Scroll saw bowl video and a weekend getaway.

I found this video on Youtube. It is a very good demonstration. It shows one technique that I had not seen used before. Watch how he sets the angle of the blade to get the correct bevel cut. Sorry I don't know the name of the producer. He goes by Swingguitar1950 on Youtube.

Here is a link to the pattern for the bowl. This link is off my site so use caution when downloading. It also may go down at any time. I don't have control of the link and did not want to put it on my site without the authors permission.

If you  are reading this in the email newsletter you may not see the video. Click this link to watch the video in you browser.

Patty and I decided to get away for the weekend. We just drove an hour north to Covington Ky. Covington is just across the river from Cincinnati. We toured the historic area of downtown. It really is quite beautiful. Our hotel is right on the river and there is a nice walk with the mural shown in the pictures below. The mural depicts the history of the Covington area. Not sure what our plans are for tomorrow but so far we have had a nice time.

If you click the first panorama picture it shows a nice view of the mural. It is a large image so bandwidth challenged might want to avoid it.

Beautiful Cincinnati night time skyline.

Happy Easter Scroll Saw Pattern.

The 3D head pattern that I  posted earlier this month set records for downloads. I was just checking the stats a few minutes ago and was surprised to see that the pattern has been downloaded 13,793 times this month. I think that may be the most downloads for any pattern in that short period of time.
Second this month was the Wedding Carriage with 7,332 then the F16's with 5786.

The amazing total of all pattern downloads this month was 277,781. Over a quarter of  a million patterns downloaded from my blog in one month. I want to thank all of you for letting me share my hobby with you.

Another thing I have noticed lately is that the number of emails I get from folks who are just getting started in the scrolling hobby are increasing. I have had several in the last few weeks asking which saw I recommend for a beginner. That's always a tough question because I don't want to scare them off by saying they have to buy a $500 saw just to get started. I also don't want them to buy a saw that makes the experience no fun.

The more people we can excite to join the hobby the more likely we can get manufactures to build new products. In several countries the choices of saws is very limited. Even here in the US the choice is not that clear. There is a gap between the entry level saws to the mid level saws that is just too wide. We need a saw under $300 that will give the user a good mid-level experience.

When I make suggestions to new scrollers the $500 saws are usually just too expensive when they don't know if they are going to stick with the hobby. They have usually seen the $120 saws sold in the big box stores. I am not knocking those saws because I know they will get the job done. They just don't offer as good of an experience as a mid level saw like the DeWalt, Delta or Excalibur.

A saw like the Porter Cable sold at Lowes really does get pretty close to the quality I'm talking about. With just a few improvements that would be a very solid machine with a great experience. It sells for under $200. If they could improve just a few things they could bring the saw to market for $299 and I really think they would have a hit.

I'm really just thinking out loud because I know that in the middle of this recession manufacturers take a huge risk when they bring a new product to market. 

 
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Easter Bunny Eggs

 Get your "I Love To Scroll" t-shirts and other merchandise at my Cafepress store. Just click the image to visit the store. Show off your hobby and support the Scrollsaw Workshop.


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iPhone 5 wallpaper.

The image above can be used as the iPhone 5 wallpaper. If anyone with an earlier model iPhone is interested I can make one for those phones also. Just email if wanted. I had a couple scrollers see my phone and want the image so I thought other may also.

If you want a direct link to the image from your iPhone use this link.

www.stevedgood.com/iphonescreen.jpg

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Wooden Bling Rings

Okay I am definitely not cool enough to wear these rings but maybe you are or know someone who is. The pattern book has a few different words for the rings. If you have more suggestions for words I can add them. I might add these to the Custom Pattern Store on the blog and take orders for names. Eight letters is about the max. There are ring patterns for size 5-13. The sizing might require some custom sanding.

The body of the ring is cut from 1/2" thick stock and the words are cut from 1/8" stock. The ring body is pretty easy to cut but the words are more of a challenge. They are pretty small. I used a #2/0 blade for the words. You might be able to cut them with a #1 but take your time. After the ring is finished make sure you sand it well so there are no sharp edges. I used a mop sander to know down the edges quickly. I finished them with spray acrylic to a gloss.

I know that these are not going to be everyone's taste but I would be interested to see if someone could get some orders on Etsy.com for these. They are kind of a Hip Hop style with the right words so maybe you can try that market. 
 
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NEOS Picnic

Don't forget to set your calendar for May 18th. The North Eastern Ohio Scroll Saw & Woodworking Picnic is almost here again. The event is two days of great woodworking fun. There will be contests, raffles, seminars, vendors and more. 

