Fragile as a rose. Yes, this piece is fragile. It will not take much heavy handling. I like the fact that it is fragile but if you wish to protect it you can cut the optional backer board. Once glued to the backer it will be much stronger.
Wood choice is important for this project. You want to use a species with a fairly tight grain. Open grain woods like red oak will probably be too fragile. I used soft maple.
This is a simulated picture of what it looks like with the optional backer board.
Intelligent Auto Switch: Affiliate Link.
I have a few of these auto switches in my shop. They are one of those gadgets that you can live without but once you have one you appreciate the convenience. For some of my power tools, I use a dedicated shop vac for dust collection. I do this on my router table, Sand Flee, and oscillating drum sander. It is just more convenient than hooking these tools up to my dedicated dust collection system.
The Intelligent Auto Switch makes this system even more convenient by automatically starting the shop vac as soon as the power tool is started. It then runs for a few seconds after the power tool is shut down and then powers off. This gives the shop vac time to clear any dust before it stops.
You simply plug the power tool and shop vac into the switch module. Plug the module into an outlet and it just works.
This intelligent switch also gives a certain amount of safety to the process. If you have to turn on the shop vac before you turn on the sander it is easy to forget. I would often sand for a few minutes before I would realize I had not turned the shop vac on. That is just a few more minutes of breathing sawdust that would be better avoided.
I have owned these switches for a few years and never had one fail yet so I feel like the quality is good. It has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon with over 500 reviews.
I do not use the smart switch on my scroll saws. It does not work. I guess the scroll saw does not draw enough current to trigger the smart switch. I find it easier to use a footswitch to trigger the shop vac from a scroll saw.
The DGC Products i-Socket Auto Switch is currently $32.14 on Amazon. That is about $3 off the normal price. This is one of the products that I monitor for sales. When they get marked down I like to bring them to your attention. This is not a great sale but this tool never gets deep discounts.
Shop Note:
I was away from my shop and office for the last couple of days. I am a little behind on processing signature coin and USB Catalog orders. I will work on those today and try to get caught up. Email is also backed up but it always is. I'll work on that also. Thanks for your patience.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
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:
Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2018 in DVD
This DVD has over 2,600 patterns published from 2007 thru 2018.
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.
All the same file but on an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
Now Available on USB Thumb Drive
Don't have a DVD drive on your new computer. No problem. Buy the catalog on a USB thumb drive.All the same file but on an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
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
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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