Thursday, November 24, 2016

My WWGOA interview. T-Rex Diorama Scroll Saw Pattern. Happy Thanksgiving.

http://www.stevedgood.com/estore/estore.html
This T-Rex skeleton diorama is what my Turkey is going to look like at the end of the day.  Mr. Rex is over ten inches long. Disclaimer: All characters in this diorama are fictional. Any resemblance to any T-Rex either alive or dead is purely coincidental.  

If you are a dino expert please don't email to tell me he is suppose to have 25 tail bones instead of 20. Only Mrs. Rex cares. I drew him from instructions on a cartoon site. 

No T-Rex's were harmed during the making of this pattern. Had enough bad jokes yet? I thought so. Go have a Turkey sandwich and watch the Redskins and Cowboys game.  

To all my readers in the U.S. have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I recently won the WWGOA blogger award for best Projects and plans Blog. What follows is the interview they did with me and posted on their website and newsletter. It was because of all of your support that I won so I wanted to share this with those of you who might like to read it.



Meet the Woodworker: Steve Good


steve1
Meet Steve Good, winner of the “Best Plans & Projects Blog” category in the 2016 WWGOA Blogger Awards! This October, WWGOA hosted a competition dedicated entirely to all those talented woodworkers out there who share their work with the blogosphere. We asked you to nominate and vote for your favorite bloggers, and now we’re thrilled to be able to announce the winners!

Steve’s blog, Scrollsaw Workshop, is dedicated to using… surprise! The scroll saw! He’s made a vast amount of patterns and projects since he started blogging in 2007, and continues to provide the online woodworking community with quality scroll saw information and education.
We asked Steve to share a little about himself, his blog, and his work so the WWGOA community can learn more about this talented woodworker. Read on.  

Q: When did you first begin woodworking? Steve Good: I am 58 years old. Like so many of my generation I watched Norm Abram on the New Yankee Workshop. I drooled over the power tools he used to create those fantastic projects. It amazed me he could build a Queen Anne Highboy in 30 minutes. In the mid-1980s I started to buy what tools I could afford. That was the beginning of a hobby that would last a lifetime.

Q: Who taught you how to woodwork? With the help of Norm and other TV personalities like Roy Underhill and Scott Phillips, I slowly started to understand how little I knew. I bought books and sought the help of friends to advance my skill. This was before the internet. We had to actually leave the house and go to a bookstore, library, or local woodworking group to feed our desire to learn. I guess you would say I am self-taught but the reality is I am still just starting to learn.
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Q: What was your first project? The memory of my first project is lost in the cobwebs of time. More importantly to me is the first project I made for my blog. On May 1, 2007 I posted my first project/pattern online. It was an all wooden decorative handsaw with a patriotic scrolled theme. That first post started something that would change my life forever. I never imagined at the time that nine years later I would have produced thousands of patterns with tens of millions of downloads. I get to converse with people all over the world and have a blast every day.  

Q: What is your favorite type of project to make in the shop? Obviously the answer to that question is scroll saw projects. I spend more time in front of the computers designing patterns than I do in the workshop but I still love making saw dust. Other than designing and making scroll saw projects it’s always rewarding to make a toy box for a child in the family. I have made wedding gift boxes and other personal family and friend projects that I enjoy.  

Q: What is your shop like? A mess right now! I have full use of a two-car garage, and it is wall to wall tools. Because I am primarily a scroll saw pattern designer my shop is geared toward that work. My scroll saws are the Excalibur EX21, Jet JWSS-22, DeWalt DW788 type 1, and a DeWalt DW788 type 2. The rest of my tools are all geared toward taking rough lumber and turning it into scroll saw ready boards, with the exception of my CNC machine. It is a fairly complete workshop with table saw, 14″ band saw, 6″ jointer, 12″ planer, floor model drill press, and router table. I also have a full assortment of sanding machines. I enjoy all the tools in my shop but they all have to take a back seat to my collection of computers. For a blogger and content producer these machines are my connection to my online presence. I sit in front of six 24-inch monitors attached to three high end computers. All the computers are network connected with one keyboard and mouse. This setup allows me to edit video, write a blog post, and design a pattern all at the same time without having to wait. The more content you produce, the more hours it takes. Having the computer resources available to multitask those jobs is critical.
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Q: What are you currently working on? I am currently in the holiday season. The last three months of the year are everything in my niche. Many of my daily patterns are holiday themed. I also design a set of custom name Christmas ornaments every year. I take orders for those and customize the pattern with customer’s names. They are a huge hit every year and take up quite a bit of my time.  