The picnic is hosted by The North Easter Ohio Scrollers. They did a wonderful job last year on their ignaugral event. Check out their site for more details.

Free scroll saw pattern from Sheila Landry Designs.

Wow, just look at these beautiful free filigree cross scroll saw patterns from Sheila Landry Designs. 
 After you try these free patterns make sure you visit sheilalandrydesigns.com.


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Jesus Saves Cross Scroll Saw PAttern.

I have to apologize for being so far behind in keeping the blog updated. I will be answering as many email as I can this weekend. I'm also trying to get caught back up on the custom pattern store orders. Hang in there with me and I'll get things back on track soon. I have been super busy with family and work the last several weeks.


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A great place to visit.

I had a question the other day from a friend. They ask me what my favorite woodworking web site was. I did not have to think about the answer because Lumberjocks.com has been a favorite for a long time. 

Lumberjocks.com is more than just a web site. It is a home for thousands of craftsmen and women from all over the world. It is a place to share woodworking ideas and current projects. You can read user reviews on just about any woodworking product you can think of. There are user submitted videos. You can create your own personal blog and keep everyone updated on your projects. The forum is very active with tons of great content.

I visit Lumberjocks.com almost everyday just to keep up on the current projects everyone is working on and see what new reviews and videos have been submitted.

If you have not had the opportunity to visit Lumberjocks do yourself a favor and visit it now.  




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Dragon Egg

There will be a little challenge with this pattern. Plan your cuts wisely so you don't weaken the wood. The belly and the back of the dragon are going to be weak until you get the backer board glued on. I would cut every other belly piece then cut the back. Then carefully cut the remaining belly pieces. Take your time and use good quality sharp blades. Don't be stingy with the blades. If it starts to get dull grab another one.


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Pope Francis

Pope Francis, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was ordained as a priest in 1969. He served as head of the Society of Jesus in Argentina from 1973 to 1979. In 1998 he became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and in 2001 a cardinal. Following the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, on 28 February 2013, the conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the first pope to be a Jesuit, to come from the Americas, and to come from the Southern Hemisphere.



Yesterdays pattern link did not go out in the email newsletter. If you want the Second Amendment pattern it is available on the blog in the catalog. Sorry for the inconvenience.   

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Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The Second Amendment has been in the news a lot lately. Gun control is a very serious and controversial subject. I'll have to be honest and say I don't know what the answer is to violence against innocent people. I do believe that the second amendment serves an incredibly important role in the freedom we are all afforded by the Constitution.

Community Forum back up and running.

I had to restore the forum from an earlier backup today. I think  I have everything back to normal now but I'll keep an eye on things for a few more hours. I spent several hours trying to figure out what happened and doing the restore. Somehow the permissions for the individual boards got reset to none. If I had discovered this before doing the restore I think I could have repaired it in just a few minutes. Oh well, live and learn. Sorry to all the Community Forum members for the downtime. 

if any of you would like to order the Scrollsaw Workshop Catalog DVD just click the picture above. The price is $20 plus shipping. For more details on the catalog please visit the Scrollsaw Workshop Blog.

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

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Sue Mey Easter Special.

This is a special offer from Sue Mey at Scrollsawartist.com. Take advantage of this offer to stock up on some wonderful religious patterns.

Easter is not far away so I would like to extend a 20% discount offer on all patterns from the following categories on my website: ‘Religious & Inspirational’ (all sub-categories included) and ‘Easter’. 

To qualify for the discount enter the voucher code EASTER2013 (case sensitive) during checkout. The promotion will remain in place until the end of March and the voucher is valid for multiple orders.

Below are a few examples of Easter patterns. Note: Each item shown is linked to the website - Click on the Image for them to open there.

    The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

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World Record!

Dave Evans and Craig Steele of Axminster Tool Centre.

Article from Axminster Tool Centre website 

After several months in the planning, Weymouth craftsman, Dave Evans, has now begun his pursuit of a Guinness World Record and is attempting to create the world’s largest hand-cut jigsaw puzzle. Dave has managed to obtain sponsorship from Axminster Tool Centre, who are supplying him with an Excalibur scroll saw to cut the puzzle, and the Excalibur brand itself, which is owned by Canadian company, General International.

The puzzle will depict scenes from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and be a montage of 60 images taken throughout the celebrations in 2012. The entire puzzle, which when complete will measure approximately 19ft x 8ft and be made up of 40,000 pieces, should take several weeks to cut and the final stages of cutting will be witnessed by a Guinness World Record adjudicator. Specialist jigsaw puzzle maker Dave said “I’m one of the few people who are professionally trained to hand cut jigsaws and I wanted to leave a legacy, so I thought maybe I could leave a giant jigsaw. When it’s finished it will be completely assembled and a monster piece of work - I’m hoping it will be displayed for public exhibition and it could possibly be auctioned off to raise money for charity. I couldn’t have done this without the support of Axminster Tool Centre and the Excalibur saw”.

