I will be teaching a class today. The students will all be in their first or second class. None of them had ever used a scroll saw before. None of them even own a saw yet. In the first class we mostly went through warm-up exercises so I wanted to do a complete project this class.
I though I would share the pattern I will be using in the class with all of you. While this pattern looks easy it actually has a couple of challenging areas. I want to challenge the students early but not so much as to make them overly frustrated. They will probably feel some frustration with this pattern. I want them to say "I think I can do that better the next time." That will mean that they don't feel defeated.
The area of this pattern that will give the most challenge is the egg. An egg has a very recognizable shape. Your eye will pick up on any imperfections of it's shape quickly. If you make a mistake on the rabbit it will not be nearly as obvious.
The next most challenging area of this pattern is the eye of the bunny. Cutting small circles is more difficult than cutting large circles for most new scrollers. They will tend to over shoot the curve because they don't turn the wood blank fast enough to keep up with the cut of the blade.
Almost every cut in this pattern is a curve. I intentionally designed the pattern with few straight lines. We will add that challenge in the next project.
I though I would share my thought process of why I am using this pattern to teach. There is no perfect method because everyone learns at a different rate. My main hope is that they have fun with the process and understand that every time they cut they will get better.
Click Image to Enlarge and see contest details.
January's 2WAYS2WIN contest had great participation so Stephen at Bear Woods and I want to do it again.
WAY2WIN #1: Click the link above and enter the giveaway. That simple. Enter everyday.
WAY2WIN #2: Post up to three photos of your wooden trains, planes or automobiles on the Bear Woods Facebook page.
Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in it's proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever.
your source for Pegas scroll saw blades and craft supplies.
for your scroll saw ready boards.
Let me teach you to create a beautiful wooden portrait pattern. I will show you everything you need from start to finish. The video will show you the free software program you can download for Windows or Mac OS. I will show you how to install the program and configure it for best results.
Then I will show you the technique to take your photograph and make a pattern from it. When the pattern is complete we will go in the shop and cut it.
The DVD is $10 plus shipping. This is a data DVD that you will use on your computer to watch the video tutorial
Purchase the entire Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog for offline access.
This DVD has 2,300 patterns published from 2007 thru 2017.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
If you use the DVD on a Windows PC there is a simple viewer program to browse through the patterns.
The DVD also works fine on a MAC. The viewer program is not MAC compatible but there is an included PDF with all the patterns shown as thumbnails for easy viewing.
My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.
The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video
Demonstration.
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When I wanted to get my feet wet in 3d printing I purchased the Monoprice Select Mini. I have to say that it was a great buy. This little inexpensive 3d printer holds it own with printers costing much more. I did eventually upgrade because I wanted a larger build volume but I don't regret starting with the Monoprice.
Let me warn you upfront. There is a learning curve. You can download 3d models and that's great but gets boring quickly. I wanted to design my own models. That learning process is fun but requires at least some basic computer skills. This is especially true if you want to use one of the more serious CAD packages. They are complex and powerful. I use Fusion 360. It's free and extremely powerful. There are easier online design platforms. They work fine for less complex models. Just do your research and know what you are getting into before you buy.
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