Q: What project have you been most proud of? That is a very difficult question! I have designed and built thousands of projects. Some are more successful than others. I recently designed and cut a pattern of the Statue of Liberty, which is a current favorite. I also design and sell two books of Wooden Vases built with the scroll saw. Both of these eBooks are self-published and have done extremely well. I am proud of that project and the many hours I spent making it successful.
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Q: What woodworking tool could you not live without, and why? For me that’s an easy question. It’s the computer. Without my ability to be very prolific with my designs my blog would not exist. I produce a new project almost every day. I can and have designed patterns by hand with pencil and paper, but trust me when I say it is way easier with a computer! My workflow is designed at every step to be quick but not rushed. Almost all the time spent on a new pattern is in the concept stage. Once I have the idea I can design the pattern in 30 minutes to 3 hours.
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Q: What’s your favorite species of wood to work with, and why? I have used many different species of domestic and exotic woods. I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would be walnut. I also like to use soft maple as a contrast to walnut. They may not be the most sought after woods but they are easy to find, cut great, and look nice when finished. For scroll saw projects you need to pick woods a little differently than traditional woodworkers do. Most of the time we are not as concerned with the beautiful grain pattern, instead we look for color and contrast. If you buy a board with incredible grain then cut it all away with fret work you have not used that wood to its fullest. If I build a fretwork box with contrasting walnut and maple then that wood is shown in its best light for that project.  

Q: What would you say to someone who is just beginning woodworking? Wow, I could write several paragraphs on this subject. I promise I won’t. As bloggers we get email questions by the hundreds a week asking for help. I get way more email than I can answer so I tend to triage them. I always try to answer questions from people who are just getting started. That is simply the most rewarding part of being a blogger to me. It’s also the hardest because of time. One theme that runs through many of those questions is the fear of taking on a project they think to too difficult. If you want to get better you have to push yourself past your comfort level. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure almost always teaches you something. Look at a perceived failed project as a question. What could I have done better? Study the parts that you think are not right. Make a plan to change those areas and try again. One nice thing about most scroll saw projects is they don’t require large amounts of expensive lumber. Starting over on a scroll saw project is usually not a financial disaster.
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Q: What’s your favorite thing about woodworking? I am a maker at heart. I have a never ending desire to make something new. It is my passion. Wood is a building material; it just happens to be the most beautiful material there is. Wood is the most basic stuff on earth to make something from. Think about it. If you have a block of clay you can make a beautiful sculpture. If you have a slab of wood you can do the same. If you lay each side by side the block of clay looks drab and cold. The slab of wood looks beautiful with all its colors and grain on display. I just prefer to start with wood. I want to thank the WoodWorkers Guild of America for sponsoring this Blogger Award. In my case it is especially important to see the scroll saw niche recognized. The scroll saw can be a very creative and rewarding machine. There are many scroll saws sitting in the corner of a workshop not being used to their fullest. I just want to challenge all the woodworkers out there to take a closer look at the potential of the machine. Last I want to thank all the people out there who voted for my blog. All of the blogs are winners. It’s very nice that you took the time to vote for me. The bloggers in this contest put in endless hours to produce great content. I follow almost all of them. The few I did not follow I do now. I encourage everyone to bookmark all of these blogs. 
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http://seyco.com/


Visit Seyco.com for the best customer care and quality products in the scroll saw industry. The scroll saw Specialist.


The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this Button. Your support is greatly appreciated. 
http://www.stevedgood.com/donate2.html

http://amzn.to/2giIq6RAd: Affiliate

Photo Photography Studio Lighting Light Tent Kit

If you need to take photos of small products for selling online you need a Photo light tent. I use this tent for all my product shots and it helps a great deal. If you try to sell with bad photos you are missing out on sales.
  • (1) x Photography Camera Stand Tripod
  • (1) x High Quality Photo Studio Light Folding Photo Box (24 in x 24 in)
  • (2) x Double Head Studio Quality High Output Photo Table Top Lights with Stand
  • (1) x Cell Phone Clip Holder for iPhone 6 5S 5C 5 Samsung Galaxy S5 S4 (Does NOT hold Iphone 6 Plus)

This is the end of the daily posts. Keep scrolling for lot's more scrolls saw fun!






https://www.bearwood.com/
Bear Woods has been around since 1987 serving our hobby. They offer a wide range of craft products including Pegas scroll saw blades, clock inserts, toy parts, workshop supplies and much more. In my ten years of writing the Scrollsaw Workshop blog I have never received a complaint about Bear Woods. I get thousands of email a month so that's saying something about their customer service and quality products. Please support the people who support our hobby. Click now and visit Bear Woods.

