New Members

[Arasmit]

Thanks guys for greeting!
Vitali.

[wombatie]

Hi Vitali, welcome to the forum, I'm Marg from Australia

[tncharger]

Hi guys! My name is Terry and I'm new to all of this. I bought a used Craftsman 16" variable speed scroll saw recently, some blades, a sheet of birch plywood and, with some patterns from Steve's collection, started working on some projects. My cuts look pretty rough right now. Still learning how to pivot my piece correctly (just watched Steve's video on curved cuts so maybe I'll get better soon!) and this particular saw is difficult to connect/reconnect the blade when switching from inside cuts. Excited to see what I can do with some practice, though. Glad there's a place like this to draw from the experience of people who actually know what they're doing!

[dgman]

Welcome to the forum Terry. I'm Dan from Southern California. Come on in and join the Fun!

[julief]

Hi Terry, welcome to the forum.  I'm Julie from Texas.  Glad you joined us.  Practice, practice, practice.

[Russ C]

Hi Terry, I'm Russ from Florida. Welcome to the Scrollsaw Forum. Jump in and let the sawdust fly. 

[tncharger]

Since I'm brand new to scrolling, would kind of projects, resources, etc. would you guys suggest for a beginner to get some good practice on? I know I'm not ready for the real detailed stuff (which I love) YET. I really want to get the basics down first. Any suggestions where/how to start? Thanks.

[Russ C]

Hello from Florida tncharger. I'm Russ, welcome to the Scrollsaw Forum. First we need a little information.
1. Where do you live so we can an idea of what might be available to you in your area. 2. Do you have a scroll saw and what kind?
3. Have you bought any blades yet, what kind?
4. Have you bought any wood yet or do you have some, if so what kind?
5. How much practice or cutting have you done with a scroll saw?

As far as patterns, let's get an idea from your answers before we try to point you in the right direction.

We have members from all over the world here on the forum. Some even teach people how to make projects with a scroll saw, so I am sure we can help advise you on getting started. 

[tncharger]

Hello from Florida tncharger. I'm Russ, welcome to the Scrollsaw Forum. First we need a little information.
1. Where do you live so we can an idea of what might be available to you in your area. 2. Do you have a scroll saw and what kind?
3. Have you bought any blades yet, what kind?
4. Have you bought any wood yet or do you have some, if so what kind?
5. How much practice or cutting have you done with a scroll saw?

As far as patterns, let's get an idea from your answers before we try to point you in the right direction.

We have members from all over the world here on the forum. Some even teach people how to make projects with a scroll saw, so I am sure we can help advise you on getting started. 

Okay, let me fill in the blanks so you guys have a better idea about me and how I can best get started. I live in Tennessee. I just bought a used Craftsman 16" variable speed saw that came with some spiral blades. I also have some skiptooth blades but I haven't used them yet. When I bought the saw, I went to Lowe's and bought a 4' x 8' sheet of birch plywood and I've been practicing doing some basic shapes at this point. I'm about as much of a newbie at this as there is. I have an artistic itch that I try to scratch with different mediums. I've worked with wood before doing some woodburning but never using a scroll saw. I work with glass as well and read that you could use a scroll saw to cut glass with a diamond blade. In researching that, I saw all the beautiful work being done with a scroll saw and decided to see what all the fun was about. So here I am! So where do I start?

[dgman]

Hey tncharger, To get started I would start with the skip tooth blades. The spiral blades are too hard to control even for some experienced people. You didn't say how thick the birch plywood is but I would start with 1/2" to 3/4" thick wood. I usually start my students off with 3/4" pine. It"s cheap and cuts easily. For 3/4" material use a #5 skip tooth blade.
To start with, draw some straight lines on a practice piece of wood, and try to split the line. You will quickly find that you will not be able to cut the line straight. You have to angle the wood to cut the line. Once you have the straight lines mastered, then go with some curved lines then jagged lines with sharp corners.
Once you have cutting lines mastered then start on some simple patterns.
Good luck and come back often with questions!

[tncharger]

Thanks, Dan, for the great practical advice! You are correct about the straight lines. They are a challenge but getting easier. Thanks again!

[eyerod]

Hi, My name is John and I live in Nebraska. I recently retired from the railroad after 38 years. I have always been interested in woodworking
but never seem to have the time. Well now I have time!!!!!! After finding this web site and and seeing all the nice work and the wealth of information available and I decided to give it a try. I purchased the Dewalt 788 FD blades. Now for some newbie questions. After reading about the upper arm problems with the 788 I also ordered the easy lift system. But when I received the the saw and set it up I noticed that the upper arm will stay raised up on its own. Did Dewalt make changes to it or will it eventually not stay up. I guess Im wondering if I should keep the easy lift or send it back. I have been practicing a lot with 1/4 inch
aspen and oak with reverse #3 and #5 FD blades. In general how long should a blade last, and on the 788 it seems the tension setting has to be set on 4 or 5 is when the blade is new, is that OK. Thanks for the replies in advance.

[dgman]

Hey John, Welcome to the forum. I'm Dan from Southern California. Come on in and join the fun.
The upper arm on the 788 is designed to lower on it's own. I am a top feeder so I use that feature to my advantage. When feeding to the next hole, I release the lower blade clamp, With one hand I raise the upper arm, With the other hand I guide the blade into the next hole then lower the arm and tighten the blade clamp. It should take about five seconds to do this.
Blades do not last very long although Flying Dutchman blades last longer that most blades. I will always change a blade when starting a new project. Also when the blade no longer cuts the way you want, It's time to change it. It's not unusual to go through many blades cutting a project.
As far as tension, You want the blade as tight as you can get it without it slipping out of the blade clamp. You want to hear a high "ping" when you pluck the blade. So yes, tightening to four or five is OK

[julief]

Welcome to the forum, John.  I'm Julie from Texas.  Glad to have you.

[Russ C]

Hi I'm Russ from Florida. Welcome to the Scrollsaw Forum. Jump in and let the sawdust fly.