with.
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I agree on the poplar, and don't believe the people who say it can't be stained. Either use a gel stain or a conditioner to limit blotching. I've made some gorgeous furniture out of poplar.