Heritage Wood Specialties. Scroll saw ready boards!


Heritage Wood Specialties is a nationally recognized supplier of superior quality hardwoods to fine woodworkers across the US and Canada. Novice hobbyists and experienced enthusiasts alike can enjoy the high quality woodworking materials and kits available from Heritage Wood Specialties. Great source for scroll saw ready boards.

Seyco

http://seyco.com/
Seyco began business in 1986 with the goal to supply the best customer support and quality products in the scroll saw industry. I have worked with Seyco on many occasions and I can tell you they are simply the best. Please do yourself a favor and click the image above. Steve Good

Free Pattern Catalog. 1000's of free patterns.

http://www.stevedgood.com/catalog/

Thousands of FREE scroll saw patterns. No registration or signup required.

The projects form these patterns can be sold without restrictions. The patterns cannot be sold.

Click here for the Free Online Catalog.

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Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw Book $12 Each

http://www.stevedgood.com/woodenvases.html
Each digital book is available for download immediately after payment.
The books are $12 per edition and contains eight unique patterns each.
Watch the following video to see how easy these beautiful scroll saw vases
are to make. 

Order the $3 pdf Catalog

This is a PDF of all the patterns in my free catalog. It is for Windows only and has a program to automatically download the pattern to your computer. Please watch the video below before you order. Click the picture to order.
http://www.stevedgood.com/swpd/swpdorderpage.html
You do not need a PayPal account to order. At the bottom of the PayPal page is a button that will allow you to pay with a credit card. After successful payment click the Return to Merchant button for the download.

Stencil Printer 1.7

Stencil Printer Instruction Video.

The Scrollsaw Workshop Stencil Printer 1.7 is my latest software for creating patterns. It will create key chain fobs, desk name plates and more. Click the image above to download the latest version. It is free to use donationware. This software is for Windows PC only.

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1
Download the Free Scroll Saw Pattern Printer Version 1.1. Create name patterns in seconds. Windows PC only.
Download Version 1.1
Please consider a $5 donation for The Scroll Saw Pattern Printer v1.1.

Scroll Saw Keychain Pattern Maker

Use the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker to start a small keychain business. Build yourself a nice display and make up severl keychains with common names. Sell at craft shows, on Ebay or at work. Everyone needs a keychain. Take custom orders. Heck just make them and give them away as gifts. It's all made easy with the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker. Watch the video demonstration then download the file below and get started with the fun.
The following link will start the download process. After the file download is complete just click the setup file and the program will be installed. Please consider a $5 donation for the program.

Download the Oval Keychain Pattern Maker.

Enjoy designing and printing these great personalized key chains. Give them as gifts, make them for fun or sell them at craft shows. It's easy, just watch the video demo then download and install the program. You will be designing these fun projects in minutes. Windows PC only.
Download the Free Oval Key Chain Pattern Maker. Create Oval key chain patterns in seconds.
Download Version .9a
Please consider a $5 donation for The Oval Key Chain Pattern Maker.

Philip Lowndes Noah's Arc Pattern Available. Watch the video below.

This video is from Philip Lowndes. He is the designer of this beautiful Noah's Arc puzzle pattern. If you would like the pattern follow the link below.
Buy This Wonderful Heirloom Puzzle Pattern

Think Safety

Remember to keep the safety of yourself and others in your work shop in your thoughts at all times. Always wear eye and ear protection. Follow all the manufactures warnings that came with your power tools. If I demonstrate something on this web site that you don't feel is safe, don't do it. Your safety is your responsibility. Fingers are handy things, try to keep all of them.
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Disclaimer:
The Scrollsaw Workshop Blog is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts Magazine formerly (Scroll Saw Workshop Magazine) or it's publisher Fox Chapel Publishing.

Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts