It's Mother's Day weekend here in the US. I want to wish every mother a wonderful day.
The most important skill to learn for accurate scrolling:
Hopefully, the graphic below does not make you dizzy. It is there to help me illustrate what I believe is the most important scroll saw skill for accurate scrolling.
In the graphic, the RED is the blade. The black lines are the pattern and the pattern is on a board. This is a top-down view and the user would be sitting at the bottom of the image.
The board is being pushed into the blade and a sharp turn is made.
Here is the problem we are trying to solve. When we reach the turn, if we keep pushing the board against the front of the blade it will keep cutting and we will overshoot the turn. This will result in a very rounded corner or we may even cut into an area we don't want to cut.
To solve this problem we need to learn to make the blade stop cutting when we reach the turn. This is done by shifting the pressure from the front(cutting edge) of the blade to the back edge of the blade(Black arrow in the graphic). This is a very subtle technique and it takes a while for new scrollers to master. Most scrollers think you just stop pushing the board but that's not accurate and won't work.
When you reach the turn you will pull the board to make the back edge the pivot/slide point.
I say pivot/slide because it is not a true pivot. You just want to move the pressure away from the teeth of the blade so it stops cutting. When the blade stops cutting you will make the turn while holding the pressure on that back pivot.
Most scrollers learn this technique without ever realizing what they are doing. It just happens naturally after you have cut for a while. If you concentrate on what is happening at the turn it will help you solve the problems when they happen.
I hope this was a clear explanation. It is a difficult technique to teach live and it's even more difficult to teach in writing. The next time you are in front of your saw pay attention to exactly what is happening when you make a turn. Once the technique becomes clear in your mind it will begin to happen even without the thought process.
North Eastern Ohio Scroll Saw & Woodworking Expo:
I hope to see you at the Scroll Saw Expo in Ohio on the 18th and 19th of May 2018. The show is being held in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. The show times are Friday 9am - 4pm and Saturday 9am - 4pm.
I know we will have a great time talking scroll saw so if you are in the area I hope you make the time to stop by. See you there.
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.
Products for your consideration:
Scroll Saw Pattern Design Tutorial: DVD
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.
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
Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2017 in DVD
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.
Want to create beautiful wooden vases on the scroll saw?
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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Home of Pegas scroll saw blades.
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I truly believe this is one of the best buys out there for a decent scroll saw. This is a mid-level machine that will give you years of good service.
This is a significant step up from the entry-level machines on the market. If you want to have a machine that is a pleasure to use but don't want to break the bank then give the Delta 40-694 a look.
- Electronic variable speed can be adjusted from 400-1,750 SPM for a wide array of cutting applications
- Dual parallel link arm design reduces vibration reducing over and under cutting improving accuracy and quality
- Upper arm lifts and locks in the raised position during blade changes or while adjusting blade position for fret work
- Tool-free blade clamp allows for quick, easy blade changes in seconds