Throughout March members of the public, schools, colleges and craft enthusiasts are invited to watch Dave as he undertakes this challenge at Jigsaw Workshop on Brewer’s Quay in Weymouth. Ahead of him lies 200 hours of cutting time.




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Wedding Carriage Scroll Saw Pattern.

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Lift-N-Lock custom laser engraving.

Here is a neat addition to a product. David over at Bigfoot Products is now offering to add custom laser engraving on their Lift-N-Lock system.  The Lift-N-Lock is an accessory add-on for the DeWalt DW788 scroll saw. If you own that saw you know that the upper arm does not stay up when changing blades. This product solves that problem.

The addition of a custom laser engraved name just adds a neat touch. The standard model is $24.95 and the custom engraving will add $10 to the price. It might be a bit of a luxury addition but it's always nice to have options.


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Stakiloos from Toymakingplans.com

John and Cynthia from www.toymakingplans.com are offering another fantastic free pattern. All you have to do is sign up for their email subscription. You can sign up again if you already have a subscription to receive the free pattern. After you sign up you will receive the link to the pattern in an email. The sign up form is at their page.

Toymakingplans.com is the go to source for the toymaker.  Don't miss out on visiting their site. If you want to make toys for the children or grandchildren in your family they have what you need. If you want to make toys for fundraisers they have what you need. If you want to make toys to take to your local children's hospital they have what you need. If you want to start a toy making business they have what you need.

These toys are so creative that they sell themselves. It's pretty tough to make decent money making crafts. You need to find a niche and specialize. These nostalgic toys are a great niche. They appeal to parents and grand parents and will sell. John and Cynthia make it easy to get your business off to a good start. They provide labels that can be printed and glued to the box. They provide a source for reasonably priced boxes.

All their patterns allow for royalty free use of the projects. You can make and sell as many as you like without special licenses or fees.

They have how-to's for subjects like safe finishes for the toys and more.

Do yourself a favor and visit www.toymakingplans.com now.


The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

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Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,500 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.

The Fighting Falcon is a fighter with numerous innovations including a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, a seat reclined 30 degrees to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system helps to make it a nimble aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other mission equipment. The F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but "Viper" is commonly used by its pilots, due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter.

In addition to active duty U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is also used by the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy. The F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forces of 25 other nations. (Source: wikipedia.com)


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Game Over

 I want to wish my Mother-in-Law a speedy recovery. She is in the hospital recovering from a serious injury. After two surgeries in two days she has several weeks of rehab in front of her.

My Mother-in-Law played a huge part in keeping me on the right track when I was a teenager. I came from a bit of a tough background and for some reason she didn't kick me out when I started dating her daughter in the 10th grade. Without her help I might not have made it through high school. I'm sure I would not have made it through college if she had not been there for me. I have never forgotten all the effort she put in to making sure I was okay and it's really tough to see her in a bad way right now.

I just realized the irony of the pattern above and the message I just typed.  

 

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Autodesk 123d Make

Click image to enlarge

I had a number of questions about the 3D head pattern. I wanted to show you the program that creates these 3D models. The program is from Autodesk. The name is 123d Make. It is a free program for the PC and Mac. You can download it from this web page .

The program takes 3D object files and turns them into different types of patterns that can be assembled from cardboard, wood or acrylic materials. It offers several options for sizing the pattern. You can select different methods like slices or tabs for the model.  It will even shows you an animated assembly.

Not every 3D object will make a nice scroll saw project and you may have to modify the files to get what you want.

Here are a couple of videos that show some of what can be done with 123D Make.

If you are reading this in the email newsletter you may not see the video. Click this link and watch the video in your browser.

If you are reading this in the email newsletter you may not see the video. Click this link and watch the video in your browser.

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

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Missing Pattern. Oops.

Here is the link to the 3D head pattern that was missing from the last post. Sorry for the trouble.

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Let's do 3D.

Here is something very different. This pattern will create a 3D human head. Why? I have no idea but it's kind of cool. There is a video below that shows the assembly. 

This model has to be cut from 1/8" thick wood. I suggest Baltic Birch Plywood. This is a large pattern with 64 pieces to cut and assemble. There are no interior cuts so it should go pretty fast.

Now for the disclaimer. I have not cut this pattern. I'm pretty sure it will go together correctly but build at your own risk. 

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The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated. Make A Donation

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